39^ NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



In the course of centuries these drifts of comminuted 

 shell gradually increased with every passing gale, until the 

 mounds attained to the height of over two hundred feet in 

 one locality, and some feet less in others. 



Heavy rains percolated through these accumulations of 

 driven shell, absorbing carbonate of lime, by which the 

 particles of shell consolidated into a consistency resembling 

 that of loaf sugar, forming a valuable record of the direc- 

 tion of the wind by which it had been driven. In this 

 manner were the hills upon the southern margin of the 

 reef formed, the entire material consisting of pulverised 

 shell. 



The only fresh water to be found at this period was 

 met with in small pools in hollows of the surface, in- 

 crusted with carbonate of lime; these, however, soon dried 

 up under the influence of a powerful sun, when there was 

 none whatever to be got — no springs, no rivulets, no 

 ponds, no anything by which animal existence could be 

 sustained. 



When first discovered in 1515, these hills of driven shell 

 were covered by trees of various kinds, all of American 

 origin, grown unquestionably from seeds which had floated 

 from the eastern shores of that part of the globe. These 

 seeds, like the pulverised shell, were then drifted by storms 

 over every hill and dale, to be followed by the growth of 

 trees found upon them by Bermudez. 



Sir George Somers was wrecked upon the Bermuda reefs 

 in the year 1609. Three years later the Virginia Company 

 applied for an extension of their charter, with the object of 

 including Bermuda within its limits. This was readily 

 granted by King James the First, and dated March 

 1 2th, 161 2. On April 24th following, the first ship 

 sailed from England, and arrived at her destination on 

 July nth; Mr. Richard Moore, Deputy Governor of 



