PLATE 172. STREET IN ST. GEORGE 307 PLATE 173. STREET IN ST. GEORGE 307 PLATE 174. STREET IN ST. GEORGE 309 PLATE 175. GATE IN ST. GEORGE 311 PLATE 176. GATE IN ST. GEORGE 311 PLATE 177. GATE IN ST. GEORGE 313 PLATE 178. GATE IN ST. GEORGE 313 PLATE 179. GATEWAY IN ST. GEORGE 315 PLATE 180. GATEWAY IN ST. GEORGE 317 PLATE 181. GATEWAY IN ST. GEORGE 317 BERMUDA HOUSES BERMUDA HOUSES Bermuda has been written about from many points of view. Its interesting discovery and history have been written and rewritten; its volcanic origin investigated, discussed, tested and settled by able minds. The plant life existing there, the remarkably varied and beautiful aquatic life, has had its share of attention from scientists, and as an attraction is exploited for the amusement of visitors. The mild climate and hospitality to travellers has not lacked acclaimers and advertisement, and entirely adequate guide-books giving miscellaneous information of interest can be obtained without difficulty. Bermuda's houses, however, seem to have had little attention called to them. A number of picture post-cards, it is true, exist, but these are misleading in that the views are chosen to show the islands as tropical, and the cards are colored by commercial "artists" who presumably have never seen the place. Some recent magazine articles have also slightly touched this interesting and characteristic part of old Bermuda. The casual visitor and "tripper" cannot help being struck by the charm of the older buildings of the island, and the picturesque element that they add to many views through the entire fitness in scale and design to their surroundings. To students in architecture they present many points of singular interest and beauty. The architecture is in no sense grand, nor is it even important compared to that of other lands. Its interest lies chiefly in the fact that it is a very simple, straight-forward and complete expression and outcome of a number of unusual conditions and factors that were a marked and characteristic part of the earlier life of the colony. These factors were the climate, the unusual geological formation and structure of the island, and to a lesser degree the economic and social conditions under which the island had its early development.