42 BULLETIN 15 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



variety of sedimentary rocks, including coral beds in the vicinity of 

 Loma de Rio Grande south of Constanza. 



The route across the Cordillera Central leading from Santo 

 Domingo City by way of the carretera Duarte through the town of 

 Bonao terminates at La Vega. Bonao, a town of 1,000 inhabitants, 

 is the largest settlement between Santo Domingo and La Vega. It 

 is situated in an alluvial flat bordering the Rio Yuna, which is in 

 that vicinity only from 1 to 2 meters deep. Cacao, tobacco, coffee, 

 kidney beans, plantains, and other fruits are grown in the valley. 

 The divide of the Cordillera Central is crossed by the highway at 

 an altitude of 430 meters between Sabana Grande and Bonao. 



The carretera Duarte is a well-improved automobile highway and 

 even from the seat of a speeding automobile one obtains a view of the 

 surrounding countryside remarkable for its native and undeveloped 

 beauty. La Vega is reached all too soon and the scurrying about 

 for a light car to take one on the first lap of the journey into the 

 Jieart of the Cordillera has its beginning. 



The goal of the journey, the valley of Constanza, is well known 

 to naturalists from the days of Humboldt, Schomburgk, and Gabb. 

 In recent years Abbott, Wetmore, Ekman, and others, including 

 Wythe Cook of the survey party conducting a geological reconnais- 

 sance of the Dominican Republic, have carried on investigations in 

 their respective fields along the Constanza trail. 



One branch of this trail starts at Santiago de los Caballeros and 

 passes southv/ard along the east side of the Rio Yaque del Norte to 

 the town of Baitoa. Later the Santiago trail is united with the La 

 Vega branch of the Constanza trail, which is passable for light 

 automobiles and trucks as far as Jarabacoa. Much work remains to 

 be done in the way of bridge building and grading. The Rio Yami 

 must be forded, as must also the Rio Jimenoa, before the immediate 

 goal, the town of Jarabacoa, is reached, where the automobile is 

 discarded for pack saddle and mule train. 



Before reaching Jarabacoa, from the summit of Loma de Joa 

 one can look northward across the wide valleys of Rio Yaque far 

 to the north, vistas of the Cibao Valley and the Monte Cristi Range 

 looming up beyond it. The south side of Loma de Joa is covered 

 with an open pine forest, which gives way, near the base, to plant 

 types more characteristic of the Tropics, such as the royal palm, 

 guava, and wild orange. In the lower, damp places the rose apple 

 {po77iarrosa) flourishes in great luxuriance. Between Loma de Joa 

 and Rio Jimenoa there are low hills and several small streams. 



Jarabacoa, a compact little town of perhaps 1,000 inhabitants, 

 is built on a terrace on the left bank of Rio Yaque del Norte at an 

 altitude of about 480 meters above sea level. A well-defined higher 



