264 A Geological and Geographical Skeich 



scoriae. These strata of black and grey cinders and scoriae, 

 with small crystals of augite and quartz, interspersed with 

 masses of different sorts of volcanic rocks and lava, compose 

 the eastern side of the island. Towards Sandy Point, more 

 pumice occurs ; and the strata of black cinders and grey ones, 

 or pumice mingled with scoriae (which is called here Botheration) , 

 become very distinct and well defined. More to the north, 

 towards Deep Bay, there are some solid blocks or currents of 

 lava. There is a remarkable chasm or hole, just above Sandy 

 Point, called Tomber Hole, from the circumstance of a French 

 dragoon, with his horse, having fallen into it and been killed, 

 at the time the French had possession of the island. This 

 hole is perfectly circular, and of nearly an acre in extent. It 

 appears as if a portion of land had suddenly sunk, by the 

 giving way of some subterraneous cavern, to the depth of 80 

 or 100 feet. The sides are perpendicular, and the bottom is 

 covered wtth trees and shrubs : its sides exhibit regular strata 

 of black and grey cinders, and pumice : a large quantity of 

 vegetable mould appears to have collected at the bottom of it. 

 In the narrow neck of land which stretches from the south- 

 east of the island, there is an extensive natural salt pond, 

 from which considerable quantities of salt are occasionally 

 gathered. Near the pond, there is a large quantity of sulphate 

 of lime, which occurs in lamellar, semi-transparent masses : of 

 this no use is made. The principal anchorage of the island is 

 in Basse-terre roads, on the south-east side, which is much 

 exposed to the south and south-west winds. Now, the 

 hurricanes almost always commence from that quarter, so that 

 vessels lying in the roads, on the appearance of a gale, gene- 

 rally endeavour to put to sea : those that cannot do so, run 

 the most imminent hazard of being driven ashore. At Deep 

 Bay, on the north-west side, there is a bay, sheltered by an 

 extensive reef, through which there is one narrow passage, but 

 not sufficiently large to admit any other than small-sized 

 vessels. The getting in is certainly rather dangerous ; but 

 when it is once accomplished, a vessel is much better secured 

 from the violence of the sea than in the other parts of the 

 island. On either side of the passage, through the reef, are 

 large rocks, called the Dogs, over which the sea dashes with 



