human
Are they big islands, grandma? and are there many of them?
gpt
No, there are perhaps five hundred of them, but the whole group measures only about twelve thousand acres in all. They occupy a space only about twenty miles long by six broad.
human
Then the group isn't worth very much, I suppose.
gpt
Yes, because its situation makes it a natural fortress which can hardly be overrated. They form a bond of union between two great divisions of British America; on each side of them is a highway between the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic. There are many picturesque creeks and bays, large and deep, the water so clear as to reveal, even to its lowest depths, the many varieties of fish sporting among the coral rocks, and the beautifully variegated shells.
human
And it has a warm climate, hasn't it, grandma? asked Elsie.
gpt
I think that is why we are going there.
human
Yes, the climate is said to be like that of Persia, with the addition of a constant sea-breeze.
gpt
I shall like that, responded the little girl with satisfaction.
human
But what kind of people live there, grandma?
gpt
A good many whites and still more colored people.
human
Slaves, grandma?
gpt
No; the islands belong to England, and years ago she abolished slavery in all her dominions.
human
What are the names of some of them, grandma? the islands, I mean.
gpt
The largest, which is fifteen miles long, is called Bermuda; St. George is three and a half miles long and is the military station of the colony; it commands the entrance of the only passage for large vessels. Its land-locked haven and the narrow and intricate channel leading into it are defended by strong batteries.
human
You have been there, haven't you, grandma?
gpt
Yes; years ago,
human
And your Grandpa Dinsmore and I were there at the same time,