The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-17
A MOSQUITO ON OUR COAST.
DUZZING LITTLE BERMUDA AN An
NOYANCE TO BIG UNCLE SAM.

Possibly Il Menace, as Well-A Care
full Estimate of the Military and
Naval strength of Great Britain's
Watch station.
(Copyright)
Hamilton, Bermuda, May Look at
map of the United States and notice how
tiny is Rhode Island, compared with the
5000 miles of land to the west of it. Here.
dropped almost in mid-Atandc, 700 miles
from shore. is land so tiny that by its
side Rhode Island is as "a leviathan TO a
minnow-so tiny that it is but a mosquito
buzzing just beyond arms length of Uncle
Sans big body Now the bite Of a mos
quito isn't such terrible calamity, but
its presence is a nuisance.
There is a good deal of conservatism
about John Buns military methods. lie
began to think Bermuda Of Importance
during the revolution. when the colonies
were public enemies; and he has kept
adding to his fortihcations here until they
are held to be the strongest in the world
excepting only those OF Gibraltar-untn
the natives say that the forts are built
of gold" such has been their cost.
Lay fshhook or letter on its back.
the shank to the right, the point sticking
upon the left. and you have a fair idea
of the shape of these islands, which
curve through rather more than twenty
miles OF length. the average rather less
than a mile vide Something like one
quarter of all the land is reserved for mill
itary use, and the colonial parliament,
which is ready 20 yield almost anything
TO the home government so long as IL re-
tains the power Of solicitation for which
the United states fought so successfully,
h. aA4Ts. uf
tain TO take any 0thet land it likes fof
purposes of defense by condemnation
proceedings She will not take great
deal more, however. There must always
be some room left for the civilians VINO
are to feed the soldiers The civil
ians are naturally prosperous, IN spite Of
the fact that their exports IN 1894 We're
only 1881, and their imports t286,047.
This difference between income and out
go doesn't mean spendthrlft profits. 1t
measures the money brought into the
country by the soldiers ana by tourists
from the states When two regiments
are quartered here, local trade boOms, as
il would IN the west with wheat at $l.50
a bushel. When there is but one, the
tourists nearly make it up.
AS mas been said, Bermuda is like a fish
hook on its back, but the barbs are nine
miles out, and hidden. 1t curls up, like
bug in its chrysals, in a nest OF Jagged
coral reefs, far from shore on the north
but near ii on the south. The usual steam
boat channel is on the east, close to the
Islands, and 50 at the eastern end are the
tern end are The dockyard and the anchor
age Of ships Of war, protected not only by
their own guns. but by twenty miles of
reef naVig3 ZION. which can be tOrpedOed
and BY the forts at the beginning of that
lovely lane. This long channel is on the
north of the islands, and In that direction
the big forts look. making long noses at
Brother Jonathan with the mules Of their
I big guns. There is a feasible channel to
the north--feasible but narrow and crook
though DernaDE
main channel. Because this cut happens
TO be near the North Rocks, the British
government has urged Bermuda to con-
sent to have the rocks blown up by dyna-
mite, but as the rocks are not only an in
teresting geological survival but useful
landmark, Inc colonial parliament has
thus far refused to sanction this barba-
rous proposal. The channel might as wei
be buoyed and used, saving several miles
Of distance, put for the anxiety Of the adj
miralty to have all shipping pass BY the
gauntlet of forts at the east end. Here
about old ST. Georges town, are the t.
fans, Fort George, Fort St. Catherine,
Fort Victoria, Fort Albert and Fort VIII
! liam. Farther south by a mile is Fort
Cunningham, guarding st. Georges har-
though, for the dOckyard is beyond. Mid
way of the main island, Fort Langdon
Fort Prospect and Fort Hamilton woulG
have something to say to an unfriendiy
vessel passing by. On the south side
the reefs are only about a mile away
Suppose some dark night an enemy were
RuAFu
against this, row OF smaller forts and
batteries stretches along the south shore
Even Bermudans, who can no more en-
ter the forts than can tourists hardly
know how many they are. There are ten
batteries which are by no means formi-
dable-mere sand pits, capable of mount
ing field guns. These batteries are seat
tered all along the fishook's southern or
outer rim, without much regard TO the
channels; but there are, in the inuar
phrase, three proper forts" tbouo1
n0InfE ~l--7.
nels penetrate the reefs, and there is an
other building on Scaur hill which will
face both ways. There is said to be one
al BailiH bay, mounting a tifing half
dozen of 1s-ton guns, whose presence
have not seen indicated on any man SIN
further, there IS a flying artillery squad
or two, with level military roads to ms nee
about on, and mount their guns In the
batteries, and very respectable fort q +
the dock yard end, and between them ali
the forts can make any spot on the island
or on the sea near them red-hot in ten
minutes. weak spot? PerhaDs there
usually is. People say that it is in the
extreme southeastern part OF the grof1p.
where the reefs are very near the shore
near ST. DAVID s. light and upon what is
called St. David's Head. Here the reefs
are very close 70 the shore, and there is
a respectable channel for craft OF rnoder-
ate size. The spot though near forts is
protected from direct line of fire by high
| bluffs and no fort stands TO guard H.
possibly because St David's is itself an
island on which am invading force could
be battled up. But this reason does nor
seem sufficient 10 visiting military men
The normal garrison of Bermuda Is fyyo
regiments OF Infantry. At present there
IS but one, the Prince Of Wales ROYAL
Leinster Regiment from Canada There
are two companies Of artillery. nor
enough TO man all the guns bur a cqr7-
pany Of colored volunteers Differed bv
white men is ready TO help IN case or
need. They receive some trihing pay III
time Of peace as retainer. There are
also three companies Of volunteer infan-
trymcn, white and unpaid, There are
: two cnrnuanies of reeuIar nr.oinanrs nf