Volcanic Upheaval — I he " Ckft-s. 103 



dark shadows rising on the rocky walls indicate the deep 

 crater-like basin of the Curral, and the gulfs of the Metade 

 river, and the Ribeiro Frio. It would seem as if the whole 

 island has, in a series of fearful convulsions, burst from a single 

 central point in all directions ; as if entire mountains had sunk 

 into the deep, or had, by the action of torrents permeating 

 their crevices, been converted into rubble, and carried as 

 sand and fragments into the ocean. 



The summits of the Torres andTorrinhas are nothing but bar- 

 ren naked rocks, — not a blade of grass, not a shrub, not a trace 

 of vegetation is to be seen. At the highest points, strata nearly 

 horizontal extend in remarkably regular layers, chiefly distin- 

 guished by the most manifold variety of colours and tints.* 

 A dark grey schistus of volcanic ashes alternates with strongly- 

 marked red, yellow, and violet layers of tufa, dross, and 

 scoriae, together with brown and grey conglomerates. Just as 

 red predominates on the upper part of these Torres, green 

 prevails on the lower. From the spot where the springs first 

 issue out of the crevices of the basalt, everything seems 

 covered with a dense green carpet. These are the cele- 

 brated "clefts" of Madeira, in which, even on rocks of 1000 

 feet high, not an inch is to be discovered bare ; they afford 

 a rich harvest to the botanist, whilst they fill the spectator 

 with delight and admiration. 



Generally speaking, the scenery of Madeira does not owe 



* The celebrated American geologist, Mr. Dana, mentions that tliese wild con- 

 torted masses of mountain reminded him of the crater-walls of the lulauea at 

 the Sandwich Islands. 



