Geology of St. Croiz. 67 
The most striking feature of the mountains of the clay forma- 
tion, is their high state of cultivation, even when they are. so 
steep that they cannot be ascended except in mule paths, which 
wind up their sides in zigzag lines. All bear the marks of great 
violence in their elevation. The strata were much broken by the 
unequal application of the uplifting forces, and formed into many 
distinct and grotesque summits; some of which, however, have 
since been rounded by the hand of time. Nothing can exceed 
the beauty of these mountains and the intervening valleys, when 
covered by a luxuriant growth of the stigar-cane, interspersed 
with plantations and orange groves, and seen from a summit, 
which, at the same time, commands a view of several vistas to 
the ocean. Some of the mountains, however, are too precipitous 
for cultivation, and the rocks are too hard to be readily broken 
down into an arable soil. Such is most of the eastern section of 
the group on the north, and the extreme portion of the south- 
eastern range. Jn favorable seasons, the cultivated tracts yield 
good crops of cane, but they are peoudianly. susceptible to the 
drought. 
As a mass, this formation is ditinaily stratified. The strata 
vary in thickness from six inches to three feet; and, in many pla- — 
ces, are exceedingly regular and well defined. A good section of 
this description may be seen on the coast, below the Mount Wash- 
ington estate. In others, they are schistose, and much contorted, 
as near Punch, in ascending from Little La Grange, and at a 
quarry contiguous to Jolly Hill garden. In some cases, no strati- 
fication is visible—the whole mass breaking up into small angu- 
lar fragments, or being consolidated into columnar blocks, with a 
structure and cleavage resembling trap. Localities, however, of 
‘The strata are highly imeaiade: The lowest angle I Season] 
was hear Capt. Sempill’s house, at Butler’s Bay, which was about 
45°. The inclination varies in different places, from this to 90°. 
It is generally from 70° to 80°. The direction of the: dip is 
pretty uniform, and is nearly north. The composition and gene- 
ral aspect of the strata in different localities, and even in juxta- 
position, are often various. In some cases, they are decidedly 
aluminous; in others, silex predominates. ‘They also vary much 
in hardness, the more aluminous being generally soft and inclined 
