64 A. KE. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 476 
in the case of Lantana, which was first planted as a fuel supply. 
Among the plants that have been efficient in stopping the sand are 
the sage-bushes (Lantana); the “black berry” (Scwvola lobelia); 
the sea-side morning glory (Jpomca pes-capre); the bay lavender 
( Tournefortia), and other herbaceous plants; and also several 
grasses, of which Cenchrus tribuloides is probably the most impor- 
tant. In some places, a little away from the seashore, the Lantanas 
completely cover the sand-hills and are very effectual in stopping 
their drifting. In other sections, even close to the shore, the 
Sceevola has thickly covered the newer sand-hills with its rootstalks 
and prostrate branches, and as its thick leaves, growing in tufts, seem 
to be almost unaffected by the salt spray, it is a very efficient binder 
of the sand. (Plate Ixxvi.) This has now already abundantly 
invaded the sand-hills of Tucker’s Town, close to the shore, and 
probably they may also become stationary, by its aid, in a few years, 
for other plants will soon come in to reinforce this pioneer. This 
result could easily be hastened by the intelligent planting of suitable 
plants in the loose sand. 
On the south shore, at Tucker’s Town,* both east and west of the 
“Natural Arches” for about a mile, there are extensive broad flatish 
beaches of white shell-sand. (See plates xxv and Ixxvi.) The strong 
southerly and southwesterly winds at times pick up the dry sand 
from the upper part of the beaches in large quantities and sweep 
it up the sides and over the tops of the adjacent hills to the height of 
60 feet or more, very much as our winter winds will drift dry snow. 
Fortunately these calcareous sands, if undisturbed for a time, have 
the property of becoming cemented together into a crust at the 
surface, in a short time, by the action of the rain-water, which, by 
virtue of the carbonic acid gas that it contains in solution, can dis- 
solve the limestone particles. Then, by partially evaporating, it can 
deposit it again as a cement between the grains of sands, thus bind- 
ing them together more and more firmly. Thus it is only necessary 
that the vegetation should be able to protect the sand from the 
action of the ordinary winds, for perhaps a few weeks at a time, 
when, by this cementing process, the surface may become able to 
resist the action of the stronger gales; still, even after a considerable 
+ 
* Tucker’s Town was so named because Governor Daniel Tucker laid out a 
town here in 1616, with regular streets and house lots in squares, and he also 
built some small frame houses of cedar. It is recorded that he also planted here 
sugar canes and hedges of figs and pomegranates, in 1616. The streets and 
buildings are indicated on Norwood’s map of 1622. 
