The herald., 1893-02-12
LIFE IN BERMUDA.
Yankee Tourists and Native Vegetables
Make 1t Quito Interesting.
resacial C,orrespondence.1


Yankee Tourists and Native Vegetables
Make 1t Quito Interesting.
Especial Correspondencel
HAMILTON. Dec. s1.--"Onions and Yam
KEGS are cur principal and most profitable
crops. and both COME about the same time,"
said a leading citizen of Bermuda to me
Yesterday, This truthful If somewhat flip
pant remark indicates the Importance of
the United States to this little spatter Of
islands living III the deepest soundings OF
the Atlantic some 670 miles directly off
Hatteras and 700 due southeast from New
York. There are about 1900 inhabitants
In Bermuda, OF whom over two-thirds are
colored. The entire subsistence of these
people Ia supplied by Americans, either
through their consumption of potatoes,
onions or tomatoes, or by the money spent
by some 5000 citizens Of the United States
who yearly carry their rheumatism and
weak throats from the rigors of our north
ern winters to the equable temperature Of
these coral rocks
Not few wealthy men have become so
enamored Of the islands that they have es'
tablished permanent homes here. Many
widows of American clergymen and lawyers
have established themselves here ALSO and
beIuluud udS lOi38 pCtll u AdfO1lpc ANoA~AShSN
for retired officers of the United States
navy. The climate Is o trife enervating,
but not unpleasantly so. A disposition to
do the day aftel, tomorrow what you can
get rid of today is the. result of warmth
and SEQ air. The temperature ranges from
45 degs. in winter to so degs. in sunSaer,
but Is never uncomfortable except in mid
summer when moisture makes even 80
k,..H L-~aCf or,h
are unknown. The coming crops Of onions
and potatoes were planted In October, and
blooming flowers, green lawns, sprouting
gardens and clear skies, with occasional
quick squalls, further the delusion of carly
spring at this time. The onions and pota-
toes will be ready for market about the
middle of January.
Hotel accommodations are plentiful and
excellent, but visitors generally seek one OF
the many admirable boarding houses sit
uated ell over the islands, where, for from
ten dollars per week upward, one can i've
excellently well, or one can hire good
furnished house with little 'estate" sur
rounding it and buy and cook for them
selves. Let not your mouth water IN ex-
pectation OF early vegetables. however
Everything that Bermuda raises, from
OQ1OLs 70 IyESsbtr l1i6i n pJiO w oho AeiSeoAS
of New York commission houses before 1t
Is taken from the ground, and your onions
will come from Hoboken, your potatoes
from the Aroostook and your celery from
Kalamazoo. Your beef will be good, for
American ''critters' must go down there
ION the hoof' and be for many weeks
stall fed before sleughtering
Don't bother about exchange.
The attractions Of Bermuda will supply
amusement for nanyS weeks. The navy
yard, with it's. gigantic floating dock, the
largest in the world; the great Gibbs hill
light so familiar to mariners; the magnid-
cent convict built roads, cut from the solid
rock; the eleyen forts manned by red coated
English regiments; the numerous caves;
the ancient churches ard burial grounds;
the house and farm whueon Tom Moore,
the Irish poet, loafed away his term as gov
ernor of Bermuda; the fish ponds in which
the tide rises and falls; the crabs which
climb the rocks like spiders; the fishing in
the nearby waters for sharks and roclulsh;
the tropical growths, all make up q cata-
logue of quiet enticement fitted for the in
valid. Lack OF well wafer and the high
price of ice are two drawbacks here. So
porous is the foundation rock of tho island
that the sea water fairly permeates it, and
well water Is brackieh. Tanks, well kept
roofs and frequent showers supply the bcy-
erage of nature, but one soon becomes accus-
toned to the taste of Iainwater.
c. II. GREENE.