of the Island of St. Christopher. 257 



the low lands have been thrown from the mouth of the volcano 

 is evident, from the regular strata of volcanic substances of 

 which they consist; these too are interspersed with masses of 

 volcanic rock, and other stones, some of the lesser ones entirely 

 roasted through, and some of the larger ones to certain depths 

 from their surfaces. Masses, also, of iron-clay, inclosing vari- 

 ous pebbles, which have been burnt into a kind of red brick, 

 are abundantly found in many places. There is scarcely any 

 thing that can be called a path, or even a track, to the mouth 

 of the crater of Mount Misery 5 indeed, there are but few 

 whose curiosity is sufficiently strong to induce them to under- 

 take this expedition. The common course for those who do, 

 is to take a negro man as a guide, with a cutlass, or large knife, 

 to clear away the underwood, and form a kind of path as he 

 goes on. The ascent is very irregular, in some places being 

 gentle, in others almost perpendicular ; in which case the hands 

 are obliged to assist the operations of the feet. In wet weather, 

 the ascent of this mountain is extremely laborious, as a great 

 part of it consists of clay, which then becomes so slippery as to 

 render the getting up almost impracticable. About half-way 

 up on the south side, and in a very pretty, romantic situation, 

 there is a natural spring of remarkably cool water. On the 

 north side, at about the same height, there is a water-fall, 

 which, though small and insignificant in itself, has a pleasing 

 appearance, as it rushes over the rocks, and through the trees 

 and shrubs. This mountain is thickly clothed with wood, 

 which in many places not only excludes the rays of the sun, but 

 produces a sombre, gloomy appearance ; this, with the occa- 

 sional plaintive coo of the mountain dove (the only sound 

 heard at this height), creates in the mind sensations of pleas- 

 ing melancholy. In some parts an open space suddenly 

 appears, from whence the whole country below bursts unex- 

 pectedly upon the view, which has, as may be supposed, an 

 extremely fine effect. The thermometer, on the top of the 

 mountain when the author visited it, stood at 65, being a dif- 

 ference of 15 degrees from the low lands, where it stood at 80*^. 

 The descent into the crater on the north and east sides, is 

 perfectly perpendicular ; on the south and west sides, it slopes at 



