Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-10
Mistellaneoas Rraaina.
"A CORAL CAMEO"
Interesting Sketch of the Beautiful
. Bermudas.

Interesting Sketch of the Beautifu
:. Bermudas.
If you can picture in your mind
eye a coral capped mountain risini
nearly $1,000 feet from the bottom
Of the sea, but protruding less thai
three hundred feet above the surfac
of 1t, and reaching out for nearl.
twenty miles like the half closed CLAW
of some monster bird, you can form
a rough idea of that ocean oasis
Bermuda While discovered in 151!
by Juan Bermudez, a Portuguese II
command of Spanish expedition, 4
was colonized and settled by the Brit
ish in 1912. The consensus Of opinion
Of early chroniclers appears to be tha
the Spaniards entertained a super
stitious belief that the spot was the
abode Of devils, and abandoned it ir
fear and dread. This conclusion
however, Is not compatible with the
charter Of the early Spanish explor.
ers, who, fired by the wonderful tales
of Cortez and Pizarro's discoveries Of
new Eldorados, made gold the prize
sought in all their adventures tc
strange lands.
Early records relate that Bermu.
dez, afte. the custom of explorers OF
the period, to provide for possible
shipwrecked countrymen. landed g
heard of hogs which so multiplied
that when the half starved, disaster
stricken expedition landed by Sil
George Sommers in 1909, they found
sustenance not only sufficient fol
themselves, but for the members OF
their party who had become detached
from their fleet Of ships and landed
starving on the main land over six
hundred miles away in the spot that
is now Virginia. st. George, which
was the original capital of the island
is named after Sir George, and the
beautiful little park in it's centre was
created around the spot where the
heart Of this gallant and intrepid ad-
miral lies buried. The early colonists
who existed as component parts OF
The Bermuda Company, operating
under charter from the king. passed
through the usual vicissitudes Of the
pioneer, tilling the soil and finding in
the more serviceable form Of agricul-
ture the wealth that the Spaniards in
their greed missed. Frequent changes
of governors, many Of them despots,
followed, until the colonists petition
ed to the crown for relief from the
espionage Of the company that con-
trolled them, and were finally created
an Independent colony.
During the revolutionary war the
colonists proved valuable allies to the
cause of independence, furnishing
General Washington with powder at
a most opportune time. In the civil
war. however, the Union was hamper
ed to a considerable degree by the
practice of blockade running engaged
in by the Bermudians, who rushed
ammunition and supplies to the
southern forces, taking in exchange
cotton, which was shipped to Eng
land. A gradual metamorphosis ap-
pears to have followed the footsteps
Of the orderly and industrious early
settlers, and the dense groves of ce-
dars, the most conspicuous indigenous
growth, began gradually to give way
to fields planted with tobacco. pota-
toes, corn, etc. So important a pro-
duct did the tobacco become that for
years it was a staple article of pro-
duct to England, and for a period was
the only "coin" Of the colony. To-
day, while it may be found in places
growing wild, almost none Is cultivat-
ed, owing, it is claimed, to the diff
ficulty encountered in curing" The
"Bermula Cigar" is made from leaf
brought from Jamaica. The famous
onion associated for years with Ber-
muda, was introduced from seed
brought from the Canary Islands, and
is today one Of the most staple and
valuable articles Of export.
Among all the glorious flora of the
Island-and there are over two hum
dred species-none presents greater
effect Of elegant effulgence than the
bouganvillea trailing its graceful vine
far up into the cedar tree tops. and
bursting with a copious cascade of
purple bloom like floral Niagara
against a background Of green. The
royal ponciana, fiamboyant poinsetta,
mangrove, fig tree, the clean cut paw
paw, a great variety Of palms and
hybiscus hedges, all combine to pre-
sent a striking variety of growths.
When it is considered that the soil
of the island varies from only a few
inches to about a foot in depth, the
profuslon of vegetable life Is amazing.
Often to create a garden the native
must first chop out his plot from
solid rock and fill the excavation with
SOIL It Is a common thing to see a
landholder saving great blocks of
limestone from a ridge in his back
yard. to be used for building an ad-
dition to his house. Even the roofs of
the buildings are constructed of lime
stone. The same material Is used for
the substantial hedge-like fences
which for miles border the well-kept
roads. When burnt it forms quick
lime with which all Of the roofs are
white-washed. Crushed into small
pieces this calcareous rock makes the
finest of roads which absorb and drain
off water almost as rapidly as 1t falls.
For centuries the Bermudan has
depended upon the rain for his water
supply, and has never experienced a
serious water famine. To guard
against such a contingency, however,
the government Is drilling an ar
tesian we'll in a spot near Hamilton,
where engineers believe fresh water
may be found.
While it is estimated that there are
over three hundred islands in the Ber-
mudian Archipelago only six of them
are important and these are connect
ed by bridges and ferries affording