The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-24
Three Hundred Years Of the Lovely
Bermudas. .a

Early In the sixteenth century one
JUAN BERMUDEz, sailing from Spain
to Cuba with a cargo of hogs, had
the misfortune to be shipwrecked in
group Of islands hitherto unknown
to Europeans. They lay in latitude 80
degrees Is minutes north and longi.
tude ga degrees 80, minutes west, and
apparently were exceptionally popular
with the. Fate which marks some mari.
ners for disaster. HENRY MAY, an
Englishman, came to grief among
them, in 1893, and Sir GEORGE SoMERs
Virginia bound, had a similar fate in
1909. The name of Bermudas perpet-
yates JUAN's Ill fortune; Somers was
given to the islands as an alternative
name, but Is seldom If ever heard
nowadays. These lovely isles with
their mild and equable climate are
known to thousands Of Americans, and
on them has been celebrated this year
the. three ,hundredth anniversary OF
the founding of the House Of Assem-
bly,, said to be the Oldest representa-
tive political body in the British En-
pire after the Mother of Parliaments
herself.
Sir GEORGE SoMERs established the
first settlement on the islands, but he
died before he was able to carry his
project fully into effect. In 1912 the
islands were granted to an offshoot
Of the Virginia Company, and HENRY
MORE headed party of sixty settlers.
Tobacco was the first money cror
raised on the islands. To-day Ber-
muda potatoes, Bermuda onions. Der.
muda lilies are familiar all over this
country. The castor oil plant grows
without cultivation on the islands, q
fact of Importance in medicine and
in aeronautics, for castor oil is lu-
bricant Of high utility In aircraft
In the fortunate Bermudas there
are no reptiles to alarm; the indig-
enous small lizard is not even dan
gerous in appearance, and the green
turtle. is transferable into delicious
soup. OF birds and fish the islands
have a splendid store; Bermudians
would not starve to death even should
the importation of meat from this
country cease. 'a-f
The original capital Of the Bermu1as
was st. George. ON the island of the
same name, founded In 1894 and in
corporated three years later. Sir
JAMES CocKBURN changed the seat of
government TO Hamilton, on the Main
Island, founded in 1900 and incor.
porated in 1903. yla
Although Spaniard's name dis
tinguishes the group of islands. Eng
land speaks from most of the units
composing the Bermudas; the Main
Island, st. George, Paget, Smith, st.
David, Cooper, Nonsuch, Watford,
Ireland and Somerset being typical.
The population shows steady growth.
It's people wear with pride tho dis
tinction of being the oldest self-gov-
erning colony In the Empire.
Celebration of this tercentenary
comes at the interesting moment in
which we are paying formal tribute
Of respect to the Pilgrim Fathers.
BEEMuDEz and Sir GEORGE SoMERs
selected for their shipwreck a more
tempting spot than the Maynower's
company picked out for landing. 1t
Is an interesting speculation as to
what would have been the effect on
the natures of the individuals af-
fected and on the worlds history had
BRApFoRp, CARVER and their nssoci-
ates landed on tho Bermudas instead
of on the coast Of Massachusetts.
Although the convicts who ran away