The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-03-29
ON THE BERMUDA ISLANDS
LECTURE BY PROF,
 A. F. VERRILL, LAST NIGHT.
Geology and Natural History of the Islands Ably Discussed and Clearly Explatned-Lecture Was Illustrated With Many Splendid Views.

-S~AS thpiy DksCW9StN hhu SIc0Tly
 Explained-Lecture Was Illustrated
 With Many Splendid Views.
 Professor A. E. Verrll of the Pea body Museum delivered very admira-
 ble lecture in the Sheffield Scientific school course last night on the Geology and Natural History of the Bermudas."
 He said, in part:
 The Bermuda Islands, though sub tropical in vegetation and climate, are in nearly the same latitude as Cape
 Hatteras. They are about 625 miles from our coast, and can be reached from
 New York in about forty eight hours,
 by the steamers.
 In several ways they are quite unique. There is no other place in the world
 where coral reefs grow so far away from the tropics, nor in which tropical
 vegetation can grow in so high lati- tude.
 Probably no other place, outside the tropics, has so uniform climate.
 No other coral islands are so high, the highest Bermuda hills rising 26o feet above the sea. And yet the entire mass
 
 drifted organic sand. This sand and the solid limesone rock, which has been formed from it, has originally been de- rived from the remains of shells, corals and other living things. Even the fer tile soil which partially covers the lime stone rocks and fills the valleys, is itself derived from the same source, for it is only the insoluble residue that has been left when the limestone has been dis solved away.
 The Bermuda Islands form crescent shaped group, consisting of five larger and some 200 smaller islands of all sizes. The group is about fifteen miles long and only three or four miles wide at the most. So that there is only about thirty square. miles of land. Between the larger islands, or partly enclosed by them are several beautiful bays and harbors, some of which are almost en- tirely surrounded by land.
 \ These bays are seldom more than for ty or fifty feet deep and the bottom is of white coral sand, over which the wonderfully clear water appears some times of light emerald green color, but at other times. of a turquois blue. There is an almost continuous wall of coral reefs surrounding the islands.
 These reefs come pretty close to the Islands on the south side, being here not usually more than half a mile from the shore. But on the north side they sweep around in wide curve, seven or eight miles from the shore, so as to enclose a great shallow bay This great bay is well as the others, was once dry land. 1At that time the outer reefs were large islands with high hills of limestone, just like those of the present dry land. Rem mants of these former islands and hills still remain, as detached and nearly worn out rocks and pinnacles on the outer reef. Those known as North Rocks are particularly interesting, for they are eight or nine miles from the shore.
 The Bermuda Islands, as we now see them, are only the ruins of what was at one time a far larger and hlgher island. or cluster of islands, covering at least 250 square miles and rising at least $50 feet above the sea, but com nosed. like the present islands, entirely If wind-drifted coral sand and shell sand. The proofs of this statement Will be given later on, in connection with the geological illustrations. These islands farm. with their enclosed harbors, a su- nerb naval station, and consequently are very thoroughly fortified. It is said that this station is as impregnable as Glpral- far itself. The great floating dry-dock of Bermuda is the largest in the Worla'
 Wherever nature has provided soll, It Is well cultivated. Fields of Bermuda onions, potatoes and Easter lilies, are seen almost everywhere in the valleys, for these are the staple products. inc large fields of Easter lilies, when i'll tull bloom. are exceedingly novel and at 4ractive to stranger The natural for- ast vegetation consists mainly ot west Indian cedar or juniper which LOOKS very much like our common red cedar. IT. still forms dense growths of pretty large trees, in many places, but in those narts longest settled and especially alonp the coast, the hills look bare and +srrau with only a few small cedars sryinoing from the crevices of the rock nr from the scanty soil. Palmetto trees :, ,,,d several other species of palms are cornnon while many other interesting tropical trees and shrubs apouho Ill tiis narlxs and gardens and along the road sides. Many Ol LLc 6nl le'SAA9 s'N N great beauty
 Fields of bananas and plantalns are common. There are large shade trees If mahogany, pride of India, fiddlewooo' India rubber tree, and many others' Rosas bloom all winter. Many of the b;ghways are bordered for long dls- +ances by high hedges of oleanders, which are very beautiful when m fuil bloom. .,,oo+o, ,,art of his lecture with some maSnlh- nen+ views. which were highly appre- ciated Each one as shown was clearly .yn1ained. and the lecture was made unusually interesting in consequence. X ,none those shown were general views If inc shores and harbors, colored sum- ao+ views. across the harbor: views or Hami1ton. the capital; views of Gibbs HilJ and it's high lighthouse; views Of st. Georges, the former capital ana famous as a harbor for blackade run ners during the civil war.
 Views of the deserted ruins of old forts on Castle Island. These were h,1ilt about 2S0 years ago, before the settlement of Boston. Views Of the cliffs and eroded rocks; views of some of the vegetable products, palm views, cocoanut palms, palmettos, royal palms; k