Geological and Orological Notes. 241 



Here as well as in St. Eustatius there is but little dell formation ; 

 very narrow dells, so called „guts" extend in all directions from 

 the mountain top towards the sea. So there are two issuing 

 from the Bottom viz. Laddergut and Forthbaygut. Hellsgategut 

 is one of the most characteristic and especially at the seashore 

 wider than the others; all ravines abound in big stones. 

 Except near Flat Point and the immediate vicinity there is every 

 where a steep coast in front of which are found bowlder stones 

 to a height of 2 m. 



The Mountain Peak and neighbouring tops are covered with a thick 

 bed of humus; going downward it is getting gradually thinner 

 and on the proper arable land on the steep slopes it must be 

 heaped up in many places, whereas in more favorable places the 

 immense quantity of stones must be removed. In the neighbour- 

 hood of the sulphurmines the soil consists of very fine tuff. 



St. Martin. 



The isle of St. Martin extends from 18° to 18° 7' 20" N. and from 

 6.3° r 20" to 63° W. The greatest distance in the direction N. 

 to S. is 13.-5 km. and from W. to E. 15 km. The surface (the 

 large lagoons not included) is about 90 D km. 

 Te form of St. Martin is chiefly commanded by a number of 

 ridges that extend in the direction from N. to S. ; the eastern 

 ridge is running pretty near the shore from Oysterpond to Point 

 Blanche (Nackedboyhill 280 ra.). 



A valley 2.5 km. wide separates this ridge from the other 

 mountainous land of the Island. This mass of hills reaches in 

 Mount Paradis (412 m.) its highest point and in all directions 

 extend ridges of which Mont Chambord, Mont Vernon and Mill- 

 drumhill (880 m.) end veiy near the seashore in the nortwestern 

 part of the Island; separated from it by a cross valley there is 

 somewhat lower hilly country in the northern part of St. Martin. 

 Two ridges extend from Mount Paradis to the District Colombier, 

 whereas the two largest ranges separate Cul de Sac from the 

 large plain and Colebay District. The ridge of hills between Cul 

 de Sac and the plain ends in Fort Willem and Fort Amsterdam : 

 the highest tops are 250 m. above the sea level. The largest 

 ridge of hills east of Cul de Sac rises in Centryhill to 408 m. 

 Of great importance in the structure of St. Martin is a sedimen- 

 • tary formation, visible to the naked eye (Pointe Blanche for- 



