Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-03-05
MILITARY LIFE IN BERMUDA.
The British Soldiers's Athletic Sports,
Parades and Music

The British Soldiers's Athletic Sports,
Parades and Music.
In Bermuda, by permission of his
excellency, the governor, who is also
the COMMUNICATIVE chief of her males
tvs forces in the islands, there is an
annual exhibition of athletic sports
by the regiment which is stationed
there. When l was here before, the I'd
battalion of the prince of Wales's
Leinster regiment (Royal Canadians)
was at this post. This year it is the
I'd battalion, Worcestershire regiment.
These troops are fine set of men, and
their parades and drills are as nearly
perfect as anything can be. But they
long for active service. Whether this
comes by fortune or by favor, do not
know, but have been informed by
some of the officers that this regiment
has had no part in England's wars
since the Crimean war. This, Which
would seem good fortune to the advo-
cate of peace, and perhaps to women
warriors heart. How bitterly some of
our own regiments regretted that they
could not have at least one chance in
the late war with Spain, and how
much have even the heroes of Porto
Rico made of their scanty laurels!
No British soldier can complain, how
ever, that he is not kept busy. Satan
has little chance for these redcoats ex-
cept on holidays, as far as finding
work for idle hands. And their holt
days are very decorous in Bermuda.
The athletic sports were of the usual
sort, throwing the cricket ball, putting
the shot; races of all kinds, from free
foot races to hurdles and three-legged
and sack and bicycle and obstacle
races, tugs of war, short football con-
tests, mop tournaments and tent pitch
ing. The sports were held on the
brigade parade ground of Camp Pros
pect, and lasted from noon till 6
O'Clock.
The day was a perfect Bermuda day,
with blue and cloudless sky and clear
air, but no wind. The parade ground
is a large green meadow, surrounded
by rising ground, on the outskirts of
which are cedar groves or immense
screens of rhododendrons which are
just now in full flower of pink, white
and red. Three large tents had been
pitched at each end of the grounds,
and in front of these were seats for
o+44 10, II II i
tables with refreshments were spread
in each tent A portion of the parade
ground was roped off for the games.
and the remainder was covered with
groups of redcoats and bluecoats and
the the yellow aki-uniformed rank
and file, who as onlookers were more
deeply interested than any of the
thousands who had gathered None of
the prizes amounted to more than $40,
but the competition was keen, espe-
cially in the tug of war, when 10 stall
wart men on each side pulled at the
cable like young giants The artillery
won, as usual, for their practice with
the heavy guns makes them tough and
sturdy opponents. The amusement
eliminated in the sack and obstacle
races. The latter involving crawling
beneath a huge sail spread upon. the
ground, climbing through empty casks
whose heads had been knocked out
and their bodies suspended in the air,
scaling huge open frame with rope
ladders, and running up creased roof
at an angle of about 80 degrees. The
mistakes and misadventures and abb
surdities of the situations involved an
amount of sport which kept the crowd
in rOars Of laughter and as this is an
age which infinitely prefers laughter
to anxiety and tears, the audience
went home in great good humor, and
voted the entertainment success. The
regimental band played selections dur
ing the afternoon, and the governor
and many prominent men of the army
and navy were on hand.
The position of Bermuda, which is
Of great Importance to Great Britain
in military point of view, renders it
necessary that the islands should be
impregnable. This has been practical
ly accomplished by constructing chan
nels through the reefs, by which men
of-War can be gathered in the harbors
of the islands, by a series of fortifca-
lions, and by the constant presence of
sufficient land force for defense. In
the general system of defense the
navy is, of course, prominent The
army is always ready to march to any
part of the islands, but as it would be
almost impossible for any hostile
force to reach the mainland, the chef