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tion from a rough and obviously fragmented rock to a lime- 

 stone almost compact; and may thus be useful in pointing 

 out the origin of some calcareous beds, in which a similarity 

 of structure exists, but where the mode of formation cannot 

 be traced to operations so recent and so apparent as in the 

 Bermudas. The large-grained rock being found along the 

 coast, and the finer-grained inland, affords a beautiful con- 

 firmation of the assumed origin of the islands, since the ac 

 cumulation of such materials by surge and winds would 

 evidently effect that disposition ; and as I understand the 

 hills nowhere exceed 200 feet in height, and are nowhere so 

 much as five furlongs from the sea, the agents seem quite 

 adequate to this effect.' 



Including the small ones, the number of islands is very 

 great, but the large ones may be reduced to five, viz. : 

 St. Gaorge's, St. David's, Long Island (or Bermuda), 

 Somerset, and Ireland. There are two towns, each of 

 which has its mayor and civic officers; St. George's, on 

 tha island of that name to the N.E., and Hamilton, on the 

 large island (or Continent as it is generally called), about 

 the centre of the group. They are both well built of white 

 stone ; St. George's, which is the larger, contains about 500 

 houses, a church, the town-house, in which both branches 

 of the legislature hold their sittings, a library, and other 

 public buildings. The whole group is divided into nine 

 parishes, each of which sends four members to the house 

 of assembly. The scattered houses and hamlets are so nu- 

 merous, that the whole island has the appearance of one 

 continued village. 



The surrounding seas are stored with various kinds of 

 fish and turtle, and the Bermudians are among lliu most 

 dexterous of fishermen, more particularly with the harpoon. 

 The whale-fishery is carried on at a trilling expense, and 

 employs about twelve whale-boats and their crews three 

 months in the year. One good fish covers the cost of the 

 whole season, and sometimes twenty or more are taken, 

 yielding one thousand gallons of oil. The flesh is sold in 

 the market, and eaten by the natives. The season com- 

 mences in March and ends in June; the whales approach 

 the islands close, on the southern side, and men are sta- 

 tioned on the cliffs to give notice of their appearance. The 

 Pshery thus carried on is capable of very considerable ex- 

 tension, at small risk, by the employment of additional 

 capital. The oysters found on the rocks sometimes contain 

 good pearls. 



The soil, which appears to have once been fertile, and 

 capable of producing every article of West India produce, 

 is now generally exhausted. There is scarcely any vege- 

 table that will not grow at Bermuda : potatoes, onions, cab- 

 bages, carrots, turnips, barley, oats, peas, beans, pumpkins, 

 melons, &c., are cultivated. The citron, sweet orange, 

 lemon, and lime, are of good quality; and the arrow-root is 

 said to be superior to that of any other place. The palm- 

 tree also grows, and the leaves are exported for ladies' fans. 

 Coffee, cotton, indigo, and tobacco, are no longer cultivated, 

 with the exception of a little indigo; and of the 12,000 

 acres which Bermuda is said to contain, only 456 are under 

 cultivation. There are 3070 acres of pasture. Live stock 

 and Hour are imported from British America. There were 

 imported in 1832, 881 head of cattle, 1506 sheep and swine, 

 36,803 bushels of maize and oats, and 15,481 barrels of 

 wheat Hour and Indian corn-meal. Fresh butter and milk 

 are produced in sufficient quantities for the supply required, 

 but no more cattle are reared than will keep up the stock ; 

 ducks are very abundant, and turtle during the summer; 

 and the breed of black swine, though somewhat diminished, 

 is still numerous. The number of stock on the islands in 

 183-2 was 214 horses, 1731 Horned cattle, 200 sheep, and 

 279 goats. 



The principal employment is building vessels, which are 

 generally small, swift, and very durable, being constructed 

 of cedar. Ten vessels of the aggregate burden of 80-1 tons 

 were built in 1832. Platting of straw, and of the mid-rib 

 of the palmetto leaf, is also carried on ; and a beautiful 

 species of white freestone, easily out, is exported to the West 

 Indies for ornamental architecture. Vessels annually visit 

 the Bahamas for salt. 



The natives are handsome, good-natured, lively, and hos- 

 pitable ; the women are particularly amiable. Indolence is 

 the groat fault of the men, and prevents the colony rising 

 t tlu; prosperous condition which it might attain. 



'Nothing,' say Mr. More, 'can be more romantic than 

 the little buy of St. George's ; the number of little islets, 



the singular clearness of the water, and the animated play 

 of the graceful little boats gliding for ever between the 

 islands, and seeming to sail from one cedar-grove to an- 

 other, form altogether the sweetest miniature of nature that 

 can be imagined. In the short but beautiful twilight of 

 their spring evenings, the white cottages scattered over the 

 islands, and but partially seen through the trees that sur- 

 round them, assume often the appearance of litile Grecian 

 temples, and embellish the poor fisherman's hut with co- 

 lumns which the pencil of Claude might imitate.' 



There was formerly a small dockyard at St. George's, but 

 it has been removed to Ireland Island, on which large sums 

 have of late years been expended, in order to render it a 

 strong post for a naval and military depot. The whole face 

 of the island has been changed, hills removed and plains 

 made, and all the ingenuity of art and the labour of a large 

 convict establishment have been employed in strengthening 

 this important station. This island has been selected for 

 its convenient size and detached position, which cannot be 

 approached except by an intricate channel along the whole 

 coast from St. George's. It is however to be regretted, that 

 the rocky bar which limits the passage into the latter har- 

 bour should not be deepened, to admit ships of the largest 

 class, where cruizers not under repair might be in constant 

 readiness. 



The free population of the islands, at the census taken in 

 1 832, was as follows : 



The number of slaves in the same year, according to the 

 official registry, was males, 1967; females, 2182; total, 

 4149. 



About 1000 convict labourers sent from this country are 

 employed in constructing a breakwater, and in perfecting 

 ;he fortifications at Ireland Island. These works have been 

 n progress since 1824, and it is expected will be completed 

 n about four years from this time, when the convicts will 

 je withdrawn, it not being intended to make Bermuda a 

 senal settlement. 



There are twenty-three public or free schools in the 

 islands. One of these, in Devonshire parish, is a classical 

 academy, at which twenty-five scholars are instructed at an 

 expense of 600/. per annum, paid out of a trust fund iti the 

 colony. There are nine day schools : four of them contain 

 99 white children; in the other five 158 coloured children 

 are taught ; the remaining thirteen are Sunday schools, five 

 for white and eight for coloured children, the number of 

 scholars being 229 and 303 respectively. These schools arc 

 supported principally by different societies in England, and 

 liy funds under the control of the bishop of Nova Scotia, in 

 whose diocese the Bermudas are situated. Only two day 

 schools are supported by local subscriptions. There are, 

 besides the above, twenty-five private schools, the number 

 of scholars in which is unknown. 



The islands contain nine churches, one of which is in 

 each of the parishes as named above. There are also five 

 chapels for Dissenters. 



The following table exhibits the number of shipping that 

 visited the islands, for the purpose of trade, in 1832: 



