Fewkes.] 520 [March 21, 



With the problem of why the foundation of the Bermudas is oval 

 in form,, and whether elevation or depression of the sea-floor upon 

 which they rest has ever taken place, we are to deal onty so far as 

 they are supposed to effect the present form of the islands. That 

 local subsidence has occurred there is little doubt, from the finding 

 of cedar trunks, red soil and land Helices in submarine caverns. 



These facts, however, by no means prove a general subsidence 

 of the whole platform of the islands. In the same category may 

 be placed the observations of stalactites in grottoes under the sea- 

 level. It is not strange that such local submergences should occur, 

 but I cannot accept the theory that they indicate a subsidence as 

 widespread as the platform upon which the present islands rest. 



There are many ways in which the Bermudas differ from true 

 atolls formed by subsidence, some if not all of which were pointed 

 out by Darwin. Although nowhere very lofty, still the highest ele- 

 vation of the Bermudas is far above that of any of the Pacific atolls. 

 The fact that the water shoals somewhat near the islands is also 

 not characteristic of true atolls of subsidence, which generally rise 

 abruptly from the abysses of the ocean. While there is nothing to 

 show that subsidence has not taken place, there is reason to be- 

 lieve that the present Sounds of the Bermudas, which on a map so 

 closel} T resemble the atolls of the Pacific, are formed by very dif- 

 ferent processes from the atolls of the South Seas. An explana- 

 tion of the present form of the Bermudas must give an important 

 place to the agency of erosion. We find at present the destructive 

 powers of water and air present everywhere on the island. Sea and 

 rain combine to level the islands and to wash them into the sea. 

 The amount of this erosion is something perfectly enormous, and 

 no one who has always lived over hard New England rocks can 

 justly estimate the amount of wearing away year by year by the 

 sea of the soft cliff of coral rock. 



Everywhere in Bermuda there is evidence of this erosion, and 

 grottoes, caves and caverns, water courses under the land, sink- 

 holes caused by the settling of the roofs of caverns, occur every- 

 where. The cliffs of the shore are worn into pinnacles, columns and 

 natural archways. The land in some places sounds hollow to the 

 tread. The basin called Harrington's Sound, with the exception 

 of a small entrance at the Flats is completely surrounded by land, 

 yet at every flood of tide the water pours into it by subterranean 

 channels. Along the south shore the cliffs are worn into fantastic 



