2 the buildixg of an island. 



The Isi,and's Outijxe. 



When \vc now examine the form of the island itself, we see at once that 

 it may be regarded as consisting of three parts, namely, an oblong portion to the 

 west, a narrow triangle to tiie east, and in the middle a neck bv which the 

 two other parts are united. 



This peculiarity of outline should be carcfuUv noted, for we shall shortly 

 find that, simple and obvious as it is, it has a most intimate connection with 

 the storv to be studied. We mav observe in passing that the town of Chris- 

 tiansted stands on the northern shore of the island at the narrowest part of the 

 neck just mentioned, while the town of Frederiksted stands on the western 

 shore. 



The Island's Surface. The " Western Oiu.ong." 



From this general view of the outline of the island we mav proceed to 

 consider its surface. Referring to the map, and confining our attention in the 

 first place to the vjcstcrn oblong, we notice that the northern part of this oblong 

 is covered with hills, while its southern part, stretching to the sea, is a plain, 

 broken in its eastern part onlv bv a few low hills. Leaving for the present 

 this plain, which also extends itself through the eastern part of the oblong and 

 as a narrow valley reaches the northern shore, we may give our attention to the 

 northern hills. The whole chain of these northern hills is naturally divided 

 into three parts. The first of these to be noticed is a short ridge lying north- 

 west and southeast and containing the chief elevations of the island, namely, 

 Bbie Mountain (1090 ft.) at its southern end and Mount Eagle (1 164 ft.) at its 

 northern end. This ridge is the most conspicuous feature of the island. 

 From the wharf at St. Thomas (40 miles away to the north), it is almost the 

 only part of Santa Cruz that is visible. Viewed from the central part of 

 Santa Cruz itself it is also a conspicuous object. That this ridge is an important 

 feature of the island's geography may be further inferred from the fact that 

 the di'ainaafe of the valley on its eastern side is turned to the northeast and 

 finally flows out, by the creek known as Salt River, on \\\q nor t ha- n shore oiX.\\Q 

 island, while the drainage of the valley on the western side is turned southwards 

 and flows out on the soutJiemi shore. 



The above ridge is connected bv lower hills witli a range to the eastward 

 known as the Salt River Hills, the highest point of which (towards its east end) 

 is 872 ft. above the sea-level. The spurs of this range press on the sea shore^ 

 along which a picturesque road is carried to reach the vallev which in part 

 marks off the range from the Mt. Eagle Ridge, or, more accurately speaking, 

 from a spur of that ridge. 



On the west side of the Mt. Eagle Ridge low hills connect it with an 

 extensive group, which must be regarded rather as a block of hills than a range. 

 This block of hills fills up the northwestern corner of the island, and has on 

 its eastern edge some elevations of over goo ft., while towards the west are 

 Mt. Washington, 807 ft., and a liill east of Frederiksted, 850 ft. 



