Estimate of Soil available for Cultivation. 99 



eludes ToF of the entire surface of the island: — the soil being 

 limestone, rich in alkalies, spungy, with clay-sand, and ex- 

 ceedingly fertile. 



II. On the other hand, the grass vegetation proper may be 

 set down at to^ of the surface : a barren, clay soil. 



III. The cocoa forest may be estimated at jio of the entire 

 area ; upon a fruitful soil of coral conglomerate, coral sand^ 

 and dried alluvium. 



IV. In like manner the screw-pine forests cover tw of 

 the entire insular surface, the soil marshy but well suited 

 for cultivation, with fresh-water bogs, and moist fresh-water 

 alluvium. 



V. Lastly, the mangrove forest in like manner may be 

 roughly estimated at yto- of the superficial area, and is a 

 swampy soil, unfitted for cultivation, consisting of salt-water 

 marshes, and alluvium, moistened by salt-water. 



The entire superficial area of the islands may be comjjuted 



at about 627 square miles. Reckoning only yV therefore of 



the surface as consisting of soil suitable for culture, which 



may undoubtedly be assumed as a fair approximation, we 



have a surface of 439 square miles capable of being made 



productive. But even the very ground now exclusively 



covered with grass, might be made productive with a more 



numerous population and a corresponding improvement in 



cultivation, so that these islands, now the abode of about 5000 



savages, could easily support in comfort a population of over 



100,000 industrious men. 



H 2 



