Isles of the Sea by Oliver Optic

"The professor did not say this used to be called ‘The Isle of Devils," said Dr. Winstock, when he seated himself in the stern-sheets of the captain's gig, with Sheridan and Murray. "It was so called because it was such a terrible place for shipwrecks. But the science of navigation had not been carried to such perfection in those days as at present."

"This is a queer old place," said Murray, when he had obtained a view of the town.

"It is not a very progressive place; and things appear here pretty much as they did a hundred years ago. The houses are of the fashion of the past; and I have no doubt that some of them are over a century old. But this is a beautiful harbor; and you will be delighted when you get on the top of some hill, to see the panorama spread out before you. The views in the Bermudas are peculiar. The little islands look like so many green hillocks rising out of the water; and much of the scenery is quite rugged. There is an island off there, with a little white cottage upon it. For my part, I think there is nothing more lovely in the world; and if we could have the society of the States, as they call our country, I should spend the rest of my days here."

The party landed from the boat, and Wainwright and Scott joined them. They walked into the town, taking a general view of it. The houses seem to be scattered about without any regard to order.

"This reminds me of the town of Gosport on the Isles of Shoals, before the hand of improvement touched it," said the surgeon. "Every man built his house where he chose, without heeding any possibility of streets in the present or the future. Here is a pretty cottage with its front garden bordered by a laborer's hovel. During our war a great deal of business was done here in blockade-running; but it don't appear to be very driving in any thing now."

A short time exhausted the streets, or rather lanes, of the town. It contains between two and three thousand inhabitants. The business men rarely live in either St. George or Hamilton, the only towns in the islands; but, when the work of the day is ended, they drive or sail away to their cottages on the islands.

All around St. George are forts to defend the only practicable entrance for large vessels to the interior sea, about twenty-five miles by ten, enclosed by the reefs, in which there are only a few openings, so intricate and dangerous that they can be navigated only by the most skilful pilots.

The doctor's party walked to Cherry-stone Hill, about a mile from the town, which commanded a view of the islands to the eastward, the forts, and the harbor. They sat there for hours, enjoying the prospect of sea and land, and the delicious air of the place.

The next morning the entire squadron, in charge of the pilots, sailed for Hamilton, the capital, where the principal intended to remain for two or three weeks. On the passage, which is about fifteen miles around, through Grassy Bay and Great Sound, up to the head of a considerable inlet, where the capital is situated, the students obtained a full view of the dock-yard and floating-dock, which contained a large man-of-war at the time, and of the great store-houses. On the other side, near the shore, at the back of the town, was the governor's house. Threading their way among the multitude of islands, the fleet reached its destination, and anchored in front of the town. It is built on the gentle slope of the hills; and, with its white-roofed buildings, presents a very neat and pretty appearance.

The students were permitted to go on shore as soon as every thing had been made snug on board the vessels. In half an hour more they were wandering through its streets. But there was really little in the place to see; and, as it contains only two thousand inhabitants, it was soon exhausted.

After dinner, the doctor and his party took carriages for a drive. Tom Speers and O'Hara, with Miss Louise, the Prince and his wife, formed another party. These excursions were repeated every afternoon for a week. They visited the southern part of the island of Bermuda, where a hill nearly four hundred feet high afforded them a magnificent view of Port Royal Bay and Great Sound, both sheets of water packed with islands. On some of them are the neat white cottages one sees all over the main islands. In the vicinity of Hamilton there are many more pretentious buildings; but these little country places are the charm of the landscape. Though some of these structures are very old, they seem to be in good repair; for there is no freezing in the winter to throw a building out of shape, or settle the foundation unequally in different places.

"I see they keep all sorts of animals tied up in this country," said Murray, as the party were out on one of these drives. "There are some hens moored by the leg."

"You see these little gardens in all parts of the islands. They are fenced in with oleander; but a couple of those hens could ruin the hopes of the gardener, after he has planted his onion-seed, or prepared his arrow-root plantation. For this reason all the domestic animals that live out doors are tied to keep them out of mischief," replied the doctor. "Our first onions and tomatoes usually come from these islands."

Sometimes the drive was taken in the opposite direction, towards St. George. Speare and Paynter Hills, in the vicinity of Harrington Sound, afforded the excursionists the desired views of the country. The sound is a beautiful sheet of water. The scenery all around it is enchanting; and there were any number of bowers in the dense growth of tropical trees and shrubs, which were full of interest to the wanderers from the sea.