The Bluff, Bahamas

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The Bluff is a settlement on North Eleuthera, Bahamas.

There are two settlements in the Bahamas called "The Bluff". The first is on South Andros Island. It is the most densely populated settlement on the island. It hosts a Homecoming every year, the first weekend in June on its Regatta site. Also, the Bluff is home to the 'Government' buildings like the police station, the Post Office and BaTelCo.

The other settlement called "The Bluff" (or simply "Bluff") is on the west coast of North Eleuthera Island. History says the settlement was established by emancipated slaves somewhere around 1807/8. In 1866, Louis Diston Powles (1842-1911), or L.D.Powles, was appointed Magistrate of the Bahama Islands. One of his first acts was to tour the island group, after which he had a book published: Land of the Pink Pearl. One of the islands that he visited was Eleuthera where he made specific references in his book to the Bluff settlement and its black residents, most notably one John Neely, the tacit leader of the settlement.

At the National Archives in Nassau, Bahamas, there exists a will from one Christopher Neely, a white slaveholder (a British loyalist originally from South Carolina in the colonies). In his 1807 will he makes specific references to his slaves on Abaco and New Providence Islands. In this will he states that it is his desire that his 24 slaves on Abaco Island be freed upon his death, which came within several months of his will. It is speculative at best - but not entirely unreasonable - to assume that this settlement was established by these freed slaves from Abaco Island. The (Eleuthera) Bluff settlement sponsors an annual homecoming event the second weekend of July which generally coincides with the Independence Day celebrations taking place throughout the entire Bahamas.