424 



A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



The early settlers depended very largely upon this tree for food, 

 drink, and shelter. Its leaves were used for thatching most of the 

 houses for at least 60 years ; its berries were eaten as fruit ; its soft 

 growing top was boiled for a vegetable, like cabbage ; and its juice 

 and pulp were used to make a fermented intoxicating drink called 

 " bibey " or bibie. 



Several foreign palms, including the Date Palm, Cocoanut Palm, 

 and the Royal Palm, are cultivated for ornament, but seldom ripen 

 their fruit. Five tall, straight Royal Palms, standing in a row by 

 the roadside, near Hamilton, and close to the harbor, west of the 

 town, are famous for their graceful forms. (Figure 5, and plate lxvi, 



Figure 5. — The Eoyal Palms near Hamilton. 



fig. 2.) The Pride-of-India is one of the most common shade trees. 

 It puts out a profusion of clusters of pink flowers, like small pea- 

 blossoms, in early spring, before the leaves appear. (Fig. 17.) 



Both eastward and westward from Hamilton there are three main 

 highways, running lengthwise of the Main Island, which is about 14 

 miles long, but less than 2 miles wide, in most places. One road is 

 near the middle line of the island ; another, which runs along near 

 the northern shore, is called the north road ; one, which runs near 

 the south side, is called the south road. These highways generally 

 have very excellent road-beds, with easy grades and a hard, dry sur- 

 face, composed of the native crushed, soft limestone, which is well 



