A. E. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. AN5 
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 they 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 decay 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 
bases of palmetto trees. (See Geology and plates lxxxiv—vi.) 
