AG 
Between those ridges, however, the soil is pretty deep, and 
consists for the most part of the remains of decayed vegetables, 
with here and there a substratum of alluvial earth, approach- 
ing to the nature of clay. It is soft, spongy, and retentive 
of moisture, and possesses most of the characters of peat. 
This soil has been found admirably adapted for the produc- 
tion of culinary vegetables, but is far too light to support 
the weight of trees or large shrubs. 
* This plain is the onde part of the island that is the least 
susceptible of cultivation, and serious obstacles oppose the 
conversion even of this to the purposes of agriculture. 
With the exception of the few spots already mentioned, 
where the earth washed down by the rain has accumulated, 
the whole of the ground, before it will be fit to receive the 
plough, must undergo a regular trenching in order to remove 
the scattered stones, and to loosen the hard earth, which lies 
immediately underneath the surface, and incorporate it with 
the vegetable mould. After this preliminary operation, there 
can be no doubt that the soil will yield a fair return in all 
sorts of Europzean grain. 
* The ascent to the peak is practicable i in sundry places, 
but the undertaking is attended with serious difficulties and 
not free from danger. I went up on the 4th of January, 
accompanied by Dr. Evans, a couple of servants, and a 
guide, who had been there some days before. Weexperienced 
some obstruction at the outset, in making our way through 
the long grass (Spartina arundinacea) which grows along 
the lower part of the mountain in close entangled tufts. As 
we advanced, our progress was retarded by the extreme 
steepness of the ascent, and the loose incohesive nature of 
the rocks, which we could hardly venture to touch, lest their 
fragments should fall upon our heads, nor did we run less 
risk in availing ourselves of the branches of the arborescent 
Phylica to support our weight, for the greater proportion of 
these being rotten, we were obliged to choose with caution, 
as a mistake might prove fatal. After a laborious effort of 
three hours, however, we gained the table land, and there 
discovered, to our mortification, that the upper region of 
