Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-01-29
HOW BERMUDA LOOKS.
Facts about Climate and Geopraphical
Location.

geographical position, for many peopl.
think them to he a part of the West In
dies AS a matter OF fact. Bermuda lies
700 miles southeast of New York in the
latitude of Charleston, and less than As
hours from the metropolis The islands
stand alone on the top of a submarine
mountain some 1900 feet high forming
the most northerly coral reef i'm the world,
and for this reason and others they at
tracted the attention of scientists many
years before the American traveller dis
covered their remarkable beauties
From the deck of a ship Bermuda APP
pears to be somewhat fiat and barren
an impression that is dispeled as soon
as the vessel has skirted the reef bar
rier and entered the channel off St Dav-
IDS Head at the eastern end Of the is
lands. But it is not the shore that one
looks at first; 1t Is the water. Winsiow
Homer tried to catch its tints and suc-
ceoded fairly well, through other art
lists of lesser repute have failed mister
ably. 1t is water clear as crystal and
colored wildly. Off shore, in deep sound
ings, the surface is sapphire blue Wher-
ever the bottom shoals there are brown
and purple patches. Inshore the prevail
ing hues are pale blue and green, but the
delicate shadings are never fixed They
vary with the sunlight as It plays through
the heeting clouds above, and the npal-
escent effects come and go with surprising
frequency
IN this water the industrial coral build
crs are still at work making more see
cure the reef barrier which completely
surrounds bermuda and STAYS the raw
ages of the Atlantic These reefs aud
shoals with their enclosed lagoons cover
m elliptlcal area Of more than 200 square
miles, while the area of dry land is
slightly less than 20 square miles
To see the whole enso mb1e 1t is hcst to
climb the tall iron tower of GIBBS HN
lighthouse in Warwick Parish The Is
lands stretch away from ireland IN the
west to st. Georges in the east. taking
the form Of a Shepherds crook ireland
Island represents the curve, the main. or
bermuda proper and St Georges Islands
the shaft. From the lighthouse lantern
the reef barrier can BE- easily ira cod on
the south shoro-the weather 4ido-thc
reefs stand in close to the land churn-
ing and frothing as the sea breaks over
them. At the west and east ends the
ba rrier is also quite close but ON tine
north side it lies from five to EIGHT miles
out
,,,. o,-. .,,,u. ,...t,,,.,.,.-, ...,.
dr,. ,a,,1 b,,t ~. .pI'. a,..,..
dens filed with marine plants, which live
and grow not only to fascinate mansiud
H.. ,,.,4. e...... ...5
fu, ,.,...- -, ~
.,....i,,.- ~
+
: them in a slass-hottomed boat and have
, their beauties magn!iled at close range.
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, After seeing Bermuda from an cminenro
] the stranger can scarcely believe that
here are but 20 square miles Of land in