30 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



" The valley of Trinidad, the largest and deepest ravine 

 in the south side of the island, commences at the sandy 

 beach of Porto Praya, and runs S. S.W. and N.N.E., with 

 its upper extremity bent to the E.N.E. until it is lost 

 in sloping hills. It is generally covered Avith volcanic 

 fragments. 



" The central ridge of hills follows nearly the largest 

 diameter of the island from S.E. to N.W., but nearest to 

 the eastern coast, with sloping sides to the west, and having 

 many steep basaltic rocks, and well Avatered vallies or 

 ravines to the east. The peak of St. Antonio rises above 

 the other mountains in an oblique, conical, sharp-pointed 

 form, to the height of about 4500 feet. 



" The sea rocks round Porto Praya expose five strata to 

 view; 1st, or lowest, a conglomerat, passing into pumice tufa; 

 2d, jnimice ; 3d, a thin layer of porotts basalt ; 4th, columnar 

 basalt ; and 5th, or uppermost, a basalt-like substance, 

 which from its concentrical and globular forms, seems 

 to have been in a semifluid state. Farther inland, the 

 basaltic strata sometimes contain oliiin and augite, and more 

 rarely amphibole. About a league u[) the valley, on its 

 western border, are huge rocks, which cause a bending in 

 its direction, and which are composed of a deep red quartz, 

 with crystals of felt spur ; about two leagues up are found 



