ne
endows the native birds with brilliant plumage, while the colder North
gives its feathered tribes the winning charm of melody.

The soil of these Bahama Islands, composed of such unpromising
ingredients, shows in its prolific yield how much vegetation depends
for its sustenance upon atmospheric air, especially in tropical
climes. The landlord of the Victoria Hotel told us, as an evidence of
the fertility of the soil, that radish seeds which were planted on the
first day of the month would sufficiently mature and ripen by the
twenty-first--that is in three weeks--for use upon the table; and also
that potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons were relatively
expeditious in ripening here after planting. Our mind reverted to the
jugglers of Madras and Bombay, who made an orange-tree grow from the
seed, and bear fruit before our very eyes, at a single sitting.

The luscious pineapple, zapota, mango, pomegranate, guava, star-apple,
citron, custard-apple, mammee, and other fruits abound. The
profuseness and variety of beautiful ferns and orchidaceous plants
will also be sure to attract the attention of the Northern visitor.
The rocky formation of the soil produces good natural roads, so that a
long drive in the environs of Nassau is like a pleasure excursion over
a well-macadamized thoroughfare. We were told of a delightful drive of
fifteen miles in length which follows the sea beach the whole
distance, but did not find time to test its attractions, though
strongly tempted by the excellence of the roads. Here, as in other
tropical regions, each month has its special floral display, although
there are many, and indeed a majority, of the plants which continue to
flower all the year round. We observed that the stone walls and
hedges were now and again covered for short spaces with the
coral-vine, whose red blossoms, so pleasing to the eye, emit no odor.
The yellow jasmine was dazzlingly conspicuous everywhere, and very
fragrant. Red and white roses, various species of cacti, and
tube-roses bloomed before the rude thatched cabins of the negroes in
the environs, as well as in the tiny front gardens of the whites in
the streets of the town; while red, white, and pink oleanders grew as
tall as trees, and flower here every month in the year. The
night-blooming cereus abounds, opening just at sunset, and closing
again at break of day. The outside leaves of this poetical flower are
of a pale green, the inner ones of a pure wax-like