THE VEXED BERMOOTHES. 



JUDGE WARREN W. FOSTER. 



JUDGE WARREN W. FOSTER. 



About 700 miles Southeast of New York, 

 out in mid-ocean, lie the Bermuda islands. 

 Though in winter every ship to the Ber- 

 mudas is loaded with tourists, the islands 

 themselves are strangely unfamiliar to most 

 Americans. They are of coral formation, 

 surrounded by a coral reef, through which 

 a single navigable channel opens. Inside 

 the reef the waters are peaceful and beauti- 

 ful beyond description. More salt and 

 more buoyant than the waters of the North, 



they are vastly more translucent. On a 

 still day the bottom can easily be seen and 

 exactly studied at depths of 15 to 30 feet. 

 This surpassing clarity of the water makes 

 a trip to the reefs most interesting. Beau- 

 tiful corals and sea fans yield readily to 

 the grappling irons with which every boat 

 is provided. Exquisite sea mosses and 

 wonderfully curious vegetation abound. 

 Now and again sea monsters and sea mid- 

 gets dart hither and thither. Every 

 look is rewarded with a new and wonder- 

 ful vision, and fishing for coral is as in- 

 teresting as fishing for fish. 



A thin but fairly rich, red soil covers 

 the coral formation of the islands, yet it 

 requires the constant and regular applica- 

 tion of fertilizers to grow profitable crops. 

 Formerly lemons, limes and oranges were 

 plentifully grown, but a blight came" upon 

 them and now few such trees remain. Ba- 

 nanas grow readily, a small yellow variety, 

 exceedingly delicious, yet not enough for 

 the home market. Potatoes and onions are 

 the staple crops. The farms are all small ; 

 mere patches tilled by hand. 



Roses, hibisci, oleanders and other beau- 

 tiful flowering plants and shrubs are in 

 luxuriant and fragrant blossom the year 

 round. The Bermuda, or Easter, lily is de- 

 servedly famous. It was first exploited 

 by General Hastings, whose beautiful 

 home, "Fairyland," is one of the show 

 places of the islands. It is situated on an 

 arm of the sea, so sheltered that its waters 

 always reflect, mirror-like, the marvelous 

 interlacing of its fringing mangroves. 



The red cedar is the principal native wood 

 and the hills and ravines are covered with 

 its beautiful evergreen. Palms of all va- 

 rieties grow luxuriantly in the open air, 



BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE BERMUDAS. 



25S 



