Cat Island is located in central
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
, and is one of its
districts. Cat Island also has the nation's highest point,
Mount Alvernia (formerly known as Como Hill). It rises to and is topped by a
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
called ''The Hermitage''. This assembly of buildings was erected by the Franciscan "Brother Jerome" (
John Hawes
John Cyril Hawes (7 September 1876 – 26 June 1956) was an architect and priest. Hawes was known for designing and constructing church buildings in England, Western Australia and The Bahamas. He served as a priest in the Church of England befo ...
).
History
The first white settlers were
Loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...
fleeing the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
, who arrived in 1783. The island may have been named after Arthur Catt, a
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
, or the name may refer to its one-time large population of
feral cats.
Historically, the island gained wealth from
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
plantations, but
slash and burn
Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed veget ...
farming is now the main way of life for Cat Islanders. An economic crop is ''
Croton eluteria'' (called also cascarilla) bark, which is gathered and shipped to
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
where it becomes a main ingredient in medicines, scents and
Campari
Campari () is an Italian alcoholic liqueur, considered an apéritif (20.5%, 21%, 24%, 25%, or 28.5% ABV, depending on the country where it is sold), obtained from the infusion of herbs and fruit (including chinotto and cascarilla) in alcohol a ...
.
Until written accounts were found, Cat Island was thought to be
Guanahani
Guanahaní is an island in the Bahamas that was the first land in the New World sighted and visited by Christopher Columbus' first voyage, on 12 October 1492. It is a bean-shaped island that Columbus changed from its native Taíno name to San ...
or San Salvador, the first island
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
arrived at in the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
.
Demographics
The population of Cat Island is 1,522 (2010 census). The main settlements are Dumfries, New Bight,
Arthur's Town (capital settlement and childhood home of
Sidney Poitier),
Orange Creek
Orange Creek is a small stream in north-central and northeast Florida, that drains Orange Lake to the Ocklawaha River. Privately owned Orange Springs provides part of the water volume.
Description
Part of the Ocklawaha River drainage basin, O ...
, and
Port Howe.
Cat Island,
Tea Bay is also the birthplace of Bahamian musician
Tony McKay, better known as
Exuma
Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands, also called cays.
The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capital ...
, and
internet celebrity/
MMA fighter Dada 5000.
New Bight Airport and
Arthur's Town Airport serve the island.
Landmarks and attractions
At the top of Como Hill is Mt. Alvernia Hermitage on
Mount Alvernia, the highest point in The Bahamas. This small stone monastery built by hand by the architect hermit,
Father Jerome,
is at the peak and accessible by a trek up a steep rocky incline.
Just south of the Hermitage are the ruins of
Armbrister Plantation.
Armbrister Creek flows into a clear lake called "Boiling Point" or "Boiling Hole" whose tidal conditions cause bubbles and burps, the conditions which lead to folklore of a sea monster below its surface. Rays and baby sharks can be found in the lake. In addition, numerous birds can be found nesting along its mangrove fringe.
Located in
Bain Town is another lake. This wide deep lake called Mermaid Hole is said in local folklore to be home to a
mermaid
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mermaids are sometimes ass ...
that lives amongst the 4 bed holes within that lead to caverns and passageways.
One of the major attractions in Cat Island Bahamas is the Big Blue Hole near Orange Creek at Dickies Road. The hole is very deep and it has a strong undercurrents flowing into the sea. Many objects such as dead farm animals tossed into the lake ended up reaching the ocean through its caverns. Local folklore says that a monster lived in Big Blue Hole that devours horses. This folklore is said to still scare local fisherman from venturing too far into this freshwater lake.
Dickie's Road goes east to Griffin Bat Cave, once a hideout for slaves.
Sitting atop a ridge alongside the road in the settlement of Old Bight is
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, built by Father Jerome, with frescos, engravings and sculptures.
In the
Port Howe area of Cat Island, are the ruins of an 18th-century plantation at
Deveaux House mansion. It was given to Colonel Andrew Deveaux in 1783 for protecting Nassau from Spanish invasion and occupation.
In Knowles, there is a museum called the Columbus World Centre Museum. In South Bight there is the childhood home of Sir
Sidney Poitier, Academy Award winner.
Places
*
Arthur's Town
*
Old Bight
*
New Bight
* Port Howe
* Devil's Point
* Dumfries
References
{{Authority control
Islands of the Bahamas
Districts of the Bahamas