NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 397 



Bermuda being in charge. Sixty emigrants were conveyed 

 by this vessel. The settlement of Bermuda may be said 

 to have commenced from the arrival of this ship. 



For the progress of the islands, and their present state, I 



must refer the reader to John Smith's "History of Vir- 



' ginia," W. F. Williams's account of the Bermudas, 



published in 1848; and the "Naturalist in Bermuda," by 



the late John Mathew Jones, printed in 1859. 



When Bermuda was discovered by Juan Bermudez in 

 1 5 1 5> Oviedo, the historian, who was a passenger in Ber- 

 mudez' vessel, states that " Bermudez was prevented from 

 landing, and leaving a few hogs on the island, by a con- 

 trary gale springing up." 



The inscription to be seen on " Spanish," or " Spaniard's 

 Rock," is dated 1543. Henry May was wrecked at Ber- 

 muda; in December, 1593 ; and the " Sea Adventure" (with 

 Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers, and Captain New- 

 port on board) in July, 1609. The inscription on " Spanish 

 Rock " is, therefore, important ; and there is every reason 

 to believe that it is a true record of the wreck of some 

 Spanish vessel, bound from Europe to the early Spanish 

 settlement in America, laden with a cargo of hogs and 

 other merchandise. 



We know that a vessel was wrecked at that spot, and 

 that she went to pieces, from the circumstance of her leaden 

 hawse-pipes having been fished up in my own time. We 

 also know from the inscription that one or more of her 

 crew were saved, but what subsequently became of those 

 unfortunate men there is no evidence to show. 



The deck load of hogs, or a considerable portion of it, 

 probably reached the shore alive, where the poor creatures 

 would have little difficulty in finding food, though it is very 

 possible they may have been much distressed by the want 

 of water. 



