MO JONES ON THE VEGETATION OF THE BERMUDAS^ 



The large deposits of peaty mud of the marshes is also worthy 

 of note, as it may afford some idea of the time requisite to fill up 

 with such vegetable matter the deep cavities they originally pre- 

 sented. Although always proclaimed to be very deep, yet no 

 satisfactory information on the subject could be obtained until the 

 past year, 1872, when soundings were made by His Excellency the 

 Governor, in the Pembroke Marsh below Government House, by 

 means of a series of lengths of iron gas piping about 1 in. diamu 

 screwed into each other, the lower length having attached to its 

 foot a well-contrived auger, which, being wrenched around from 

 above, filled a chamber with the material it came in contact with at 

 the bottom. The deepest sounding gave 46 feet of this peaty mud, 

 and the auger borings afforded evidence of the mud reaching quite 

 to the limestone floor of the marsh basin, portions of the limestone 

 filling the lower part of the chamber and peaty mud the upper. 



The Bermudian climate partakes of a temperate and tropical 

 character, for during seven months of the year, November to May 

 inclusive, the thermometer rarely rises above 75°, the minimum 

 being reached in the months of February and March, but seldom 

 lower than 50*^. During this period, which may be called the 

 *' cool season," the weather is very variable, alternate storm and 

 calm, a circumstance rendered too notorious by the large number of 

 vessels which in a shattered or sinking condition are constantly 

 arriving. The other portion of the year from June to October in- 

 clusive, which may be termed the «^' hot season," is peculiarly 

 warm, day and night almost alike in temperature from the radiation 

 of heat from a white sandy ground surface, almost wholly exposed 

 to the glare of a sun which is constant — a cloudy sky being a some- 

 what remarkable event during the Bermudian summer. The sand 

 formation charged with this great heat during the hours of the day> 

 only loses a few degrees of heat during the night, so that the heat 

 is almost continuous, when it positively sets in, which is about the 

 middle of July. From this date, often until the end of September, 

 a frequent calm prevails, day succeeds day of perfect stillness ; no 

 trade wind lends its refreshing influence in mitigation of the heat, 

 and long continued droughts are prevalent, which combined with 

 the scorching rays of the blazing sun,, blast all vegetable growth ,i 



