i 8 1 r.] GEOLOGY OF THE WEST INDIES. 139 



the climate, and partly to the same cause which pro- 

 duced the great confusion in which they arc now found, 

 particularly, if that cause raised them from the bottom of 

 the ocean, and exposed them to the influence of a perpe- 

 tual sun. But this, like every cause which we cannot 

 discover, must remain only problematical; for nature has 

 so many modes of operating, and we are as yet acquainted 

 with so small a number of them, that our speculations, 

 beyond what we actually know, can at the best but reach 

 to probable conjecture. 



The Grenadines, This group of islands is the com- 

 mencement of the second or western range; we sailed 

 through them without stopping, so that their geological 

 character must be taken from their general appearance, 

 which was completely volcanic, having rocks rising per- 

 pendicularly out of the ocean, one of which is called, from 

 its form, the organ rock, being composed of columns of 

 basalt. The rocks are in general rugged, and so deranged 

 that their volcanic character could not be mistaken, 



St, Vincent^ like all the other volcanic islands, is com- 

 posed of a mixture of lava and cinders, in all proportions. 

 South of Kingston there appears to be more sohd and 

 porous lava, and less cinders, than at the north. The 

 Bay of Kingston has the appearance of being the remains 

 of an ancient crater, the beds of lava inclining irregularly 

 from the centre, at a considerable dip, as if they had been 

 ejected from it. On every side, the rocks are agregates 

 of various kinds of roasted stones, cemented with cinders, 

 and small atoms of scoria; and though many of the rolled 

 rocks neither bear strong marks of fusion, nor resemble 

 much recent lavas, yet they all have a family feature, and 

 must be considered of volcanic origin. A substance like 



