Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-30
FROM THE REEeMUDAS.
Another Bright letter.
BEAUTIES, PECULIARITIEs AND ODDITIES Of THE
ISLANDS.

BEAUTIES, PEcULiARITIEs AND ODDITIES OF THE
ISLANDS.
Special Correspondence of The EVENING STAR.
HAMILTON. BERMrDA, December. 1882.
The Bermuda Islands are in many respects
unique and beautiful and have peculiarites of
great interest to the lover of nature and the
novelties of land and water. 1t is only two or
three miles from the bay on which the odd little
town of Hamilton is situated over the low hills
to the nGrth or south shore Every Ste, along
the smooth. white. wall-lined roads and through
the paths i'm the cedar woods presents some
thing queer and quaint.
In one place tall cabbage palms, like isolated
Corinthan columns, smooth and marble-likc. as
if they were monolths in memory Of some deml-
gods of the past, arrest attention; near by
grove of banana trees or bushes. with thick.
broad lanceoiate leaves. some of them black
and ragged. their bulky lunches of fruit look
ing good deal like step-ladders against the
massive trunks on which they grow. Further,
on the farm of an enterprsing merchant and
panter-and jolly good fellow he is. tO0.-is
Widc-spreading cfeiyH}Oya tree heavily ladcncd
with its curious fruit. which may be compared
to large. coarse apples with shrtlnken coats and
Hrinklcd like the checks of a monkey fruit
that is highly priced here paid fourteen cents
for one of the at-yOu-cail ms-Dut which
strangers seldom like at first 1t has two dis
tinct tastes. sweet and tart In decided degrees.
On the shore of the sea on the south side are
great numbers Of the bay grape" trees. We are
inclined to associate grapes in their growth
with vines: bat in this queer locality they grow
on trees that resemble stunted poplars The
leaves are thick. broad. and nearly round, and
the lunches of grapes green. pink and purple.
in their degrees of rpeness. hang from the
branches iii great clusters. They are not of
much value. being pun@ent. coarse. and mostly
seed. which is single. like the pum-somethng
you would rather give to your neighbOr than eat
Yourself.
Along side stone wall is one Of those eccen-
trio trees. the ca}db0sh something like gnarly
oak in general appearance. Its oval. gourd-like
fruit grows wherever it can hang on--On the
trunk, bare of limbs. in the crotches. out on the
branches. where fruit in 1.-The states usually
prefers to hang anywhere. it isn't bit particn-
lar. The fiower-bud forces its way through
the bark and proceeds to bloom and bear fruit.
Near the calabash is the beautiful po,'cana.
tree akin to the sensitive plant. and resembling
our honey-Ocust. 4 cardinal bird alights on one
of the fine-leaved sprays making the delicate
leaves shrink and tremble with the touch
The Sage palm is another of the luXurant
growths, its huge flower. big as a half-bushel
measure and looking like lambs wool work in
brilliant colors. There are many other palms in
great variety. all massive, regal. conspicuous.
The cactus, of mary forms and pecuiiarites.
Is everywhere to be seen. One. the Turk head
perches on gate post, or big stone, and dis
PLAYS his red feZ and plump shoulders brstling
with the formidable quilts. Another crawls up a
tree in sinuOus coils
''As if about to start to serpent life and hiss"
The roads, and walls. and paths are
lined with a species called the lire leaf,
because a leaf pinned to wall or stump
or against the side of house gTavey ac-
cepts the situation. puts forth roots, and grows
right along. Others grow in high clusters. and
have beautiful snowy red and yellow flowers.
Two kinds of sage bushes. one with clusters
OF pretty red flowers one with lavender bios
SONS. compete with the oleander for possession
of the islands. and fill the air with their mingled
perfumes All are now in bloom though not to
the extent they will be a few weeks hence. The
flowers and leaves. and wood of certain shrubs
and trees charge the atmosphere with Marie
Stewart-like fragrance. that delicate and educa-
ted nostrIls can always notice. night or day. in
the fields or in the hOuSes-anOther wonderful
oddly of these odd islands,
All the gardens of any considerable size and
pretenslon have orange and lemon trees. now
loaded with fruit. and some have paw paw, fig.
cinnamon. lime. loquat pomegranatc, and many
other pretty and valuable trees peculiar to the
climate. Everywhere roses, geraniums. scarlet
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. trumpet flowers. the snowy
hibiscus. the ubiquitous convolvulus and many
other flowers now in bloom are to be seen
making one eXclaim. as Rogers did of Italy
'"This region surely is not of the earth,
Was it not dropt from Heaven? not a grove.
Sltron, or pune, or cedar; not a yr0t,
Sea Worn and mantle with the gadiing yine
6 bnt 10, bre lathe Not el1 but filings
Some fairy nook that CLOVIS with crimson flowers"
Samuel had Bermuda in his mind ! think and
| am much obliged to him for helping me out in
expressing my pent-up emotions.
NO RUNNING WATER.
There is one feature OF the islands that has a
tendency TO make the stranger feel lonesome,
much as the lack of trees does on the westward
plains-there are no streams. no springs no
''boOks in babbling brooks" no water anywhere
except that of the seas. The land is not high
enough, and the nature of the rocks, built up
by the cOral-makers do not admit of subter-
ranean reservoirs and channels. The clouds
are the source of the water that is used for do
nestle purposes. One of the means of procur-
ing it is to make yard on hillside surround
ed by stone wall. with a cement floor which
conveys the water when it rains into large
square cisterns. The roofs of all the houses are
cemented, and the water is also conducted from
them into large csterns.
NO SNAKES
There are no snakes in the Begmudas, and no
frogs. and the islands are not indebted to any
fabulous st. Patrick for the exemption. Occa-
siOnally toad is seen, but he has q dazed.
scared appearance. as il he was aware of being
lost long way from home. Small lizards
Chamber shadow-like along the walls, and they
are the only reptiles.
BEAUTIFUL FISHES.
The fishes are, many of them, beautiful. Yes
terday caught some cow pilots" s:slippery
Dicks" ''Molly Millers." and Bermuda bue-fsh,
any of which equal and some surpass the gold
and silver fish In rich tints and cOlors delicate
iridescent stripes, and spots like those in the
tail of a peacock. With a water-glass one can
see great numbers of these and other fishes
sporting about among the coral caverns, from
two to ten fathOms deep. If the sun Is shining
brightly the submarine scenery is wonderfully
beautiful the water and the rocks and strange
formations being as richly tinted as the fishes
that live among them.
One of the slippery Dicks that was examin-
ing with verdant curiosity suddenly bit me-
whereupOn l used him for bait for rock-flsh
which running in weight from ten to fifty
pounds. nibble with a good deal of sud-
denness and vehemence, and with ten
dency to jerk you off the rocks
down toward the West Indies. 1 got one bite
at an unguarded moment. but held on much as
one would to a horse running away Fortunately
the hook Strengthened, and the fish departed
just as was about making formal presenta-