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which cover the whole country like an irregular 

 fine network, the pine predominates, imparting to 

 the landscape that homely northern character which 

 affords so cheering a view to the northern traveller 

 after passing through the sultry and luxuriant 

 regions of the tropics. In the valleys, on the 

 other hand, the burning south holds sway, covering 

 the earth with a rich vegetation of rice, cotton, 

 yams, and sweet-potatoes. Hundreds of footpaths 

 and little ravines lead to charming transitions 

 between pine and cotton, hill and dale ; every- 

 where is a gay assemblage of laurels, myrtles, 

 cypresses, and, above all, shining camelias. 



The land is of volcanic origin, and the entire sur- 

 face belongs to the tafa and the diluvium formation. 

 The soil on the hills consists of an extremely fine, 

 yet not over-fat, brown clay ; whereas that of the 

 valleys is, throughout the country, with some 

 trifling modifications, of a black, loose, and deep 

 garden-mould, which, upon trial in different places, 

 I found extended to a depth of 12 to 15 feet, being 

 throughout of the same quality, though somewhat 

 more compact in the deeper layers. An imperme- 

 able stratum of clay probably underlies this arable 

 crust. As the clay strata of the mountains, in 

 consequence of the frequent and copious falls of 

 rain, give rise to numberless springs which are 

 everywhere at hand, and may thus easily, and 

 without any great skill, be turned to account for 



