Travel writing was an emerging field of journalism in the mid 1800s. Winter tourism was also just emerging for the Bahamas at that time. When the two met, often, uncharitable comments were made at the expense of the native population.
A persiflage (light teasing), but nevertheless cutting observations about Nassau dogs, and other things, from serialised articles written in 1895 by an American humorist Edgar “Bill” Wilson Nye.
On divorces and infidelity in the islands.
About the US Consul Mr. McLean.
On slow island life and a less than stellar male population.
On black women.
On a trip to Hog Island and the coloured diver.
(The Lincoln Nebraska Star, Saturday 23 March 1895)
On motherless, houseless dogs. And a comment about nigger beggars on the streets.
“There are 650,000 motherless, houseless dogs here, and those who have mothers refer to them in shame!
Oh, oh, oh! The life of a Nassau dog is the bleakest thing on earth!
No home!
No hair!
No parents’ love!
No teeth!
Nothing but hunger, hot weather and a split stick on his tail.
I have never saw anything more unhappy than the dogs here. In Constantinople the dog has no future. He has not been emancipated, but he is not molested. Here the only exercise one has consists in kicking a pathway through the dog undergrowth and worthless nigger bum population. There is here a dog in the air most of the time. I’ve got quite a football knee from over kicking myself.
Everyone who comes here is apt to over kick himself
(This is persiflage)”
