22 



BAHAMAN TRIP 



Tuesday, June 24. Up at sunrise. Sailed up Lisbon Creek. Not 

 far above its mouth it widens and is no longer a creek, but a large lake- 

 like body of water, shallow and containing a number of large cays 

 covered with pines. On these large cays are quite a number of iguanas. 

 We saw several ; they run with almost incredible swiftness. Got two 

 small ones. They are said to occasionally attain a length of five or 

 six feet. The negroes hunt them with dogs which drive them in holes, 

 when they are easily caught. We were told they were formerly much 

 more abundant. 



Wednesday, June 25. Walked back to "high coppet." The 

 land was high and contained many banana holes. The trees were 

 larger and taller than in the surrounding region. The largest was a 

 horse-flesh" that measured five and a half feet in circumference, 

 four feet from the ground. 



Thursday, June 26. Left Lisbon Creek, continuing our trip south, 

 stopped a short time at Kemp Sound. Saw a small gray owl and found 

 some new plants. Shore bordered with cocoanuts and houses for a 

 long distance, the high coppet behind them. No pines to be seen. 

 Slept in the rowboat. 



Friday, June 27. Sailed to Henry Dames, a short distance below 

 Deep Creek. There are five houses here, surrounded with cocoanut- 

 palms. We found Mr. Dames hospitable and intelligent. He gave 

 us considerable information as to medicinal plants and the commercial 

 value of the different kinds of wood. 



Saturday, June 28. Walked back into the coppet about four 

 miles over the "road" made by the surveyors. No pines in sight. 

 The ground was high and very rough, and banana-holes were numer- 

 ous. The place is known as the " high coppet, " and the trees are the 

 largest we have seen on the island. Horse-flesh (Lysiloma) and Ma- 

 deira (Swietenia mahogani), between two and three feet in diameter, 

 were common, and a number of "nakedwood" trees (Myrtus punc- 

 tatus) were over a foot through. We found many new plants. Igua- 

 nas are said to be plentiful farther back and to sell for sixpence a 

 pound. The negroes consider them a great delicacy. The rare blue 

 thrasher and the white-headed pigeon were abundant about here. 



Sunday, June 29. Left Dames at six o'clock. Continued on our 

 way south. Beat against adverse winds all day, only got within two 

 or three miles of Grassy Creek. Scenery along shore much the same as 

 farther north, except the trees were slightly lower. 



