BAHAMAN TRIP 



21 



the mangroves on the inside. We went up four or five miles to 

 where the creek narrowed at the beginning of a large salt-water sound. 

 Here the tide overflowed the land, and we found the same white deposit 

 as on the shore. Redwing blackbirds and willets are common on the 

 swashes. Got out of the creek in the afternoon, and with a southwest 

 wind, started back for Loggerhead Creek. On the way passed a 

 sponging schooner of less than twenty tons, with eight boats in tow. 

 Two men to a boat and the cook made seventeen men at least on the 

 vessel. 



Friday, June 20. Loggerhead Creek. In the morning the men 

 coming on shore with sponges for the crawls passed us, some of the 

 boats sculled by small boys from seven to ten years of age. Later 

 passed a sponge-crawl, built of stakes and resembling a weir. The 

 sponges are soaked in these inclosures for about five days, and are then 

 cleaned by holding them in the left hand and beating them with a 

 stick. They are then left on shore until ready to be taken home. 

 About noon the sky darkened to the north, and rain fell in torrents 

 for about an hour. We took the passage known as the Middle Bight, 

 passing many cays covered with palmettoes or with pines. 



Saturday, June 21. Continued beating through Middle Bight, 

 finally reached our destination. Mangrove Cay, towards evening. This 

 is one of the largest settlements on the island, and it is here that the 

 magistrate of the island lives. Both he and Mr. Mathews, the repre- 

 sentative of the Episcopal Church on Andros, are white men. Spent 

 the night with Mr. Mathews. The next day walked back a short 

 distance. There are many small hills, the surface is rough, and there 

 are numerous banana holes. 



June 23. Walked to Lisbon Creek, about four miles south of the 

 settlement. The creek forms the southern boundary of the Cay. The 

 road ran along the beach towards a long point. Near the head of the 

 point was a deep hole close to the shore in which Mr. Mathews said 

 the water was twelve or sixteen fathoms deep. The diameter of the 

 hole was perhaps a hundred feet. We crossed the point and walked 

 along the southern shore to a house at the mouth of the creek, where 

 we planned to stay several days. The coppet about here is largely log- 

 wood (HcBmatoxylon campechianum) . It is said that when once 

 planted this will soon drive out all the native trees. Thermometer 86 

 in the shade. 



