SITTEE RIVER. 31 



here and there a bold conglomerate, or millstone grit. The 

 indurated shale, mentioned above, sometimes occurred in vertical 

 beds, which, running across the river, formed either jutting 

 masses, or rugged, shallow bottoms, giving rise to rapids and falls. 

 When horizontal, these rocks formed huge ledges reaching far 

 out into the river, with caves underneath. 



Beyond Hell Gates, the Sittee Kiver has been but little 

 explored. The left branch, rising among the Cockscomb Moun- 

 tains, passes through a succession of hills and broken country, 

 well timbered with Santa Maria and Yemeri, and being some 

 2,000 feet to 3,000 feet high, will no doubt in the future afford 

 excellent coffee lands. For the present, at least, there are 

 abundant stretches of rich country below Hell Gates which can 

 be opened and established at a comparatively small cost. 



On our return to Kegalia, we wished good-bye to our valued 

 friend and host, Mr. Eoss, and sailed from All Pines for the 

 south. Stann Creek, just below, has another settlement, lately 

 established for the cultivation of bananas and coco-nuts. The 

 coast all the way down, from All Pines to South Stann Creek, 

 Jonathan Point, False Bay, Placentia Point, and on to Monkey 

 River, is low, and fringed with dense mangrove swamps, with 

 here and there, on banks and ridges, a few villages or settle- 

 ments with patches of coco-nuts and small cultivations. At 

 Point Jonathan a good coco-nut plantation has been established 

 by Mr. Downer, which is now coming into bearing. 



The settlements along the coast, inhabited by Creoles, Caribs, 

 or Spaniards, are generally surrounded, by patches of bananas, 

 plantains, and coco-nuts; with cassava, sugar-cane, sweet potato, 

 rice and wangle, to supply their daily wants. 



The settlement at the mouth of the Monkey River may be 

 taken as a typical one for the southern districts, and although 

 composed of the three races mentioned above, viz., Creole, Carib, 



D 2 



