598 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 



such towns as Nassau, Governors Harbor and G-eorgetown the inhabitants 

 represent probably the most influential classes in the Islands. The people 

 are, as a whole, well housed and well clothed. In many of the Out-islands 

 the inhabitants live in cabins built of limestone and covered with plaster. 

 This is the condition of many of the people who are employed in the sponging 

 industry (Plate XCII, Fig. 1). In the larger towns limestone blocks are 

 cut from quarries by means of common log-saws and wood axes. These are 

 trimmed to the desired shape and constitute the only building stone in the 

 archipelago. Plate LXXXIX shows one of these limestone quarries in opera- 

 tion, and a building in process of erection. Although the majority of the 

 colored people and a great many of the white inhabitants are able to provide 

 themselves with few of the ordinary comforts of life, yet there is no occasion 

 for an able-bodied man or woman to be without the necessities. In the Out- 

 islands, where medical attendance -is wanting, there is frequently much misery 

 on account of the neglect of ordinary sanitary precautions. Taken as a 

 whole, it may be said that the people are contented but not prosperous. 



Criminality. 



In regard to criminality, the following statistics for the year 1903 are 

 of interest. During this period there were committed to jail 354 people, of 

 whom 156 were men, 86 women, and 13 juveniles. 



The following table gives the criminal statistics for the years 1899, 1900 

 and 1903 : 



TABLE SHOWING CRIMINAL STATISTICS FOE YEARS 1899, 1900 AND 1903. 



1899. 1900. 1902. 



Apprehended by the police or summoned before the magistrates 2,508 2,636 2,827 



Number of summary convictions : — 



For offenses against the person 246 237 290 



For praedial larceny 37 31 35 



For offenses against property other than praedial larceny 80 76 101 



For other offenses 1,460 1,600 1,756 



The number of convictions in the Superior Courts : — 



For offenses against the person 10 7 10 



For praedial larceny . _ . _ 1 



For offenses against property other than praedial larceny 15 12 16 



For other offenses 1 2 6 



The number of persons acquitted : — 



In the Inferior Courts 464 438 385 



In the Superior Courts 21 8 20 



Eeligious Conditions. 

 Nassau is the seat of a bishopric, and the Bahamas are well supplied with 

 churches of Episcopal, Presbyterian, Wesleyan and Baptist denominations. 



