Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1891-02-05
The Charm of bermuda.
III. C. Walsh In Lippincott's. j


TO us who grow weary of the snow
spirit and who are glad to escape it, it is
only an added charm that this chilly
sprite does not haunt Bermuda, and the
''fiery planet of day" is not bit too nigh
in the winter-time, when the thermome-
ter takes stand at about 20 degrees and
deviates but little from this enviable in
dication of temperature. 1t is the
absence of the snow-spirit, joined with
the charm of the climate and the beauty
of the land, that is bound to make Ber-
muda, as it becomes better known, one of
the most popular of winter resorts.
The trip is very short one. Y on leave
New \ ork with an ulster buttoned close
ly about you on a Thursday afternoon,
and reach Bermuda on Sunday morning
and are glad to shed your fur. The first
view of land from distance is not re-
assuring to the sea-weary passenger, for
he strains his eyes to gaze upon some
little dots away out upon the ocean which
look as if they must forever rock with
the motion OF the sea. But as the vessel
draws nearer he begins to see that it is
land sure enough, though not very con-
siderable amount of it; for the entire area
of these tiny islands does not amount to
20 square miles, and there are between
300 and 400 of them in the group; not
more than 20 being large enough to be
habitable. The four largest islands
are united by ferry, causeways and
bridges, the strip of connected mainland
being thus about % miles long, though
nowhere more than three miles in
breadth, and in most places not one.
You can get great variety of scenery
in few hours drive about the connected
islands. Now you drive by bold and
rocky coast, looking out upon wonder
full sea of many colors; then you are
plunged into the thick shade of cedars,
while oleander bushes. covered with
large, exquisite flowers, line the dazzling
white road. These oleanders attain
an enormous size, often towering
above the stunted pines. and grow
in great profusion all over the islands,
bearing several varieties of flowers. You
catch glimpes now and then of fields of
white stately lilies, and then skirt along
by thick clumps of banana trees, or by
tall and erect bamboos, and jungles of
mangroves, and here and there orange,
lemon, lime, pomegranate, calabash and
pawpaw trees, and varieties of the palm.
The cleaning white houses which peep
at you from behind trees and flowers
make a pretty contrast to the luXuriant
foliage about them. You see no grand
and stately mansions, but all the houses,
even the humblest, present a neat and
attractive appearance. AFFECT poverty,
| if it exists in Bermuda, is hidden from
sight; indeed, it is said that there is no
such thing as pauperism, strictly so
called; certainly one sees no beggars,
nor any signs of absolute want. The
natives cannot well help having at
tractive looking houses, however, for the
stone is beautiful, and cay be dug right
JuC u the CsIIaf. OITie coral stCsk l.
easily quarried by means of long chisel
used like crow-bar in drilling, and car
be sawed to the required dimensions with
an ordinary hand-saw; it is very soft at
first, but hardens gradually upon ex
posure to the air. The roofs are made
of thin coral slabs, and the entire house
receives coating of whitewash. which
renders it more impervious to dampness
Over the porches of many of these houses
there grows thick vine called the
bougainVillea, which bears in generous
pie flowers, which stand out in brilliant
relief from the cleaning white back.
ground. Flowers are everywhere
oleanders, geraniums, lilies, lantanas
pinks, .jessamine, roses and many Other
species. besides numbers of Towering
shrubs. There are no manufactures, nc
screaming locomotives, nothing to dis.
turb the quiet, or to raise smoke and
dust to rob the bloom from the flowers
or to dull the pure white of the houses.
Nowhere else is such wonderful neatness
to be seen.