to Government archives today along with a treasure trove of Bermudian history.

The correspondence between Capt. Henry Hollis and his wife Louisa, of Baileys Bay, was written while he was at sea.

Experts say the letters, along with others written by the couple, are the best personal accounts of the time yet received.

More than 700 documents belonging to the couple will be handed to the archives today by great-granddaughter Mrs. Linda Dickinson Brown, on behalf of her mother Mrs. Kathleen Caffee Dickinson, of Florida.

Government archivist Mr. John Adams said the letters were unequalled. "They offer great potential for historians because they provide detailed information about who was doing what, when.

"They also provide a wealth of evidence that historians can analyse to identify Bermudian habits and values in the 19th century.'' The papers, inherited by Mrs. Dickinson, range from the 1830s to the early 1900s.

Mrs. Dickinson Brown will give a free talk about them tonight at Bermuda College, 8 p.m.