IN BERMUDA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXI, Issue 70, 11 October 1920, Page 2

IN BERMUDA.

SYDNEY WOMAN’S EXPERIENCE “The weather in New York was so extremely cold with continuous snow and blizzards that I resolved on taking a trip to the Island of Bermuda (W. Indies). With the two children and maid, I left New York about the middle of March and arrived at Bermuda a couple of days later.”

So writes Madame William Kirkham (Mias Eat© Rooney) to her relatives in Sydney. “It wag wonderful to come out of that snow and frost, and in two days sail right into lovely warm weather with everywhere hibiscus, oleanders, and. roses in bloom. The people here were gathering in their potatoes, carrots, celery, and strawberries, and shipping them to New York where the earth is frozen hard as rock, and no ground yet ploughed tor seed. Bermuda i s a lovely group of coral islands, 700 miles south-east of New York. It is the cleanest place I have even been in. Even the poorest (colored) people live in spotles s homes, and th© streets ar© perfect. The only water supply is the rain, and the roofs are constructed of coral rock slabs. Th© entire house i s of coral rock, and the law demands that every house be whitewashed three times a year. This is to prevent disease by purifying the water, which in running over th© whitewash becomes filtered. The houses mostly hav© pyramid shaped roofs. They remind on© of old Greek dwellings, and are dazzlingly white when th© su n shines on, them. This is rather trying lor th© eyes, so evervon© goes “about in smoked glasses. Bermuda is a sleepy place; the only excitement the arrival and departure twice a week, to and from New York. All the town flocks down to the wharf on these occasions. A s an alternative amusement on© may hire a carriage and go for a long drive, hut this is rather expensive. Otherwise you must cycle or walk a 8 there ar© no public conveyances with th© exception of a couple of decrepit ’buses which run only twice a day. No trains, trams, or motor cars. Th© motors would be too dangerous on the narrow' roads, and the soft coral rock of that roadway would not stand th© strain of heavier traffic. We had a pleasant drive to St. George’s th© first settlement in th© Islands, 12 miles away. We drove out on on© side of th© island and returned on the other, visiting, en route Walsingham,/ the home, when in Bermuda, of Moore, th© Irish poet. I stood beneath th© calabash tree in the ' shade of which he so often sat and wrote. It is in a beautiful dell, and beneath the calabash to which he devoted some exquisite verses I sang to my family party some of the .TO-lpdies composed. We also visited th© Crystal Caves (stalactite) in the underground lake, where, the guide informed us, Annette Kellerman of Sydney did her hardest diving. I must mention our visit to th© outer reefs the Submarine Garden, where we got into a barge with a great glass bottom, through which we gazed into th© coral formations—such a magical garden as on© might dream of, exquisite blue angel-fish swimming amidst purple, lace-like ferns end swaying plants of vivid hue with queer purple heastie s of th© octopus race.” During her stay in Bermuda, Madam© Kirkham was approached repeatedly to give concerts, but refused on the plea of being there only to rest.