CEDEOS. 321 



beautifully and yields large crops ; for the last few years many 

 acres have been brought under cultivation, and the number 

 of trees may be calculated at some fifty thousand. The whole of 

 Icaeos might also form an excellent sheep-run, or can be con- 

 verted into a hato ; or stock farm, though still continued as a 

 coco-walk. The breeding of swine would, I imagine, be very 

 profitable. Icaeos is obliquely traversed from E.S.E. to W.N.W. 

 by several lagoons, which would supply water for the animals at 

 graze ; these lagoons might also be partially drained, and turned 

 into meadow lands ; one of them — the largest — opens into the 

 sea to the leeward of Los Gallos, and is known by the name of 

 the Los Gallos lagoon; the others discharge their superfluous 

 waters in the Bay of Quemada. A natural savanna stretches 

 between two of these lagoons. 



On the PEnvieuse estate there is a pitch or petroleum cone ; 

 and I have observed in the pasture several blocks of sandstone 

 protruding in several places. On the Columbia estate are to be 

 seen the mud volcanoes or salses which I have already mentioned. 

 They are on an elevated spot, in all probability raised gradually 

 by the agency of the self-same volcanoes. The area is limited, 

 and within it, here and there, small conical mounds are formed, 

 from the centre of which oozes or bubbles forth a greyish mud ; 

 it is quite salt, and spreads around in a thin layer, which is 

 traversed in all directions by irregular cracks. It is said that 

 there are, at certain periods, regular eruptions of this mud ; but 

 I could not see any symptoms of this ; the ground bordering the 

 base of the mounds can be trodden with perfect safety. 



The ward of Cedros is nearly all private property ; the cane, 

 coco-nut trees, and provisions are the only cultivations. There 

 is no river in this ward ; but fresh water can be easily procured 

 by the sinking of wells, even to the high- water mark. Besides 

 the lagoons at Icaeos, several others of diminutive dimensions 

 are met with at different places, some of which might be drained, 

 and the salubrity of the district thereby improved. I should 

 mention the shallow marsh to the eastward of Saint Mary estate. 

 The sea is shallow all along the coast, except round Point Icaeos, 

 where the water is sufficiently bold to afford anchorage to large 

 vessels within hail of the shore. This, however, does by no 

 means render it a safe harbourage, owing to the existence of 

 very strong currents. A heavy surf breaks along, from Point 

 v 



