The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-02-26
LAST VIEW
OF BERMUDA
Mayor Barclay, ThOughHOme,
Writes Final Letter
OF HIS RECENT TRIP
Found Decided Change in Climate When
He Struck New York and Worse
When He Reached
Vermont.
OF HIS RECENT TRIP

Editor Tines In my last letter to
you, thought another letter would cover
most OF the places of interest on those
Islands. We have now seen most Of
them, and no matter where we go, the
scenery is beautiful. We were on the
TO. Of st. David's Lighthouse on St.
Dayia's lsland-this is across Castle
harbor from the old town of 81. George
with gentleman from Massachusetts.
| He Is here, with his wife, for benefit of
his health. As we stood and gazed on
the beautiful scene below us, he said it
was the finest he had ever seen. He had
travelled all over Europe, among the
Swiss mountains and lakes, also the
Italian lakes, but this excelled them all.
One secs out on the ocean az far as the
eye can reach; the beautiful waters with
their little white capped waves rolling
lgerJiy towards the breakers, or coral
reefs, that surround those Islands. Thus
| far you may como and no further. On
| the south and west shore, they are dis.
tant one quarter mile running almost on
a straight line With the islands. On
the north and east sides, they are ten
miles distant, 80 that no ships can come
into Bermuda except by the regular
channel Boats OF light draught can
sail over the reefs at certain places, but
it is dangerous at all times TO do SO.
Outside the reefs the water is very deep
and biologists claim that the coral in
sects started their work on a submarine
mountain, gradually working their way
towards the surface until they reached
| it IN some places. Then the terrific
wind storms came and drifted their new
/ ly made work into sand hills on the sur
face, gradually forming the islands Of
Bermuda.
january goth, we visited the natural
larch on the south shore. This is work
os nature and done BY the action of the
waves. Az present the tide ashes
Through but the arch was formed ages
ago when the sea rose TO that level. The
coastline here is rock and you can see
/ where the angry waves have eaten the
rocks away when this arch was being
i formed. In a picture, John Burroughs
the writer, is seen standing in the arch
where he SAYS, @No wind can drive my
bark astray, OF change the tide of Des
/ tiny The beach along here is sandy
beautiful sand mixed with shells, The
shells being ground to pieces by the &C
tion Of the waves. There are two sand
hills here close to the arch, and here one
can ser the formation ofthe islands going
ION. Took my walking stick and presset
down in a piece OF level sand. The vei7
surface Of the sand was loose, but ball
inch below there was crust about one
inch thick, quite hard, all ! could do Il
press my finger through ii; below was
soft sand thus showing that the rocl
is formed from the top and gradually
hsrdens below. In almost every cas-,
there is little loose sand between each
layer, so you can distinguish them
geologist says coral sand is conposet
almost entirely Of carbonate Of limo
this being mixed with the shell fsl
Astounding among the coral sands. Boil
became cemented together and form tbs
rock. All along the north and soutl
shores the cedar trees are very stnntes
and devoid OF bark; being so much eX
posed TO the gales and surf from the sej
that they do not grow. There Is very
little soil ON the hill next to the sea
nothing for vegetation 70 feed upon,
] passed over our visit TO 81. Davidl
rather hurriedly, there is not niucl
worthy of note except the beautiful
views from the lighthouse. As We cross
ed Castle harbor, going to and from tn
lighthouse, We had TO 20 drought I
marrow channel, natural one betweeI
two islands Southampton Island an,
Castle Island The steamer is small
one but had nothing more than room t,
pass. At low water the sides of tn
small ferry steamer will rub on th'
rocks at each side; VIC could sec TIL
rocks right under the boat, when passing
through. On Southampton Island, Their
is fort also one on Nonsuch Island
Below where the lighthouse stands, o.
the edge Of the rocks, is another fort
Just finished but no guns have beer
placed in Il yet II would be most Al
impossibility for any other nation 4
take this place, it is 80 we'll fortified
then the coral reefs protect them al
lar6und 80 that an enemy could no
reach the main islands. On our wa,
home, We passed the Spanish rock wher
the SpaniarIs landed in 1913, and Gu
the date and initials with cross, sup
posed to bo BY the Spaniard Ferdinan'
Camelo: cnt his initials and date, bu
did not attempt miami. There is
temSifll bay here and fine scenery. o.
h main road here is church, calle'
5~ifh psrish church. was built abou
twenty nine years ago. Formerly Their