Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/900

BERMUDA. possessions in North America. The group, including the uninhabited islets and reefs, numbers about 300 islands, of which, however, only about 20 are inhabited. The total area of the group is about 12,000 acres, of which Saint George, Bermuda, Somerset, and Ireland occupy the larger part. The islands are of coralline formation, composed mostly of white limestone, and are surrounded by numerous reefs, which make navigation dangerous. The highest point of land is 260 feet. There are no streams, and the fresh water supply is dependent on rains. Beautiful scenery, luxuriant vegetation, and other varied attractions, combined with a healthful and equable climate, make the islands favorite summer and winter resorts with Americans. During the winter the temperature ranges from about 50° in the morning to about 70° at midday. In the summer 87° is about the maximum. Frosts are unknown, and the ocean winds are tempered by the Gulf Stream. The soil is of remarkable fertility, and the climate is very favorable to vegetation. The chief products are sweet potatoes, onions, bananas, arrowroot, and some corn. The agricultural products go mostly to the United States and Canada, and the value of annual exports averages about $500,000. The islands produce also large quantities of lily-bulbs, which are shipped to the United States, where they are kept in hothouses until Easter.

The group is regarded as of considerable strategical importance, and is strongly fortified. It is the winter naval station for the British North Atlantic and West Indian squadron, and has a garrison of over 2500 men. The chief centre of population is Hamilton, on Bermuda, with about 2000 inhabitants. The extensive naval establishment, dockyards, and floating dock are on Ireland Island. Saint George has lost its commercial importance. The administration of the group is in the hands of a governor, who is assisted by two councils, appointed by the Crown, and by an assembly of 36 elected members. The total population of the group is about 16,300 (not counting the military), and includes about 6300 whites. The Bermudas were discovered by the Spaniard Juan Bermudez, in 1522, and were first settled by Sir George Somers, in 1609. They were colonized chiefly from Virginia, and received additional immigrants from the United States during the Civil War.

Newton, Glimpses of Life in Bermuda (London, 1897); Heilprin, Bermuda Islands (Philadelphia, 1889); Stark, Bermuda Guide (Boston, 1897); Cole, Bermuda in Periodical Literature: A Bibliography (Boston, 1898); Bell, Beautiful Bermuda (New York and Bermuda, 1902).

BERMUDA CE'DAR. See.

BERMUDA GRASS (so called by reason of its southern origin; cf. its other name, Bahama grass), Cynodon dactylon or Capriola dactylon. A perennial grass, probably a native of India, which has become introduced throughout the warmer portions of the globe. It is a low. creeping plant, rooting at the joints. In poor soils the leaves are short, and it sends up short flower-stalks, which divide into from three to seven slender divergent spikes. In good soil it is often 1 to 2 feet high. The rootstocks run everywhere, soon making a dense sod. It is insensible to heat and drought, on which account it is highly thought of in warm regions for grazing, since it remains green after all other species are dry. It grows readily on sandy soils, and is valuable in the Southern States as a lawn-grass. The plant is quite sensitive to cold, turning brown with the first frosts, although it is hardy in the latitude of Philadelphia. Its rooting habit makes it very difficult of eradication when once established. Bermuda grass will grow in almost any soil, unless too wet, but does not stand shade. It does not mature its seed in the United States, except in the extreme Southern States.

BERMUDA HUN'DRED. A peninsula in Chesterfield County, Va., formed by the confluence of the James and the Appomattox rivers. The population of the district of this name was 2044 in 1890 and 2105 in 1900. Bermuda Hundred was the scene of much sharp fighting during the Civil War. General Butler landed here with a Federal force of about 35,000 (the 'Army of the James') early in May, 1864, in order to coöperate with Grant against the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Lee. He was confronted by General Beauregard, however, with an almost equal force, and on May 16 fought with him the battle of Drury's Bluff, in which the Federal loss was about 4000 and the Confederate about 3000. Though no other engagement of any consequence occurred in this vicinity, there was almost continual skirmishing until the 30th. Meanwhile, Butler sent part of his troops to reinforce Grant, and was himself kept closely confined at Bermuda Hundred. For an account of the battle of Drury's Bluff, consult Johnson and Buel (ed.), Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vol. IV. (New York, 1887).

BERN, bern, Ger. pron. bern (according to local tradition, many bears, Ger. Bären, were killed on the day of the foundation of the city). The capital of the canton of the same name and Federal capital of Switzerland since 1848, situated on a lofty sandstone promontory more than 1700 feet above the sea, formed by the winding Aar, 80 miles northeast of Geneva (Map: Switzerland, B 2). The river surrounds it on three sides, and is crossed by two stone bridges, one of which is a magnificent structure, upward of 900 feet long, with a central arch 150 feet wide and 93 feet high. The fourth side was defended by fortifications, but these have been converted into public walks. Bern has an imposing appearance from a distance, and a nearer view discloses one of the best and most regularly built towns in Europe, and the finest city in Switzerland. The houses are massive structures of freestone, resting upon shop-lined arcades, which furnish covered walks on both sides of the street. Rills of water flow through the streets, which are also adorned with numerous fountains. There are many fine public promenades in the environs, and the view of the Alpine peaks from the city is magnificent. The cathedral terrace, supported by walls 100 feet high, is planted with trees, and has a statue of the city's founder, Berthold von Zähringen. Among the principal public buildings are a Gothic cathedral, founded in 1421, with some interesting tablets and relics, fine stained windows, and a tower over 300 feet high, completed in 1894; the theatre; the natural history and art museums: the city library of over 100,000 volumes; the Bundeshäuser, or Federal Buildings,