THE ISLAND OF SANTO DOMINGO 249 



the Haitian negroes call it the Etang Sale\ This basin, 

 formerly an oceanic inlet, is said to be still inhabited by 

 sharks, porpoises, and even crocodiles. It has an area of 

 one hundred and seventy square miles and is very deep. 

 After heavy rains it occasionally forms a continuous sheel 

 of water with another lake, called ETunda, which extends 

 northwesl toward Port-au-Prince Bay. The united lake 

 lias a total length of sixty miles, with an average breadth 

 of nine or ten, and Ls larger than the Lake of Gteneva. 

 Farther south in the mountains of Tiburon peninsula is the 

 fresh-water lake, Icotea de Limon. 



In general, the geology of the island is similar to thai 

 of Cuba and Jamaica, more especially the eastern ends, 

 being composed of four principal formations: the older 

 mountain rocks, of Cretaceous and Tertiary age, mad.- up 

 of igneous rocks and days, mantled by gravels and crystal- 

 line limestone ; the white limestones <f Tertiary age ; recent 

 alluvial formations; and the coast limestone of elevated 

 rock. No recent volcanic rocks are known. The 



geology and minerals of Santo Domingo have 1 n the 



subject of special reports by many writers, including three 

 American geologists, Messrs. Blake, Gabl>, and Marvin. 



Coal is reported in considerable quantities in the vicinity 

 of Samana Bav and elsewhere, hut on examination it has 

 proved to be lignite, of little value for fuel. Silver, plati- 

 num, manganese, tin, antimony, marble, opal, and chal- 

 cedony are among the exploited minerals. 



The climate of Santo Domingo is more diversified than 

 thai of any of the other Antilles, presenting wide extremes 

 of moisture, aridity, and temperature. The heat a1 Port-au- 

 Prince, al the western end of the island, owing to it- shel- 

 tered situation, is probably greater than al any other 

 seaporl in the Wesl Indies, reaching 94 to 96 everyday 

 between April and I October. The nights are on an average 

 1<> to 20 cooler than the days, bo thai they seem cool 

 and refreshing in comparison. This is in the so-called 

 rainy Beason, the rain- falling, as a rule, late in the after- 



