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

one other of the party resolved to return to St.
George's by land, while the remainder returned as
they came.; therefore, having been ferried over to
Somerset, we were obliged to walk some distance
before we came to a house, where we hoped to ob-
tain horses; here we procured twe beasts, neither
in flesh or spirit much better than the much cele-
brated Rozinante. The road for some, miles.- skirts
a most beautiful hay, called the " Great Sound,"
which forms the entrance to the harbour of Hamilton.
Numerous small islands, covered with cedar, of a
dwarfish growth, intercept the view and add beauty
to the seene, while the boats, sailing to and fro, some
going a fishing, others returning from that arduous
employment, adds life to the whole. The inhabi-
tants of this part of Bermuda principally subsist by
wrecking. The shoals and reefs of rocks extend
many miles to the westward, and many vessels un-
consciously approaching too near, are caught. The
common exclamation when a vessel is on the rocks is
" a Turtle's in the net," which soon spreads, and
every one is in a moment on the stir. Wrecking is
too apt, in all countries, to generate an unfeeling and
fornetimes a cruel spirit, but I am happy to say,
from the best information I could procure from un-
prejudiced individuals, that such is not the case here.
It is seldom any lives are lost, for in the very worst
weather, when a landsman would suppose that their
little barks would, if they attempted to go to sea, be in-
Eulphed in the ocean, these adventurous men, urged by
the hope of gain, that most powerful motive with the
generality of mankind, will go many miles to save
something from the wreck. The property saved is
,'.eposited in stores, and the magistrates award such
salvage as the risk incurred in its salvation, or its
Telue, may warrant. There is a high hill here, of
a conical shape, called " Wreck Hill," a very appro-
priate name, for the -wreckers watch with eager eye,
and pointed glass, the horizon round, for any poor
unfortunate vessel which should approach too near,
and thus be entrapped. There is a church, placed
rather. on a high situation, and its comparatively
tall spire serves the boatmen as a mark to steer by.
Somerset is Connected to the main land by a wooden
and rather crazy bridge about 20 feet long. We
lingered so long in Somerset that the shades of
evening overtook us almost before we were aware,
and the reader will recollect I before Mated the little
twilight these islands enjoy; therefore, almost as
soon as Sol sinks below the ocean, becomes dark,
unless the silver queen of night maKes her appear-
ance. Like true knights-errant, we had not made
enquiry for a place of entertainment until it became
almost dark, when we found we had yet some
miles to proceed before we could put up for the
night; therefore, as the air was cool and pleasant,
we put our jades to their mettle, and about nine
te'elock reached the inn. Our appetites being keen,
we urged our landlord to use expedition in preparing
sapper, anti, in less time than we could reasonably I
expect, we sat down to a plentiful meal, consisting
of fish,* broiled chicken, ham, new-laid eggs, and de-
licious bread and butter, to all of, which we paid
slue honour. This climate is so delicious that
people generally sleep with their chamber-windows I
open, in fact it is necessary; the beds are provided
,vith mosquito nets, without which no one (parti-
cularly a John Bull) would obtain any rest,by reason j
of the bite of these tormenting insects. We rose in
the morning before the sun, full of life and spirits,
and invigorated by our comfortable rest. Our
worthy host was already up, and had prepared for
us a kind of stirrup-cup, some coffee, which served
as a damper until we should get breakfast, which
e purposed taking at Hamilton. The road winds
and twists, sometimes verging towards the Great
eound, and then inland again. Most of the houses
vve passed were provided with verandas, some of
which were covered with lattice-work, over which
the honeysuckle, the multa flora, the monthly and
the sweet rose, entwine and produce the most plea-
sant shades and perfume. At Salt-kettle the road
again approaches the water, when we caught a
bird's-eye view of Hamilton, to the rear of which
are also hills,but not so high as those at St. George.
town is named after one of the former (,over-
s, who no doubt was its founder. The road
takes• a considerable sweep before you get to the
town, for we had to go through. a- parish called
Crow-lane, in which is a neat and commodious
church. flimilton is at this time the capital of the
Tierrnudas, but was not always so, for it is almost
a new town ; St, George was the metropolis from
the first settlement of the colony, and although
Hamilton is more eentrical, yet as the former had
enjoyed the distinction eo long(if distinction it might
be called) it should have still enjoyed it. The town
runs along the water for about half a mile ; the
houses are, I think, higher than the generality of
those in Sr. GeOrge, and the place has a greater ap-
pearance of wealth. The harbour is neither so
large oe so easy of access as St. George, but at the
time of my visit it enjoyed more commerce. From
.50 to 60 vessels of various sizez are owned in Ha-
milton, which are employed in the Newfoundland,
"West India, and American trades. It he.e a market,
Lut the only thing I observed in it was a little
fruit, the vender of which was a mulatto
The court-house is a respectable building, situa-
ted upon a hill, the upper part of which is used
as a place of meeting for the House of Assem-
bly, the lower part for the Court. I wonder if the
architect of this building meant the situation to be
ef,lseeorical, for certainly the seekeei Of justice have
~o rite le labour in mounting the hill on which the
temple of s;'e goddess stands.
After brealitte.lt, and having exchanged our jaded
quadrupeds for be:. sts, of more
_mettle, we bad
adieu to Hamilton, taking' what is called the middle
road. There is a bridle-101J by Government House,
which skirts the north side, as far as the Plates, but
the one we took enabled us to fee more of the
country. On winding round what j; termed the
Lane, on leaving Hamilton, the view stietghes almost
as far as Somerset, which is, however, iiuS indis-
tinctly seen. An abrupt turn of the road hid fff;tn
ns the town and harbour, when we travelled for
some distance, between a grove of tall cedars, inter-,
spersed with orange and lemon trees. I cannot
speak very highly of Bermuda gardens, for they are
too often in a very slovenly condition ; however,
there is much to discourage those who attempt to
amuse or profit themselves in that way. I allude to
the want of rain, which sometimes for some months
an summer, does not visit them. There are few
springs,
'acid most of the water used for drinking is
rain, caught in cisterns, therefore, for fear of a
scarcity of that necessary article, none can be used to
fertilize the gardens. However, pumpkins, potatoes
(both sweet and Irish), carrots and turnips are to be
obtained in tolerable abundance. The road as far as
the Flatts village is very excellent, of course wind-
ing and turning in various directions, which con-
tributee much to this beauty of the scenery. Some-
times we got a view Of the south side, and heard the
roar of the ocetsn as it lashed the everlasting
.rocks.
About six miles from Hamilton is the Ratts village,
containing twenty or thirty houses, principally
habited by merchants,- from the town. The hoses
are built on the side of a hill, and overhang one
another. The base of the hill is on a shallow bay,
which serves as an outlet to the sea of a beautiful
piece of water, called Is Harrington Sound." The
only visible outlet to this sound, is at the Flatts,
e, narrow passage only about thirty feet wide, and
the circumference of the Sound is ter least six miles.
It is excessively deep, and has in it very few shoals,
and those near its margin; its shore is precifitous
and bold, and arising out of its centre are sevesaft
little islands, covered with foliage, the colours
beautifully mixed and blended. Their appearance
would almost realize the idea of the floating islands,
inhabited by fairies. In a little glen, protected by
hills on nearly all sides, is seen the unobtrusive'
temple of God, surrounded by a burial place,'
where
the silent ashes of the dead commingle with their
parent earth. The tide only rises and falls in Har-
lington Sound, about two or three feet, while in
other parts of the island the ebb and flow is six or
Of fish this island produces gzeat vesietYt
porgy, Rock fish, Grouper, Hine, Hamlet, Mullet, Mack,
arel, and a number of others, too numerous to mention,
and the a,slity is super excellent.