XXII INTEODUCTION. 



Somerset Bridge connects the island of Somerset or Sandy's "witli the 

 main island. To the westward of the bridge, on a neck of land which 

 protects the water of Elis Harbor from the ocean swell without, rises 

 " Wreck Hill," so named from its being the spot from which the best 

 view of the western reefs could be obtained, which have always been 

 considered the most dangerous of all the reefs surrounding the islands, 



Elis Harbor. — A perfect little gem of an inlet, which, to be seen in its 

 greatest perfection, should be visited on a bright sunny day, when its 

 waters appear of the lightest emerald tint. It is an excellent collect- 

 ing ground for crustaceans, holothurians, and naked mollusks. 



Mangrove Bay. — At the extremity of Somerset Island lies Mangrove 

 Bay, so named from the number of those trees which formerly grew 

 around its margin. The scenery is very i)retty hereabouts, although 

 the land is almost level with the water. Boat excursions about the bay 

 and adjoining shores reveal many interesting forms to the naturalist, 

 especially among the submerged rocks near the shore. On the other 

 side of the neck of land which divides Mangrove Bay from the ocean 

 lies a stretch of sandy beach well worth examining, for as it lies open 

 to the heavy westerly gales, some fine specimens of sponges and sea- 

 weeds are often cast ashore. 



Watford and Boaz Islands connect Somerset with Ireland Island, and 

 do not contain much to interest the visitor, as their surfaces have been 

 l^artially leveled by convict labor, during the time that Bermuda was 

 unhappily burdened by the presence of the worst of criminals trans- 

 ported from the mother country. 



Ireland Isle. — Probably the most important position in the Bermudas 

 is Ireland Isle, which, although not much more than a mile in length, 

 or a quarter of one in breadth, contains the dock-yard and other estab- 

 lishments connected with the Eoyal Navy. The Camber is a dock shel- 

 tered from the usual swell of the ocean by an excellent breakwater. 

 But the principal feature of attraction is " the Great Bermuda Dock," 

 a floating mass of iron, the largest structure of the kind in the world. 

 In preparing the bed for this dock there was made an excavation to the 

 depth of 54 feet below low water, and no less than 1,200,000 cubic feet 

 of sand and coral debris were removed for that purpose. The geological 

 teachings of this section are referred to in Professor Kice's paper. 



The anchorage ground opposite Ireland, on its east side, where one or 

 two men-of-war are generally to be seen, is known as "Grassy Bay." 



There was an old lady living in Bermuda in 1876, aged 93, who well 



