The Bahamas

It’s not just a cruise destination. It’s also an independent nation: on 10 July in 1973 the Bahamas became fully independent from Britain, and so today we’re celebrating Bahamian Independence Day. Over seven hundred islands—and over two thousand cays. But were there pirates? Let’s find out.

The islands were uninhabited until the 7th century it seems—the first people to venture into this little slice of paradise (well, for those who like gorgeous beaches…) were the Taino (they came to be known as Lucayans), coming from Cuba and Hispaniola. Then there was Columbus. His first landfall in this New World—an historic event, obviously—was on an island he named San Salvador, and it’s pretty well accepted that that’s San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. While Chris (I feel that over time I’ve gotten to a first-name basis with the man) traded with the Lucayans, the Spaniards that followed weren’t so friendly—they depopulated the islands, leaving them deserted for a century or so. (I do ask the question, if they weren’t going to do anything with them, what was the point of “depopulating” them? That’s the sort of thing that makes me grumpy.) In the mid 1600s the English decided to do something with the islands—some “adventurers” arrived from Bermuda, and obviously thought “let’s set up shop here.” And they did.

Soon after this King Charles II decided to rent out the Bahamas to the Lord Proprietors of the Carolinas.

And, yes, there were pirates, including Blackbeard, the big bad. Awesome.

During the American Revolutionary War the US Marines (yes, there were Marines back then) occupied the capital… for a fortnight.

And then, following World War II, the move toward independence. First came self-government, before full nationhood. Like Australia, though, they still recognise the queen. (Or am I meant to capitalise that, to be properly respectful of my monarch?) The current prime minister is Hubert (Hubert!) Ingraham.

And of course, it’s a subtropical wonderland of tourism. And off-shore financial services. Can anyone say tax haven?

Today’s poem is by Percival A Miller. Incidentally, my grandfather’s name was Leslie Percival. For his entire life he was known as Tim. The poem is from a longer work, “The Ballad of the Great Canoe.” I found it online here, quoted in a paper including some work on Bahamian poetry. Interesting stuff, and thanks to Dean W. Collinwood for putting some information about Bahamian culture out there.


from The Ballad of the Great Canoe

A band of numen came today

riding the wide water out of the dawn

in a canoe as big as a pueblo.



Their hair was like the silk of maize

their skin was paler than the sand

their knitted garments sheathed their limbs

helmet like peapods hid their crowns

they spoke the language of birds and cattle.


. . .

We ran into the bushes and hid

but we came back to touch them

we had to see if they were men as we were

what use is the hamac if the stranger is not known

what joy is the full tabaca if you cannot test the

stranger's strength.


—Percival A Miller