24 S Geology — Si. Helena, 



appointment to the government of this island, not fruitful in pro- 

 visions either for man or his domestic animals, has taught its in- 

 habitants how to supply the wants of the latter most abundantly, 

 by the introduction of this valuable grass, of which he has lately 

 sent home, to be transmitted to me, some magnificent specimens 

 raised by himself in this new field. 



The emperor Diocletian, a mighty conqueror also, after wield- 

 ing his sceptre a long time over nearly the same territory with 

 the emperor Bonaparte, found content and amusement in the 

 culture of his cabbages. 



Let then his successor take cordially to the culture of the ve- 

 getable he finds just established in St. Helena, and he will pass 

 the remainder of his time smoothly, showing the world, quite 

 contrary to their expectations, that he will end his days in 

 peaceful amusement, and that 



" Fiiiem ariimre que res humanas niisciiit olim 

 Non gladii nan saxa dabunt noii tela." 



I shall now return to the natural history of this curious little 

 island, and shall endeavour to trace the exact similitude in ori- 

 ginal construction between our own basaltic district and this 

 remote spot. 



The first and most striking point of resemblance seems to be 

 in the accurate stratification of both countries, and the sameness 

 of the arrangement of the same materials in each. 



Our author, in his preface, tells us of the " horizontal beds of 

 basaltes;" and in his 52d page, ''stratified appearances of the 

 declivities of the hills, consisting of layers which rise one above 

 another." 



" All the matters of which the island is composed are placed 

 in beds, various in their depth, colour, and texture." 



" On the steeper declivities, the projecting ends of the strata 

 resemble flights of steps rising above one another." 



Could I have given a more accurate description of ths arrange- 

 ment of the strata, so beautifully displayed, in both the perpen- 

 dicular and steep precipices lining so much of our northern 

 coast ? 



Our author talks of the terraced form of St. Helena. — Ter- 

 races are common with us. — The island of Rathlin is a mass of 

 terraces; this form arises from original stratified construction, 

 and posterior removals. 



The leading, and I believe the sole material in each, is ba- 

 saltes ; a fossil upon which Nature seems to have impressed a 

 peculiar character, wherever she has been pleased (as often) to 

 form a distinct area of this curious stone. 



Our author tells us : " the rock which forms the principal 



strata 



