CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 29 



versed with Avere entirely ignorant of any tree affording dra- 

 gon's blood, though the Draccena draco is said to be found 

 in these islands, as well as Madeira and the Canaries. 



The deep valley of St. Domingo, on the east side of the 

 island, which we saw beneath us from the mountains, and 

 that of Ribeira on the south-west side, we were assured 

 are better watered, more fertile, and more extensively cul- 

 tivated than that of Trinidad." 



Dr. Smith remarks of the geological features of the island, 

 that " the Cape Verdes, like all the African Atlantic islands, 

 are of sub-marine volcanic origin, and mostly of the ba- 

 saltic formation. Few of them seem to have had super- 

 marine eruptions, and perhaps the cone of Fogo, which 

 rises above 7000 feet, and still smokes, is the only one. 

 The forms of the four high north-western islands, and of 

 Brava, as represented in the charts, lead to the belief that 

 they do not differ essentially in structure from the basaltic 

 mountains of St. Jago, and it is probable that Mayo is 

 similar to the inferior region of the latter island. 



" The south-east and south coasts of St. Jago are sur- 

 rounded by steep and often perpendicular rocky cliffs of a 

 few fathoms in height, from which the land rises towards 

 the mountains, in a generally Hat surface, with a few 

 hills covered by loose fragments and furrowed with ravines. 



