GIRL GUIDE NOTES

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7486, 9 June 1934, Page 11

GIRL GUIDE NOTES

TRAVELS WITH THE CHIEF GUIDE IN THE WEST INDIES—BERMUDA (Continued.) To come back to Bermuda and tho wonderful' timo wo had there. For one thing wo had our birthday, and perhaps you know what that means. Tho Guides gave us such a lovely welcome and celebrated our birthday with a delightful rally, they got. up a splondid entertainment, and what with meetings, picnics and othor festivities, our time there went much too quickly. It is such an entrancing island. It is only twenty-three miles, long, and long and narrow, curved rather in tho shape of a lobster, and covered with stunted, gnarled and wind-swopt juniper trees, and thanks to tho lovely littlo hills and ups and downs the views aro glorious, and you get delicious peeps of tho sea soraohow from nearly every part of tho whole island. Its name comes from the man who was supposed first to havo discovered tho island—a Spaniard callod Juan Bermudez who landod in 1515, and tried to settle thore with some of his own people. Then, in 1609, Sir George ’ Somers was on his way to explore tho country of Virginia on tho American continent, and ho was wrecked off Bermuda, and had to stay there for many months whilst their ships were repaired. Later on a company was formed in London for colonising this island, which Sir George had described ns being "an jslo of plenty,” and this led to it becoming a British Colony. In fact it is now tho oldest self-govern-ing colony of our Empire, as its House of Parliament, dates back to 1619, which makes it next in age to our own Houses of Parliament, in London. Bermuda is justly and rightly proud of this fact, and the Bermudians love their island very much. The climate of Bermuda is lovely; the island itself is lovely; tho scenery is lovely; the flowers aro lovely. Wo went out ono day in a small rowing boat with a glass bottom, to see tho "sea gardens.” This means all' tho glorious sca-weed and coral formations on tho bed of the sea, which, owing to tho clear water can bo seen quite distinctly. Thero wo sat, rowing along for nearly an hour, with our heads glued together gazing down into tho depths at the most marvellous formations and divinelyshaped sea growth of all sorts. It was liko looking into a new world, with lovely pink and white coral fronds and lumps, sponges growing on tho rocks, largo shells and great bunches of magnificent growth of sea cabbages. Mixed in with all the rocky sea floor and this wealth of vegetation also were the most amazing sorts of fishes to bo seen swimming about. Fat fish, thin fish, long fish, short fish, striped fish, spotted fish, fish with long streaming tails and fins, fish with little things liko angel’s wings floating gracefully around them, fish with flat gnomo-like faces, and great monster fish with oomic, huge mouths gulping and swallowing mouthfuls of food, and so on. So that you may imagine that looking down through our glass-bottomed boat at all these marvels of creation was indeed liko being in a strango world of unreality. I had the luck also to be allowed to walk down on the bottom of tho sea. This sounds rather odd, but actually I went down in a diving helmet which was one of tho most exciting things I have ever done. - This happened at the aquarium, which is a world-famous one, on the edge of Harington Sound. I wont in my bathing dress and dived into tho water, and then stood at the edge of tho bank whilo someone put tke helmet over my head. It rested on my shoulders, and then they screwod in the window in front of my face, and attached the air pipes and made all securo and saic for me. Then I just walked away, and down into the deeper water, breathing ordinarily and tho air that I had breathed and finished with went out at tho top of tho helmet through ono tube, and other fresh air was being pumped iu through auother tube, so that I had a constant supply of nice clean oxygen to keep mo going! It was simply fascinating. I walked on and on, over the Tough surface of pebbles, and rocks and coral ridges, my feot swishing through sea-weed, and with fishes darting hither and thither all round me. One came Hipping up and looked in

at my face through my 'window, and then, darted away between my fingers as I put up my 'hand to try to catch him. There was a wonderful greenishbluish light as one walked down at. that depth ; thick and opaque, and I could see the rubber air tube which was attached to the helmet disappearing away into nothingness, which made ono feel miles away from any-' where, and absolutely lost! I loved it, and though to a certain extent it was rather eerie walking about at the bottom of the sea, I felt that I wanted to stay and go on and on, and I was quite sorry to have to turn round and follow' my pipe back to the surface. So I have a lot to thank Bermuda for. I I'ook back on our short stay there with happy memories of a jolly lot of Guides, who are keen, campers and who do their best to keep up the high standard of Guiding, I can always seo a mental picture of a lovely little homo in which Mrs Storrowq who is the chairwoman of our 'World Committee, spends many months of the year, and of peaceful, delicious walks over that beautiful island which is indeed a gem in the crown of the British Empire. This is the end of our trip to the West Indies, and in my travels I will take you, next week, to some other part of the globe if you like. OLAVE BA DEhT-P DWELL. In “The Guido.”