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[[annotation in top margin in red]] Nassau [[/annotation]]
The larger steamers have to stay outside Hog Island and cannot enter the harbor on account of the bar. If a too strong wind blows they shift their anchorage and run to the lee on the other side of the Island.
The Spongers ^[[are]] ordinarily small sloops of good lines with overhanging [[strikethrough]] stern [[/strikethrough]] counterstern, bow sprit and pole mast and loose footed leg of mutton sail. They have [[strikethrough]] two [[/strikethrough]] one or two small trunk cabins leaving about 2½ gang way all around with about one foot bulwark all around. In the middle of the deck is a square wooden box filled with sand and on
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[[annotation in top margin in red]] [[strikethrough]] southern [[/strikethrough]] Br [[/annotation]]
which they do their cooking on charcoal, battered sails full of holes some of them and a chatting group of men, women and children, while the open fire cooking goes on and nobody cares, while the wind blows ashes and glowing cinder around, the boom and sail [[hangs?]] only [[strikethrough]] on or b [[/strikethrough]] two or three feet above the fire. Poultry, pigs and a few stray melon, or pumpkins bananas and loose sponges and conchs, all carelessly lying about. Two or three [[strong?]] built small dinghys lean around on top of cabin house. Near by is sponge market where sponges are spread out and graded for easier inspection by sponge traders