The Sun.
London, England, 1828-04-10 00:00:00

,- .4ai 1 • .., -
weather was fine, and the'' a ")6 e, fiy water,"
we went thither in boats; uring;gri..littiel;4o-11
we passed through sew:itBlll,l*k and7;-over:irtnn 2 8
merable shoals, 'on mostt!,o,tl,whlCl44l.o4Figt,tr*. :::
was sufficient depth of wit 4 ',for otti`loq 1.0.1:4!)!'S'i;
without groonding. - \.' - ;442t:! Nk
Walsingham-bay (as it is _
e.y
situated situated on the-margin of Castle-iiarboub Whidt'vtras
formerly used as an- anthorage for the King's ships,
but from the danger of the navigation, arising from
numberless shoals, and the lois of ',filial:l.:of-war at
the entrance, the use has been discontinued; it takes
its name from a dilapidated fortification; miscalled
" The Castle," which is now principally used as a
place of banishment for refractory soldiers. Hiving ,
landed, and scrambled over the sharp rocks, we pro-
ceeded to a beautifully sheltered spot, overhung with
a rocky cliff, and shaded by a wide spreading cocoa
tree, and perfumed by the Seville oranges, which
hung in yellow clusters all around us, with no sound
save the chirp of the Chick-of-the-Village, red and
blue bird, to disturb us; we spread on the green
sod the provision which we had brought with us,
which consisted of poultry, confection, and fruit,
which received due honour from us all. The sea-
breeze having not a little contributed to the vigour
of our appetites. We next proceeded to view the
" Caves." The entrance to one of these is most
picturesque :—We descended a kind of natural stair-
case, into a dell surrounded on three-sides with high
rocks, covered with creeping plants of various kinds,
and borderbd around with the orange, coffee, pal-
meto, banana, and cedar trees, forming one of the
most beautiful groves possible. The entrance to
the care situated in this spot is narrow, and visitors
are obliged to go almost on all fours ; we carried
with us a lanthorn, and a number of the dry leaves
of the palmetto tree, to make a fire within. When
we had alleffected an entrance, some of the party set
fire to the pile of dry leaveS, and they burst upon
our view the beauties which the darkness had hi-
therto concealed ; there are two chambers, one run-
ning into the other, with lofty roofs, from which
hung beautiful petrifactious of various sizes and
shapes, which, if struck with a piece of metal, or
other hard substance, produced a vAriety, of sounds.
The other cave we visited has a large body of salt
water within, clear as crystal, and very deep; a stone
thrown in makes a great noise ; the roof of this is
similar to the other; but not quite so extensive; both
however are singularly beautiful, and well repay a
visit. We also visited a large natural fish-pond,
in which a former proprietor of the property had a
great number of fine fish, but now there are very
few. Our rambles around this enchanting spot
brought night upon us before we were aware, but it
little mattered, for we had a full moon to light its
home. And here I would remark, the beautiful
moonlight nights which these islands enjoy ; the
sky is generally clear and cloudless, and the queen of
night has full and undisturbed range of the heavens.
Often have I sat for hours, and watched her while
she shed around her chastened beams, and sure am
I, the boasted moon-lights of Italy are not a whit:
more beautiful than those of the Bermuda isles
enjoy. .

Our next excursion was to the Dock-yard,
tuated at the west end of the island, and distally
about 15 miles. For about three miles, our course
lay between St. George and Long-bird Islands
after passingwhiehwe came to the westernmost outletof
*St. George's Harbour, a narrow passage about the
eighth of a mile wide, called the Ferry. To pro-
tect this opening, a Martello-tower, with one gun,
erects its head. The ferry is so seldom used for the
ingress or egress of vessels, from the shallowness of
the water and strength of the current, that the
above-mentioned fortification is quite as strong as
necessary. The tide ran with such force that we
experienced much difficulty in stemming it; but, by
the use of oars, in conjunction with our sails, we at
length succeeded in reaching the open sea; on tho
north side of the island. Geographers describe
these group of islands as in form like a shepherd's
crook, and in reality such is the form which they
present—lreland, forming the extremity of the
crook, while St. George is the handle. The wind
being from the south, we were enabled to keep
close along shore, and consequently in smooth
water. The rocks here present a very formidable
appearance, and certainly do away with the neces.
sity of the work of man's hands, for no vessel could
. approach within 10 or 15 miles of this side of Ber-
muda, without the certainty of being shipwreckea,
and the lives of its crew placed in the greatest
jeopardy. Nine miles north is a rock, which, at low
tide, presents a surface of about forty feet in circum.
ference, called the North Rock. Shoals surround
it for many hundred yards, and the water, when the
wind is boisterous, breaks over it with a' terrific
noise. This rock, placed as it were as a beacon,
seems to say, " Hitherto sh-dt thou come, and no
further;" for it must be a miracle indeed if a ship
tgheitcsk
ever
evre
rshare
etchtai
onn
nt ,
iii itfsornetighehbcoourrahloosdh.ott
is
not often that vessels are Wrecked on the North
Rock, because careful mariners know the danger of.
navigation recommend the switch side as being tho
passing Bermuda to the northward, as all books of
safest. Now and then, however, some cunning
Yankee manages to wreck his vessel upon it, and
thereby recovers, perhaps, from the unwary under%
writers ten times
lather as much as the value of lithier
vessel and cargo. The shore presents old
sterile appearance, and even the cedars. which have
the misfortune to be growing near
oewater, have
a dead dingy appearance. The tterility arises from
the spray of the sea, the salt from which, acted
upon by the sun, causes the grass, &c. to wither and
die away.' The shore is principally inhabited be
fishermen and ship-builders ; the produce of the oc-
cupation of the former being the priecipal sustenance
of, and the business of the latter 10 its swim,,
ramifications, affording employment to shopkeepers,
mechanics, labourers, and sailors. About Mid-way
between the Ferry and the Dock-yard is one of the
houses appropriated as a residence for the Governor
for the time being; it is scarcely seen from the
water; but near it is a hill, called Mount Laneton,
on which is a flag-staff, by which communication is
kept up between St. George, Somerset, and the
Dock-yard. A few miles beyond this is the resi-
dence of the Admiral; the name by which it
is known has escaped my memory. Our sail,
to the Dock-yard occupied us about three hours;,
and the sun had passed his meridian when we received
permission to land, Ireland island on which the
yard is, is about one mile in length, arid perhaps 8.
quarter broad, and is nearly all occupied by the build-
trigs required for the officers, artizaui, and for store-
houses. The Hospital is situated on the higheg,
part of the island, is very large and commodiotia.:hnd
really would almost tempt a person to be sZeyto in..
habit it. The officers' residences art I:Juilt in the
English stile, and are very ,comfuriable Govern-
ment are building a perfect palßi,e for the Commis-
sioner, to tutswha use !I man 'win) only goes out for a
few yea:s can p large a building is to me inex-
plicable. But the most. iMportu„t
work here is an
attempt to forma break -Water similar to that at
Plymouth, Wire will take many years to complete,
and cost an incalcUlAble Sitm f
o. money. Three or four hundred convicts are
not to censure
, C4O), erne) em to on it. 1 wish
ent, but certainly the officers
sent out to choose a fit spot for the Dock yard could
not have chosen
their choice rested
a worse one than they when
i
would
on Ireland island,—whleret,in
asked, where
hesitatingly repistyoGn find a, better
td,asii;
Of access, could be moreeore'aresisly fin).toiufied, is better
protected
from gales of wind, and a ship could be at
sea in twenty minutes; but my Querist may say
there is not a sufficient depth of water, but I beg
leave to tell him that that would be easily remedied, for, for the sum of 2,0004 an ingenious and scientific
man offered to remove the bar, which is nothing
more than a bed of coral, which could be blasted as
easily as any rock above water. The yard is kept
in fine order, and in time will become a very re-
spectable establishment. At the time of cur visit
there were only threeor four ships there, one of which
was a guard-ship. Ireland is only separated from
Somerset by a narrow passage, and as 1 was anxious:
to see as much of -Bermuda as possible, myself and