certain street all in a dither. Or, perhaps not.

But, then again, those in Hesitation Lane, Cavendish Heights, are probably split down the middle on this one.

The question: How did Hesitation Lane get its name? The answer: The residents there could never make up their minds whether they wanted their road paved or not.

And so the man then in charge of Government's road-paving scheme, Idwal Hughes Sr., had no hesitation in a suitable name for the street.

This is just one of the tidbits in a book to be published next year on Bermuda's place names.

Yesterday author Daniel Blagg, director of development at Saltus Grammar School, gave Hamilton Rotarians a sneak preview of his book -- "The Bermuda Atlas and Gazetteer of Place Names''.

Mr. Blagg also let drop some other morsels of information, including the origin of Addendum Lane in Pembroke.

Again, Bermuda had Mr. Hughes' wit to thank.

"Apparently Hughes overlooked the street on his maps and, after the final submission, was asked to submit a name,'' said Mr. Blagg.

"According to my source he never missed a beat quipping immediately -- `Call it Addendum and the whole thing is done!'' Mr. Blagg, who used William E.S. Zuill's book "Bermuda Journey'' for research material, said many of the Island's place names had ancient origins.

The oldest -- other than Bermuda itself -- dated back to 1609 when the Sea Venture castaways first made their way to shore.

Deputy Governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas Gates, had the `brainwave' when he jumped from the Sea Venture 's long boat.

"He loudly exclaimed, somewhat immodestly I've always thought, `This is Gates, his baye!'' said Mr. Blagg.

After that, Bermuda's founder Sir George Somers took over by charting the Island and writing names on his original map.

One of those was Walsingham Bay, named after a lazy young coxswain on the ship, explained Mr. Blagg.

"The lad was so enamoured by the area we today call Tom Moore's Jungle that he kept borrowing the only small boat available for the sailors who camped with Somers at Blue Hole Hill.

"Whenever the men looked for the boat -- and Walsingham -- they always found him lazing around those lovely, turquoise pools and exploring the caverns that still enchant us today.

"Somers memorialised the boy by carefully labelling the inlet there, Walsingham, His Baye.'' Mr. Blagg said his book had ten chapters and would be about 400 pages.

"I am calling the book an Atlas because it will have a total of 17 new, colour maps of Bermuda, detailed enough to show all of the lanes and alleys around the Island.

"The maps will fold out to double the book size and are placed at the end of each chapter for the reader's convenience.'' It was arranged, he added, to cover each of the Island's nine parishes, beginning with a general one on the name Bermuda itself.

Initially, said Mr. Blagg, English settlers labelled the Island Virginiola.

"I suppose since they were on their way to Virginia when they crashed on to our rocks, this peculiar name seemed fitting for them!'' Mr. Blagg yesterday appealed for information about names whose origins have eluded him. These include: Major's Bay in Hamilton Parish; Bridle Hill, Broken Hill and Wolliske Drive in Smith's Parish; and Abri Lane, Braithwaite Lane, Friswell's Hill, Shelton Road and Tumkins Lane in Pembroke.