A. E. Verrill — The ^Bermuda Islands. 475 



inhabited by a coloured family. It is now wholly buried in the 

 drifting- sand, save the chimney ; which alone rises above the mass 

 to show the position of the structure." 



" With the exception of a few irregular patches here and there, 

 and the long reach of white sand gradually encroaching on the culti- 

 vated ground at the northeast corner, the whole slope, which some 

 twenty years ago was almost wholly clear drift sand, with a few 

 patches of bent-grass in scattered spots upon it, is now clothed with 

 wild plants and shrubs, as well as young cedars which will no 

 doubt in a few years attain goodly dimensions, and with the aid of 

 the universal underwood of sage bush put an end to the further 

 encroachments of the sand drift. If people, however, are allowed 

 to cut down cedars, and destroy the vegetation as the}' - have 

 formerly done, the same devastation will commence again, and 

 repeat the calamity which has visited this neighborhood." 



" On the western side of the sand hills, there is now a plateau of 

 about half an acre, or perhaps more, of hardened drift sand, forming 

 gradually into rock. On its face are cracks filling with drift sand ; 

 showing that the sun doubtless affects this hardened surface. Ele- 

 vated stumps of a foot or so in height, rise amid this plateau; having 

 each a hole or depression at the centre. These denote the sites in 

 which cedar trees formerly grew. At the east end of the hills may 

 be seen the gradual deca}^ of cedar stumps, exhibiting more clearly 

 the several stages of change ; which are the more worthy of study 

 in consequence of the light they throw upon the many curious 

 chimney-pot looking structures* everywhere to be met with on the 

 Bermuda shores." 



In 1897, Stevenson observed that the sand had advanced but little 

 in the previous 20 years, and that the chimney had been buried only 

 18 inches deeper than when figured by Thomson, over 20 years 

 before. 



The loose sand in this district has drifted to the height of at least 

 150 feet, in recent times, and to a third of a mile or more inland. 



In 1901, the drifting of the sand had practically ceased and the 

 sand hills were fast becoming covered with vegetation. 



The fixing of the sand has been brought about mainly by the 

 encroachment of sand-loving vines, shrubs, and grasses. Many of 

 these are of foreign origin and have only been introduced in 

 modern times, and in some cases not originally for this purpose, as 



* These are the structures that have been considered casts of the trunks and 

 bases of palmetto trees. (See Geology and plates Ixxxiv-vi.) 



