454 MEXICO, CENTEAL AMEEICA, WEST INDIES. 



origin. Even of lower forms the native species are very few ; not more tlian 

 about a dozen of the 170 marine molluscs and less than half of the 30 land 

 molluscs are peculiar to the archipelago, all the rest belonging to the West 

 Indian fauna. 



Inhabitants, Topography. 



At the time of the discovery the Bermudas were uninhabited. The present 

 population, of which three-fifths are full-blood or half-caste negroes, has been 

 introduced from the other British colonies, mainly since the abolition of slavery. 

 The increase is entirely due to the natural excess of the birth-rate over the 

 mortalitj^ All are concentrated in three little towns and a few hamlets. 



Hamilton, the capital, alone contains more than half of the islanders. It lies 

 on the south side of a long peninsula towards the centre of the large island ; but 

 the harbour, deej) enough to admit the largest vessels, is too exposed to the west 

 winds. The town is extremely clean, but offers nothing remarkable beyond its 

 gardens, its avenues and dazzling white villas relieved by the creepers entwined 

 round their verandahs. Even the roofs are regularly scrubbed and whitened 

 twice a year to prevent any impurities from being washed by the rains into the 

 cisterns. Reservoirs have been constructed at intervals to husband the overflow 

 for periods of drought. 



St. George, at the northern extremity of the archipelago, is of more easy 

 access and safer than Hamilton. Vessels drawing 16 feet have no difficulty in 

 penetrating through a well-buoyed channel into the vast triangular basin, which 

 is entirely enclosed by islands and islets, and defended by forts and redoubts. 



Formidable militar}' works have also been erected at the other extremity 

 of the archipelago, where it curves round from east to south. An arsenal, a 

 citadel, barracks, fortified piers, pontoons, and a penal station with accommoda- 

 tion for 1,500 convicts, form an imposing group of somewhat uninviting 

 establishments on Ireland Island, at this approach to the Bermudas. 



The Bermudas present too small a surface for extensive agricultural operations. 

 But the fruit and vegetable gardens cover a space of about 3,000 acres, where 

 potatoes, onions, and tomatoes are grown for the New York market. The maranta 

 anindinncea also yields a tapioca of excellent quality, but not in sufficiently large 

 quantities to remunerate the planters ; hence this plant, as well as the orange 

 and lemon, has ceased to be cultivated. The industries are even of less import- 

 ance than husbandry. Formerly' large vessels were birilt in the Bermudas, where 

 nothing is now produced except some small craft, furniture, and some smaller 

 articles, such as the wood for lead-pencils, made of the so-called "cedar," or odori- 

 ferous juniper. The archipelago has a semblance of representative government 

 modelled on that of the United Kingdom, with governor, a législative council of 

 9 members named by the Crown, and a chamber of 36 deputies elected by popular 

 sufirage. 



