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"The earthquake seems to have left this part of the isle full of pits and holes," said Mr. Rover. "I hope my boys have managed to steer clear of the dangerous places." They soon found they had to turn back, and now Bahama Bill frankly declared that he was "all at sea," as he put it. "Every landmark I knew has been swept away," he said.
The fleets which sail from this port and which are partly constructed of the cedrela and the mahogany of the island of Cuba, might, at the entrance of the Mexican Mediterranean, menace the opposite coast, as the fleets that sail from Cadiz command the Atlantic near the Pillars of Hercules. In the meridian of the Havannah the Gulf of Mexico, the old channel, and the channel of Bahama unite.
N. Lat. and contains all the Coasts of Carolina, or Florida, with the Bahama Islands, great Part of the Bay of Mexico, and the Island of Cuba, to the Southward, and several Degrees to the Westward of the Messiasippi River, with all the Indian Nations and Villages, and their Numbers, which of them are subject to Carolina, and trade with their People, what Places are convenient Factories and Forts, to increase and secure our Trade on the Messiasippi, and what Forts and Factories the French and Spaniards have gain'd in those Latitudes, especially on the great River and the Neighbouring Streams; all which they illegally possess, since the very Mouth of the River Messiasippi is in the King of England's Grant to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, it falling something to the Northward of 29 Degr.
Some beautiful specimens of white corals are found here, but they are not a characteristic of the coast. On that portion bordering the Old Bahama Channel, and also opposite the Isle of Pines, which Columbus named Evangelista, on this south shore, large numbers of turtles are taken annually, which produce the best quality of tortoise-shell.
Thomas Spaulding offered to supply Joseph Eve's gins from the Bahama Islands at fifty guineas each; and Eve himself shortly immigrated to Augusta to contend for his patent rights on roller-gins, for some of his workmen had changed his model in such a way as to increase the speed, and had put their rival gins upon the market.
"I feels like I could tramp all night widout half tryin'!" Tying up the rowboat, and shouldering their tools and provisions, they set off along the shore of Horseshoe Bay, just as the three Rover boys had done. Bahama Bill led the way, with Mr. Rover beside him, carrying the electric light, which gave out fully as much light as did the acetylene gas lamp carried by Merrick.
Where we were I could not learn from any one on board; but I suspected that we were in one of the numberless keys among the Bahama or Lucaya Islands; and I had afterward reason to know that I was right.
But as they approached, the speck grew larger and larger, and they saw it was a beautiful tropical isle, with waving palms reaching down almost to the water's edge. "We can't land on this side," announced Bahama Bill. "The sea is too dangerous here, We'll have to sail around to the south shore and lay to beyond the reef, and then take small boats to the inside of the horseshoe."
For the better part of five months Mainwaring cruised about in the waters surrounding the Bahama Islands. In that time he ran to earth and dispersed a dozen nests of pirates. He destroyed no less than fifteen piratical crafts of all sizes, from a large half-decked whaleboat to a three-hundred-ton barkentine.
In this year 1520, the licentiate Lucas Vasques de Aillon, and others of St Domingo, sent two ships to procure slaves at the Lucayos or Bahama islands; but finding none there, they passed on along the continent, beyond Florida, to certain countries called Chicora and Gualdape, and to the river Jordan and Cape St Helena, in lat. 32° N. . The Spaniards landed here, and were hospitably received by the natives, who furnished them with every thing they needed: but, having inveigled many of the unsuspecting natives on board their ships, they carried them away for slaves.
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