The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-06-02
THE BERMUDAs.
nave More stategic Than Geoera.
phical Importance.

FtsN
Inc enure area OF the -islands q. -.
ABOUT l9A square miles. ACCORDING e. ,n,
census OF 1891 the population was * o,a g.
ciuulng whites and colored persons a. a.,
proportion OF to 3. These figures -,
exclusive of the garrison. which -.
ecSVrulns 10 circumstances Tho or,saa'
settlers OF Bermuda seem 70 49, tih a
. .nree men left behind by sir George som
dsn,r,aJ YES wrecked there in 1909. anc
iLe ,l'su Thence for Virginia in the SnI
lowing year In 1912 the Virginia. CO.
panS sent out party of tftv satrIo.
S Sluer me charge of one Richard Moore
several hundred emigrants wera for,5
ed 10 him In successive batcbas as.,
siterWaro' but they seem to have over
.sNsu tne resources of the islands and
Hons 0SSnsSequence, suffered from priya.
lohs, subsequently the islands wers "a,
Nlueu INTO nine parishes, which stili CO.,
stltute the basis for the political and 90.
CleslastlCal arrangements After Ie9a ~
hopulauon Increased with relative rand.
itys Delng computed at 5000 in le7q incf,id
ing slaves. Up To the outbreak of on,
nneNViullonary War the inhabitants OF
the Bermudas found in the American col.
~ pa,. mari TOT their produce. But after
tne Peace OF 1883 the prosperity Of tbe
isiands began to decline and has never
been entirely restored
ne bermudas have enjoyed representa-
i've lnstltuuOns almost from the date 81
the first colonization: the Executive ho,y
ever. being appointed and Controlled bv
the Home Government ia indenendant -
, local Legislature. The Governor, des-
y, 10 eI oy tne crown, Is general officer
VINO also commands the garrison. He Is
assisted by an executive council of stx
so.he OF Whom are ex officio members the
2 9,ners oeing appointed by the Governor.
= ne Legislature consists of the Governor
the Legislative Council and the House OF
Assembly; the former, or upper house
mas three official and six unoftictal menn,
ptIs' the nine parishes return four mem
81
electoral qualifications being the posses
SION OF freehold property of not less than
lvV value which IL raised to E2lO for
nlcnpership or the Assembly. The MEM
Dtrs OF Doth houses are paid 81 a day
Whlle sitting, this sum is intended to COW
err expenses, as many OF the members live
at a distance. The elections for the AS
scmbly are septennial. The common law
OF England. supplemented by a number of
local acts, Is enforced In Bermuda and
Justice IL administered by a Chief Judge.
two assistant Judges and three Police
Magistrates. The seat OF government
was originally situated at St Georges
but the interests OF merchants and snip
owners demanded business center fur
ther To the westward, and IN 1923 the town
OF Hamilton IN Pembroke Parish was in
CorpOrated. and took it's name from that
OF the Governor for the time being; in
Hl5 ~ replaced 81. Georges as the seat
OF government.
very important event for Bermuda
was the decision Of the Imperial Govern
ment TO make u n naval station. Admiral
Murray, who gave his name 10 an anchor
age To the north OF st. Georges, recon-
mended the construction of dockyard
In 1884. and Capt. finder, X. N, flxed the
naval station upon Ireland Island. Large
sums OF money have been spent on the
defence OF the archipelago. The dock
yard u OF great utility, and the British
North American squadron continually mas
recourse to IL: II contains the largest
hoating dock I'm the world, which, howev-
er, Is not Of capacity adequate to the
proportions OF the greatest modern iron
clads. and IL is proposed to build a dry
dock OF sufficient capacity. IL IL well
known that telegraph communication be-
tween Bermuda and Halifax was opened
on July 10. 1850. The system has been
recently extended from bermuda via
Turks Island TO Jamaica and the West
Indies. The extraordinary strategic val
uc OF bermuda, considered as a naval and
military station, Is attested by its isola-
ton, there being no other island within
hundreds of miles that could be utilized
instead OF II. Its position with reference
TO the whole OF the North American
coast, from Newfoundland to Florida and
the West Indies, Is unique, for, II the ISL
and be taken as center, and a radius of
from 200 to 1000 miles be assumed, we
ind that u commands all OF the enor-
nous coastllne washed by the Atlantic.
rs we'll as the outer fringe OF the West In
dies.
IL IL 20 be noted that there are neither
rivers nor springs on the islands the
soil and rock being so porous that, even
after the heaviest rain, the ground qu4 k
~ dries. Water for domestic and other
purposes has TO be caught on the roofs, or
In specially prepared receptaCles, anu
stored In tanks. Bermuda having no
rainy season, a drought for five or six
weeks IL unusual. When the rain is ex-
ceptionally heavy, the day is called a
tank day., and rs regarded with much
favor by the Inhabitants, as II replen-
ishes the water supply. The annual rain
fall In about sixty inches. The climate or
bermuda II n perpetual summer, the
highest temperature not exceeding % de-
grees and the lowest range during the
winter months being 70 degrees on the
average. Frost Is unknown, although on
one occasion, a thermometer laid on the
grass registered % degrees. The air Is
normally damp, being laden with moist
ure from the sea; the dampness is not in
furious, although 10 has the disagreeable
effect Of producing perspiration, which,
OF course Is intensified by the slightest
exertlon. The extreme purity Of the air
accounts for the healthfulness OF the ell
mate. and the great charm OF Bermuda
II that you can live, almost all the year
clothing can be worn during the winter
months, while, during the summer, sun
stroke in scarcely ever known, and, even
In the hottest weather, straw nat Is
sufficient protection for the head.
The Horticulture OF the islands Is in n
very backward state. Nearly all the
fruit has failed. Figs were once most
plentiful, while oranges ana peaenss
tbrcve Figs have now entirely disap-
peared, and oranges are represented py
"A few samples of bitter variety
Peaches now never come to anything,
and lemons and avocado pears are ia -.
whether this be que 70
want OF care or TO the Introduction OIL
insect pests, Colonel Moore, the author
OF the lecture on Bermuda, does hot pr,
tend 20 say Bananas, on the other manu-
do well. and so do all varieties OF Ineions
The staple industry Is the cultiVatlon y,
potatoes, onions, tomatoes ana MARX TN
garden produce, exported during the VII III
ter TO the United states. III Is uuI,ne
winter that the crops are generalIy Ia -
vested, the ground during the summer
ing too dry for agriculture. Flowe pl,l
trees constitute n striking feature Oh d.
muda. during the summer. In the WIN
ter. flowers flourish IN great yaris ~ inc me
roses being particularly beautiIu'' taoo
stock In the shape OF cattle ana sn srs
have 10 be imported for slaughter' ne
latter do not thrive on the local gr I,...
Cows are kept for dairy purposes; poui'Iy
thrive. The fish supply Is good ana ~,