BRITTON: FLORA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 23 



Our knowledge of the fungi of the islands is but fragmentary and it 

 is therefore deemed wise not to attempt an enumeration of them at 

 this time; a mycological survey would doubtless reveal the presence 

 of several hundred species. Dr. Howe has contributed a note on the 

 algological collections and researches of Mr. Borgesen. 



St. Thomas and St. Jan are two of the Virgin Islands, discovered 

 by Columbus in 1493, and were so called to commemorate the young 

 women who are fabled as having accompanied St. Ursula. 



The Virgin Island group is usually regarded as composed of the 

 following islands, proceeding from the west eastward, (i) Culebra, or 

 Snake Island (Porto Rican) ; (2) St. Thomas, or San Thome, and 

 (3) St. John or San Jan; (4) Tortola, (5) Virgin Gorda, and (6) Ana- 

 gada (British). Throughout this archipelago there are many islets 

 and keys, and the marine views from the hills are among the most 

 charming in America. If to the above mentioned larger islands we 

 add (7) Jost Van Dyck, the next largest, a British island near Tortola, 

 we have seven major Virgin Islands, eight if we include Vieques. 



Tortola (British) is separated from St. Jan by little over a 'mile 

 of water. The purchase from the Danish government thus brings 

 our frontier close to that of the British Empire at another point. 



Vieques, or Crab Island (Porto Rican), lies south of the axis of 

 the archipelago, and is perhaps not properly a member of the Virgin 

 Island group, although it is sometimes so considered. 



These islands were originally inhabited by Arawak and Carib 

 Indians. St. Thomas was colonized by the Dutch in 1657, passed to 

 the British about 1667, and to the Danes in 1671, who have since held 

 it, except for short occupations by the British. St. Jan was colonized 

 by the Danes in 1684, and their occupancy has since been continuous. 

 St. Croix, or Santa Cruz, was also discovered by Columbus in 1493 or 

 early in 1494, Colonized by both Dutch and English in 1625, passed 

 soon to the Spanish, and next to the French in 1651. The Danish 

 ownership dates from 1733. It is isolated in the sea, and not properly 

 of the Virgin Island group; in clear weather, it can be seen from the- 

 hills of Porto Rico and from those of St. Thomas and St. Jan. 



All three islands are oblong in shape, with the longer axes nearly 

 east and west, the coast lines irregular. The hills of St. Thomas 

 rise to about 1,500 feet; those of St. Jan are somewhat lower (about 

 1,260 feet), while the highest point on St. Croix (Mt. Eagle) is 1,164 

 feet. St. Croix is about 21 miles long, 6 miles wide, and has an area 

 of about 84 square miles, being thus about one seventh larger than 

 Staten Island, New York {^2^ square miles). St. Thomas is 13 miles 

 long, 4 miles wide, with an area, including its islets, of some 32 square 

 miles; St. Jan is 9 miles long, about 5 miles wide, with an area, in- 



