256 A Geological and Geographical Sketch 



A Geological and Geographical Sketch of the Island of St, 

 Christopher. Communicated hy I. C. Lees, Esq. 



The island of St. Christopher is situated in 17° 16' N. lat., 

 and 62° 31 W. long. ; it lies about S. E. and N. W. To the 

 eastward of it is Antigua, distant about fifty miles ; to the 

 northward, St. Bartholomew and St. Martin, distant about thirty 

 miles ; to the westward, St. Eustatia and Saba, the former 

 distant about ten, the latter about fifteen miles ; Nevis is to 

 the S. E., distant about eight miles from the town of Basse- 

 terre, but not more than one mile from the extremity of the 

 island, which stretches in a narrow neck of irregular hills 

 in that direction, and terminates in a nook, somewhat resem- 

 bling the head of a violin. It is one of the most beautiful, 

 and formerly the most productive, of the sugar colonies; 

 its original Indian name, " Liamuiga," signified the fertile 

 island. 



This island is entirely composed of volcanic matter, in some 

 places alternating with submarine productions. The principal 

 mountain is situated at the western end of the island ; it is an 

 exhausted volcano, called in books of navigation, charts, &c.. 

 Mount Misery ; the inhabitants, however, do not call the whole 

 mountain by that name, but only a part of it, which consists of 

 a large aggregate of rock on its summit, forming the N.W. 

 side of the crater. The summit of this mountain is 3711 feet 

 above the sea ; it appears, as far as I could judge, to consist of 

 large masses of volcanic rocks, roasted stones, cinders, pumice, 

 and iron-clay. The whole extent of land, to the sea-shore on 

 either side, may be considered as the base of this mountain, as 

 it rises with a pretty steep ascent towards it ; but from the 

 part which is generally considered the foot of the mountain, it 

 takes a sudden rise of an average angle of about 50°. To the 

 east another chain of mountains runs, of a similar formation, 

 though of inferior height. On the summits of these there are 

 no remains that indicate their having ever possessed a crater : 

 so that whether any of them have originally been volcanoes, or 

 whether they have been formed by an accumulation of matter 

 thrown out of Mount Misery, it is difficult to decide. That 



