8 



BAHAMAN TRIP 



impenetrable bush. The path was exceedingly rough and at times 

 passed close to the edge of deep banana holes. In the pines saw some 

 rain crows (Crotophaga ani). Insects seemed very scarce; caught two 

 butterflies. The largest pine seen was about twenty-four inches in 

 diameter and about fifty feet high. The bark is gray, quite rough and 

 detaches easily in flakes, leaving the exposed part dull, reddish 

 brown. The branches are near the top of the tree, and the leaves 

 towards the ends of the branches. The cones are very numerous 

 and are sessile below the leaves. 



March i8. Started with Mr. Davis (the justice of the peace) 

 to visit some caves near Morgan's Bluff. On the way we called on a 

 Mr. James, who took us to see his cave, a long, low chamber on the 

 side of a hill. Some of the openings were about thirty feet in height, 

 and from the overhanging rock, which was about three feet thick, hung 

 down the long aerial roots of a Ficus, making great bars across the 

 mouth of the cave. Near by was what is called the sea-hole or ocean 

 hole," perhaps a hundred feet in diameter and from twenty to forty 

 feet in depth. (See account of the geology.) After visiting this we 

 continued our walk to Morgan's Bluff at the northern end of the island. 

 The rock here was quite precipitous, much water-worn and about 

 fifteen feet in height. The cave which was near here had a small 

 entrance about the size of an ordinary door. A second opening led 

 into a larger room in which we could stand erect. Found a human 

 humerus on the ground. Mr. Colby, the owner of the cave, said that 

 all the earth had been taken out about thirteen years before, sold for a 

 dollar a ton and taken to Port Royal, S.C. He also said that he had 

 collected the bones and buried them again. On the roof of the cave a 

 number of small stalactites showed that the water dissolved some of 

 the lime as it trickled through. On the return trip Mr. Davis showed 

 us what are here called "cinnamon trees" (Canella Winterana), also 

 the mahogany and madeira trees. The so-called "road," in reality a 

 narrow path, was very rough, and we were tired when we reached our 

 cabin, although we had only walked about eight miles. 



March 20. Found some large soldier-crabs under a stone, and this 

 evening when I went out to open a cocoanut, I saw eight or nine of 

 them around the place. I watched them feeding on the cocoanut 

 jelly. They seem largely nocturnal in their habits. Caught and pre- 

 served two males. 



