Drawn to Cat Island by the annual Rake N' Scrape festival, writers for Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine David Herndon and Zachary L Stovall spent three days talking to islanders and touring.

Developing material for a feature on the island , Herndon and Stovall made a beeline on arrival for the home of Minerva Rolle for an interview. She is the oldest woman resident of Bennett's Harbour, and she regaled them with some "ole time history talk" about what it was like growing up on Cat Island comparing the memories to the changes that have occurred over the years.

"Ah child life on Cat Island now is much different than those days," said Mrs Rolle.

"We grew and harvested crops such as cassava, corn, peas, sugar cane, potato. We also fished and exported sisal to market."

Culture

Explaining various aspects of the island's culture, she explained that Rake N' Scrape and dances like the quadrille, the polka, and the waltz were adopted by the slaves in earlier days.

They picked up the steps and the music, but carefully measured the rhythms and movements.

They adopted the dances, but made the music and steps their own.

They got hold of the concertina, the favourite instrument of the seamen because it was both cheap and portable, and combined drums, saws, jawbones, bells, notched pieces of wood, rattles and whatever else they could find to make their music.

The texts of the songs are often related to happenings on the island.

It was then on to explore some of the island's historical site , making stops at the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, New Bight, and the regatta site where sloop sailing takes place.

The journalists also visited John Hopkin's slave plantation, which was established for the production of cotton by slaves.

Climbing Mount Alvernia to the highest point in the Bahamas to visit The Hermitage, which was built by Jesuit priest Father Jerome, who dedicated many years to the solitary pursuit, was a moving experience for the writers.

Cooking

Climbing Mt Alvernia also gave Herndon and Stovall greater appreciation for the Blue Bird Restaurant at the foot of the hill, where lured by smiling faces and the smell of good island cooking, they stopped to get a cooling drink and a nibble.

Other stops included Pilot Harbour, where ships would anchor and use small boats to tender passengers to the island; Old Bight, the village that was once a terminus for an old railroad that brought hundreds of tons of sisal and pineapple to the port for shipping to the United States and Europe; Port Howe, site of the ruins of the Deveaux plantation, which was named after Andrew Deveaux a British commander-in-chief and was a place of fortification for pirates.

The writers found particular interest in the largest graveyard on Cat Island because it is believed that many of the Loyalists opted to have their treasures, monies buried along with them.

Finally, after lunch at Sammy T's restaurant, the writers rested a while to recharge in order to enjoy the music of the festival.

Performers included the visiting Turks & Caicos Rake N' Scrape Band, Ophie & The Boys, John "Chippie" Chipman, Metellus Chipman, who honored Tony McKay in dance, Fontella Chipman (fire dancer), spirited and energetic Terez Hepburn and KB along with the Lasido Boys.

The night was closed out by smooth talking and dancing Ronnie Butler.

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