The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-17

less than a mile wide. Something like
one quarter of all the land is reserved
for military use; and the colonial par
lament, which is ready to yield almost
anything to the home government so
long as IL retains the power of self
taxation for which the United States
fought so successfully, has rendered IL
possible for Great Britain to take any
other land IL likes for purposes of de-
Tense by condemnation proceedings.
She will not take a great deal more,
however. There must always be some
room left for the civilians who are To
feed the soldiers. The civilians are
naturally prosperous, in spite of the
fact that their exports in 1894 We're
only e97,377 and their imports e2s6,047.
This difference between income and
outgo doesn't mean spendthrft profits.
1t increases the money brought into
the country by the soldiers and by
tourists from the United States When
two regiments are quartered here, local
trade booms, as il would in the West
with wheat at $3.50 a bushel. When
there is but one, the tourists nearly
make IL up.
As has been said. Bermuda is like a
fish hook on its back. but the barbs are
nine miles out and hidden. IL curls up.
like a bug in its ehrysalis. i'm a nest of
jagged coral reefs. far from shore on
the north. but near IL on the south.
The usual steamboat channel is on the
east, close TO the islands, and so at the
eastern end are the big forts and the
big guns. At the western end are the
dockyard and the anchorage of ships
of war protected not only by their own
guns. but by 20 miles Of reef navigation
which can be torpedoed and false
buoyed TO increase its dangers. and by
the forts at the beginning OF that love
ly lane. This long channel is on the
north Of the islands, and i'm that direc-
ton the big forts look, making long
noses at Brother Jonathan with the
muzzles of their big guns. There is a
feasible channel To the north-feasible.
but narrow and crooked, though per-
haps not worse than the main channel
Because this cut happens to be near
the North Rocks. the British govern
ment has urged Bermuda To consent to
have the rocks blown up by dynamite.
but as the rocks are not only an inter
esting geological survival. but a use
full landmark, the colonial parliament
has thus far refused To sanction this
barbarous proposal. The channel might
as well be buoyed and used. saving sew
eral miles of distance. but for the anN-
iety of the admiralty TO have all ship
ping pass by the gauntlet of forts al
the east end. Here. about old st
Georges town. are the Titans. Fort
George. Fort ST. Catherine. Fort Vic
toria. Fort Albert and Fort William
Further south by mile Is Fort Gun
ningham. guarding ST Georges har-
Dor. Nobody cares much about that.
though. for the dockyard Is beyond.
Midway Of the main island. Fort Lang
ton, Fort Prospect and Fort hamilton
would have something TO say TO an
unfriendly vessel passing by. on the
south side, the reefs are only about a
mile away. Suppose some dark night
an enemy were TO land troops in small
boats. To guard against this. a row OF
smaller forts and batteries stretches
along the south shore Even Bermu-
dams. who can no more enter the forts
than can tourists. hardly know how
many they are. There are 10 batteries
which are by no means Formidable
mere sand pits. capable OF mounting