Encountering the topmost portion of a mountain-range rooted deep within the North Atlantic Ocean, early Spanish arrivals believed that they had come upon a Baja Mar or “shallow sea”. Each with its own story to tell, a trip through the islands of the Bahamas reveals a fascinating history teeming with myth and legend.
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The island of San Salvador (or “Holy Saviour”), as it was rechristened by Columbus upon his arrival in 1492, was originally Guanahani of the Lucayan (or Arawak) Indians, its inhabitants from the ninth century A.D. Following on the heels of a non-Arawak tribe who traveled to the Bahamas (perhaps from Cuba) between 300-400 A.D., the 40,000 Lucayans are thought to have migrated from the Lesser Antilles in fleeing Carib aggressors. Enslaved by early Spanish conquerers and sent to labour in the mines of Hispaniola (today’s Haiti and Dominican Republic) these people were to virtually disappear within 25 years of European arrival. Renamed Watling Island for British buccaneer George Watling, the island returned to its current name in 1925.
Composed of the Great and Little Abacos, and their colourfully named cays (Elbow, Man-O-War, Green Turtle, Guana, Stranger’s, Umbrella and Walker’s Cay) the Abacos Islands became home to the Bahamas’ first British colony (1783). Established by Loyalist plantation owners and slave-holders a short-lived cotton industry would eventually culminate in over 40 plantations employing 1200 slaves by the early 19th century.
Dotted with the remains of colonial mansions and cotton plantations The Exumas and Long Island, were both settled by British Loyalists fleeing the newly independent United States, in 1783 and 1790 respectively. Once known as Yuma (by its native inhabitants), Long Island would briefly be renamed Ferdinanda by Columbus. By 1835 both islands witnessed the end of an era with the abolition of slavery and the closing of the plantations. Today many towns and residents of the Exumas continue to carry the name of Lord John Rolle, a powerful plantation owner, who upon emancipation, bequeathed his land to former slaves for life.
Eleuthra island continues to bear the title bestowed upon it by a small band of early English settlers in the mid-1700s. Seeking religious freedom and viewing the island as the site for their utopian ideals, the pilgrims dubbed it Eleuthra, the Greek word for freedom. Indeed European presence in the Bahamas, for purposes commercial, religious or decadent, has come in many forms, but perhaps the most renowned period in this history belongs to the marauders who frequented the Bahamian shores and who were to become a source of grief to anyone not within their ranks.
The Going Through or the Crooked Island Passage, of the Acklins and Crooked Island, has been navigated by many a ship in the journey from Europe to the Americas. Brought to European attention through the maiden voyage of Columbus, the seaway would gain a notorious place within the Golden Age of Piracy. Until 1718, many a ship met their fate amid the shallow waters and hidden coves of the passage favored by pirates and buccaneers. Tales of sunken treasure, ghostly galleons and water-bound spirits are as much part of the island’s folklore as are names like Mary Bonney, Calico Jack, Henry Morgan and Blackbeard.
Also known as the favorite haunt of pirates and rum-runners, the Bimini Island’s lasting reputation goes back to a legend far older than those of sea-faring wreckers, for it is thought to be the site of the long-lost city of Atlantis. Located off the reefs of North and South Bimini Islands, large lime-stone formations underlying the wrecks of Spanish galleons, lend credence to the myth of this sunken metropolis.
Cat Island may bear the moniker of its famous pirate resident Capt. Arthur Catt. Though it is equally likely named for the descendents left by the pets of early Spanish settlers (in their quest for South American gold) which greeted British arrivals in the 1600s. Cat Island’s thronging feline population only adds to its continuing mystique and aura of the supernatural. Considered the centre of obeah practice, the island is said to be home to rituals of this mixture of bush-medicine and magic brought to the Caribbean from West Africa.
Andros Island, the Bahamas’ largest island and its least explored, speaks to yet another dimension of Bahamian lore. Reputedly teeming with chickcharnies, these magical sprite-like beings are said to grant life-long fortune to respectful solicitations. However those unfortunates who do not abide by customary shows of respect may suffer their head to spin completely around. Meanwhile, in the depths below the mangrove-filled islands is said to lurk the Lusca, a half-dragon-half octopus creature who makes its home within the underwater cave system of the blue-holes. Perhaps with reverence to this eerie climate, early Spaniards referred to the island as La Isla del Espiritu, The Island of Spirits.
Each island exhibits a character particular onto itself, be it the millionaires’ paradise that is the Berry Islands, The Inaguas, anagrammatically named for their large iguana communities, Grand Bahama, home of Freeport (the nation’s second largest city) or Mayaguana, the only island to retain its original Arawak name. Perhaps the most all-encompassing example of Bajian spirit can be found in the Junkanoo festival within the nation’s capital of Nassau on Paradise Island. In honour of John Canoe, the African tribal chief who refused to allow slavers to deny him celebration with his people, or maybe referring to its disguised revelers, gens inconnu, Junkanoo carries on the Christmas-time celebration begun by slaves of the 16th century.
Supplying Confederate cotton to English mills and English rifles to Civil War Confederates, rum-running during the Prohibition era of the roaring twenties, the Bahamas can also boast itself as home to the most churches per capita than anywhere else in the modern world. Whether a missionary sanctum or a pirates’ den, a refuge for early aboriginal communities or a purgatory endured by African slaves, the Bahamas has long been a site of oppositional histories and competing reputations. Declared a Commonwealth nation in 1969 and finally achieving independence in 1973, the Bahamas is today not only one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, but a treasure-trove of colonial and anti-colonial history.
Capital:
Nassau
Physical Geography:
Long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills.
Population:
Majority of African descent, followed by those of European, Asian and Hispanic roots.
Languages:
English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Governmental Structure:
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas; representative democracy; bicameral legislature with 16-member Senate and 40-member House of Assembly; Senate appointed, representatives elected for 5-year terms; 21 districts.
Main Political Parties:
PLP (Progressive Liberal Party)
FNM (Free National Movement)
Independant
Religions:
The mostly Christian island can be sub-divided into Baptist, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Church of God, Protestant
Climate:
The tropical marine paradise is aided by the warm waters of Gulf Stream; however, hurricanes and other tropical storms often cause extensive flood and wind damage.
Currency:
Bahamian dollar (BSD)
Natural Resources:
Salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
Exports/Commodities:
Fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables
News/Links:
The Bahama Journal: http://www.jonesbahamas.com/
The Nassau Guardian: http://www.thenassauguardian.com/
Abaco newspaper: http://www.abaconian.com/
Abaco Magazine: http://www.abacolife.com/