by John Hedden
Francoise (My wife and sweetheart), and myself visited Cat Island over the Labour day holiday weekend, for two reasons: I wanted to return after a 35 year hiatus, and she wanted to visit an island she had heard so much about.
We flew into the Bight on Friday afternoon, rented a vehicle, and then drove north to Arthur's town where we took up residence at the 'Cookie House', a local guest house run in the manner of typical Out island hospitality.
Our host was an elderly gentleman by the name of Pat Rolle, who turned out to be a wealth of local knowledge, and a mine of Cat Island history and culture. Accommodation was basic; with a bed, a fan, running water, shower, and a view of the Exuma sound from the 2nd floor balcony where our room was located. Using it as a base for island excursions we could not have expected more.
As we drove North from the airport at the Bight there was an immediate sense of quiet and solitude, and the feeling of remoteness from the urban lifestyle we had become used to here in Abaco. This sense stayed with us over the whole course of our weekend there.
The roads are narrow, in reasonable condition, winding, and hilly on the main; while low along the coast. Vegetation was semi arid scrub, but definitely arid now, due to the extended drought caused by the failure of the beginning of summer rain. The result was excessive leaf fall and browning of the leaves as if a fire had swept through the canopies. In fact fire had been used as part of the traditional slash and burn farming performed by the farmers there, leaving 'scrub' trunk sticks to accommodate the vining crops as they are planted as part of crop succession practices.
The other immediate notable impact is the number of deserted houses, churches, and buildings, through every settlement, and now crumbling and falling away to dust.
This surely is a testament to the migration of locals to the centres of Nassau and Grand Bahama during the 1950's, which continues to this day.
We found the Cat islanders warm and friendly, with a wealth of knowledge and a pride in their culture and history, which includes farming, animal husbandry, straw weaving and basket work, music and story telling. All were proud of their island and happy to share the island with us.
A geography of rolling hills, red soils, beautiful coloured creeks and seas, bluffs, lakes, salinas; all unspoiled by the litter and trash so common elsewhere in the country.
Island architecture is dominated by the rock and lime (cement) construction technique for the old houses (now crumbling); the copying of the buttress and arch construction brought to the island by the catholic priest John Hawes (Father Jerome), and expressed at the hermitage and the catholic church he built at the Bight.
Recent construction though uses the cement block and wood facade type fabrication which may be more practical; but, is less appealing to the eye. However the use of arches as a front still exists in many of the newer buildings.
Changes since my last visit in the early 80's were observed. More modern amenities are in place:
Electricity has replaced kerosene as the energy source.
Motorisation has replaced sail as the power for boating.
Mechanisation has replaced much of the hand digging used in construction.
Telephones, internet, television have all replaced the old radio use of communication.
Motor vehicles have replaced the horse powered transport of previous years.
Telephones are now in common use, especially mobiles.
While we were there we wanted to attend the Rake and Scrape festival; a show case of local culture, music, dance, and craftsmanship. (Or so we thought!). In fact the two night show turned out to be an extravaganza of everything but Cat Island music culture; in fact a performance we could have just as well seen in one of the stadiums in Nassau or Grand Bahama. However performances by the Lasidoe Boys, Pat Rahming, and a competition for young concertina (accordion) players did bring the meaning of rake and scrape a little closer. The food and cooking were excellent, as was the friendliness and hospitality of all the Cat Islanders we met.
However that sense of remoteness never left, and it is a shame that this island is still on the whole neglected and left outside the aura of the centres of the Bahamas. Yet it and it's people have so much of a rich heritage to share with Bahamians and the rest of the world.
We left with a sense of nostalgia over something that should have been; or, something hidden there we should have seen.
Abaco
June 11, 2017
