The morning times., 1896-05-17
downright. 1861

OOK at a map OF the United States
"a and notice how tiny is Rhode
Island, compared with the 5000
Eaz1 miles of land TO the west or il.
Here, dropped almost III mid At
lantic, 7GO miles from shore, is a
land co tiny that by its side Rhode
Island is as Ieyiathan TO a min
now-sC tiny that il is but a NOS
quito buZZing Just beyond arm length of
Uncle Sans big body. Now the bite of
mosquito isn't such q terrible calamity, but
its presence is a nuisance
There is a good deal Of conservatism
about John Bulls military methods He
began to think Bermuda of importance dur
ing the Revolution, when the colonies were
public enemies: and he has Kept adding to
his fortincations here untii they are held to
be the strongest in the world excepting
only those Of Gibraltar until the natives
say that the forts are &" built Of gold such
has been their cost.
Lay fishhOOk or letter ] on its back,
the shank to the right the point sticking
up on the left, and you have fair idea
of the shape Of these islands, which curve
through rather more than twenty miles OF
length. and average rather less than
mile wide. Something like one quarter OF
all the land is reserved for military use;
aud the Colonial Parliament which is ready
to yield almost anything to the home gov
erument so long as il retains the power
of scIf-ta XatiOn for which the United states
fought so successfully, has rendered it
possible for Great Britain 10 take any other
land it likes for purposes al defense by con
demnAtiOn proceedings She Will not take
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 S94 were only
md Naf-
difference between income and oUteodOeS {
mean spendthFift profits II measures the
money brought into the country by the
soldiers and by tourists from the States.
When two regiments are quartered here To-
cal trade booms. as IL would in the West
with wheat at 81 90 a bushel. When there
Is but one, the tourists nearly make it up.
As has been said, Bermuda is like a
fishhoOk on its back. but the barbs are
nine miles out and hidden. II curIS up,
like bug in its Chrysalis, in 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 islan nCis, and so at the eastern end are
the big forts and the big guns At the
western end are the doCkyard and the
anchorage Gf ships OF war, protected not
only by thelr own guns. but by twenty miles
of reef navigation. which can be torpedoed
and false buoyed to increase its dangers,
and by the forts at the beginning of that
lovely lane. This long channel is on the
north of the isia nds. and in that direction
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, hut na ROW and crooked,
though perhaps 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 interesting
geological survival, but a useful landmark,
the colonial parliament has thus far re
fused TO sanction this baTbarous proposal.
The normal garrison OF Bermuda is two
regiments of infantry. At present there
is but one, the Prince OF Wales Royal
Leinster regiment from Canada. There
are two companies Of artillery, not enough
to man all the guns, but a company of col
ored volunteers. differed by white men,
is ready to help in case of ueed. They re