A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 431 



A short distance north of Hamilton, on the shore, near the north 

 road, there is a place still called the "Ducking-stool." It is said to 

 have been the site of that ancient and peculiar instrument for the 

 punishment of gossiping or scolding women, who led " scandalous 

 lives." It was also used in England and America, at that time.* 



Owing to the softness of the limestone, many deep cuts have been 

 made through this stone, which forms all the hills. The rock is 

 divided vertically into blocks by deep, narrow channels, cut by means 

 of heavy steel chisels, about two inches wide, mounted on long 

 handles. These great blocks are then dislodged, and if sound enough 

 are cut up into regular rectangular blocks, suitable for the walls of 

 houses or other masonry, by means of ordinary crosscut wood saws. 

 It is said to saw about as readily as soft wood, when first quarried, 

 but it rapidly hardens at the surface when exposed to the weather 

 for a few months. (Fig. 11.) 



As a result of this mode of quarrying out a road-cutting, the sides 

 of the cuts are always steep, often nearly perpendicular, and they 

 afford excellent sections for the geologist. Everywhere they show 

 the irregular, abruptly shifting stratification, often with the layers 

 inclined at high angles, characteristic of wind-drifted or sand-dune 

 formations. This plainly proves that all these hills are only consol- 

 idated sand-dunes, made of shell-sand blown from the ancient sea- 

 beaches. Several of the deepest cuts are near Hamilton, which is a 

 hilly region. (Fig. 12,) 



Various vines and herbaceous plants have taken root in the crevices 

 of the older cuttings and help to conceal their angular and artificial 



* It seems, from the following record, that a " stool " was not found necessary 

 for administering the punishment in the early years of the settlement. 



"At the Assizes, 18th June, 1667." " Susana Bayley, wife of John Bayley of 

 Deven : Tribe, presented for that shee the said Susana is a person of scandalous 

 life, and found by her conversation to promote dissention in the neighbourhood. 

 Whereuppon the said Susana was found guilty by a Jury of 12 sworne men, 

 uppon the 27th day of June '67. And was censured by the unanimous Vote of 

 the Court, to be forthwith ducked with three ducks. Which said Censure was 

 accordingly performed from aboard a vessells yards arnie lying at the Bridge, 

 the sayd day." Five ducks were often given to women. 



How many ducking stools were subsequently erected does not appear, but 

 there is recorded an order of the Council of Sandys Tribe for the erection of a 

 4 ' duckingstoole " March 25, 1672. It was also ordered that Miles Eivers should 

 either pay for that ducking stool, or else his wife Mary should be ducked " when 

 the stoole is erected." The Sheriff had complained "that she did abuse him 

 with her tongue in ye execution of his office." The records do not show which 

 horn of the dilemma was chosen. 



