Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-09-08
DISCOVERY OF THE BERMUDAs.
Famous Wreck That Is Believed Was
 Inspiration,

Together with Drake, Ha|Xlns, Frobisher and half score of others belonging to that naval epoch,
 Admiral Sir George Somers was q west country man. Next Saturday the exploit on which the fame or this great Elizabethan tar mainly
 rests, the practical discovery and an,
 nexation of the Bermuda Islands, is to be celebrated at Whitchurch Can onicorum, Dorsetshire, by the un- yelling of a suitable memorial to the hero. This ceremony in the ancient
 church of St. Candida, is to be per- formed, most appropriately, by the late governor of. the, Bermudas, Lieut-Gen Sir Henry Geary. It will be the 300th anniversary of their annexation.
 Born at Whitchurch, or near .Lyma Regis, in A. D. 1854 tday and month uncertain) George Somers is said to
 have claimed descent from the noble family of that name. Graded, go to speak, in the stormy times Of the Elizabethan was with Philip of Spain. he first went to sea as quite
 young lad. He saw much service in those interminable maritime cons
 flicts, and young Somers served
 under and won the esteem and re-
 gard of (among others) Lord De
 La Warr. It was in company with
 that gallant admiral that Somers, in
 his good ship the Sea Vengeance
 (Venture?) bore away for the Mid
 Atlantic" in 1908. He had pres
 viously been knighted by James l Sn
 1903. Now he was to be justified of himself by splendid and lucra. tive feat of pluck, endurance and the indefinable quality known as grit.
 Capt. John Smith had been made administrator of the newly founded Virginia company" But says Sir Clements Markham, this able ad- ministrator was superseded, Lord De La Warr being appointed captain general of the colony, with Sir Thom- as Gates as lieutenant general and Sir G. Somers as admiral. Sailing in May, 1909, they were shipwrecked at Bermuda. The other ships form ing the squadron of Sir c. Somers arrived safely at Jamestown. The Sea Venture, with Sir G. Somers, Sir T. Gates and Captain Newport on board, had been cast ashore on the Bermudas. Out of the wreck and with the cedars of the island tive vessels were built, called the Patience and the Deliverance. By this means the company of 140 men and women was safely conveyed from Bermuda to Jamestown in May, 1909. Sir G. Somers afterwards returned to Bermuda with the object of forming a plantation. He died there before his intentions could be full filled, but the colony at Bermuda was established" The death in question was due, one may add, to the unromantic sequel of eating too large a quantity of particularly delicate roast pig. The worthy ad- miral's appetite for pork was not in- ferior to his appetite for empire!
 It is common belief that Shakes peare derived the greater part of his inspiration for ''The Tempest" from a recital of the sufferings upon the island of Sir G. Somers and his ships company, which excited great deal of interest and enthusiasm in the England of that day. Somers and his hardy sailors were national heroes. and rightly so. There is. meanwhile. proposal to celebrate the tercentenary of our acquisition of the Bermudas by pageant to be held next year. In this case may one hope that the opportunity will not be lost of introducing Shakes peare with a wealth of local color suggestive of his inspiration for "The Tempest" by the wreck of Somers off the Bermudas?-PallM Mali Gazette.