“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.
There is no end of caves in the limestone rock; and caves are a positive glory to boys. Tom Moore lived for a time in this island, and wrote poetry, investing the locality with romance and sentiment; and Moore’s “calabash-tree” is still a favorite resort to the visitor. Devil’s Hole, or, more poetically, Neptune’s Grotto, is a rocky abyss filled with clear water, and has an underground connection with the sea.
“How full of fish it is!” exclaimed Sheridan, as he discovered that the water was alive with several varieties of fish.
“This is used to keep the fish caught in other waters, at the proper season, to be taken from this store-house when they are not available elsewhere,” answered the surgeon. “You will find a great many ponds in Bermuda applied to this use. You have observed how clear the water is.”
“Isn’t this a capital road?” said Wainwright, as the carriage moved on towards Hamilton.
“You will find such in all countries where the English people have lived long enough to make them. There are a hundred and fifty miles of these good hard roads in the twenty-four square miles of the Bermudas. You see they have to be cut through the rock in some places,” said the doctor, as the carriage passed through such a cutting, the walls on both sides being covered with vines, and with an abundance of plants growing out of the interstices.
Dr. Winstock botanized somewhat with those of his charge who had a taste for the study; and there was abundant material to illustrate the subject. The road all along from the Sound to Hamilton was bordered with flowers; and when the party stopped at a house, to look at its wealth of floral treasures, it was not unusual for the courteous inhabitants to come out, and invite them to enter the grounds, or to accept a hastily gathered bouquet. Indeed, nothing could exceed the courtesy and kindness of the people in town and country. They all seemed to be interested in the students, and especially in the ladies from the Ville d’Angers.
The excursions were not confined to those made in carriages. The students were roaming all over the islands, during the afternoons, which were wholly given up to sight-seeing. All could not afford carriages; and there were not enough of them to supply all, even if money had been plenty with them. Most of the boys walked; and in their rambles they had a deal of fun among themselves, and with the multitude of negroes that collected whenever the young tars were engaged in a frolic.