Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-28
THE BERMUDA ISLANDS.
Their Character and Climate.

SO near to the States, it is singular
that our people know so little of the
Bermuda Islands. A good account Of
them is given by correspondent Of the
Albany EUeHing Journal, who says that
the Bermudas are often likened in form
to shepherds crook st. Davids Is
land at the southeastern extremity, two
and half miles in length, forming, with
its bold Head, the knob. st. George S
Island, three and half miles in length,
the handle; Hamilton, or Bermuda Is
land, sixteen miles long, the stalk Som
erset, two and a half miles long, the
neck and Boag and Irelapd's Islands,
together two miles long, the point or
blade.
A line drawn from the extreme point
of st. David's Island, through the wind
ing length of the others, to the extreme
point of Lreland's Island, would not ex-
ceed thirty miles in length, while one
drawn as the bee flies, from one end of
the Bermudas to the other, would not
equal twenty miles. And yet within
this outer length of twenty miles, and
within a width in the widest spot of less
than six miles, lie crowded together
more than four hundred separate islands.
The islands Just mentioned, the princi-
pal islands of the Bermuda group, are
all separated by but narrow channels of
water. Indeed, in two cases are the Is
lands united by little bridges, scarce
twenty feet in length, and short fer
riages connect with these islands the
others. The remaining four hundred
and odd islets are dropped in here and
there and everywhere, within and be-
tween these islands, in the harbors, in
the inlets and through the channels,
anywhere where room can be found for
distinct island formations-no matter
what the size, so that they be only sepa-
rate-no matter what the width of water
may be separating them from their
neighbors, SO that it be only deep.
The Bermudians, in speaking of their
numerous little islands, say pleasantly,
that they have one for each cay in the
year, and spare ones for Sundays and
holidays
The short lines of the islands are ex-
ceedingly irregular and uneven but
everywhere are they clear and distinct,
and the contrast always sharp between
coral edge and clear blue, or bright
green water. Hamilton or Bermuda
Island, the largest of the group, is fair
example of this irregularity of outline.
At its widest point it is about two and a
half miles wide, but at its narrowest not
more than one-sixteenth of mile, and
its average width, in its length Of six
teen miles, is about one mile.
The surface of the Bermudas is almost
as uneven as is the shore-line irregular,
but not nearly so abrupt in its varia-
tiOns.
Indeed with the singular exception of
" St. David's Head, which rises from
the sea, bold and bleak, and wild enough,
all of the innumerable surface modula-
tions and variations are gentle, and soft
and mild Are, as it were, in full and
appropriate keeping with the luxurious
sOftness of the air and climate
with the luscious richness of top
ic fruit, and flower and shade with
that something which any one who has
ever breathed in for the few spring
months the air of a Southern cline will
so we'll remember-that something, so
voluptuous as to make the mere act of
living a delight, and to render Ineligible
the poets meaning, when he spoke of
the ''ecstacy of life" The islands are
all very hilly, presenting constant sue
cession of irregular though prettily
shaped and we'll rounded hills, varying
in hight from twenty five to two hun
dred and fifty feet, and having no level
plains-none even large enough for
. level kitchen garden. The general
appearance of the land-surface is as
though it had been moulded by the
water, as though huge waves had thrown
up here a hill and there another, as
though here the meeting of one wave
with another had changed Its course and
thrown up an irregular, oOunter-running
hill; and in still another place, num-
Der of waves meeting in one high leap,
had formed an Independent mound or
cone or rather, it looks as though the
huge waves that remained after storm,
when a changed wind had altered in some
degree and made irregular their course,
had suddenly, by Almighty Power
been " stilled and made " land y
1t is the belief of many that these nu
merous islands formed once but one, and
that in the process of time, the encroach-
ments of the sea have made of one, the
many that what is now land is but the
elevated portion of more extensive
basis. which is indicated by the innu
merable shoals and minor islands.
Certain it is that the islands are con-
stantly changing in form that in GER
tain spots naught is now to be seen but
the gloriously blue water, where, within
the memory of man, we're fertile lands /;
and that in other places is now dry land
where few years ago was water.
Not many years ago, the Bermudas
we're visited for several months, by ex-
traordinarily high tides, which flooded
with each recurring tide, portions Of the
island to a depth of many feet, killing
the vegetation, groves of trees, etc.. and
it was very generally thought that the
islands were sinking, and many of the
people left the islands, preferring to
trust to smaller, though more buoyant
:! floats, showing thereby their want of
faith in the stability of their " Water
land.
The coral insect, to whose ceaseless
labors is ascribed the creation Of these
islands, is still as busily at work on all
the now existing shores and reefs as
ever, and also in the mid-harbors and
mid-channels. 1t is said that in such
harbors and channels as are being con-
stantly used, they are doing no damage,
perhaps because the vessels keep break
ing off their unfinished buildings.
1t is, however sure that many of the
harbors and little coyes and channels,
where, not many years ago, vessels OF
good size could pass, are now so blocked
up, that where passage is possible at all,
it is only at great risk. Castle Harbor,
which few years ago was one OF the
most frequented harbors for storm driven
and distressed vessels, is now so much
grown up, that it is entered scarce at
Il