Geology of St. Croix. 67 



The most striking feature of the mountains of the clay forma- 

 tion, is their high state of cultivation, even when they are so 

 steep that they cannot be ascended except in mule paths, which 

 wind up their sides in zigzag lines. All bear the marks of great 

 violence in their elevation. The strata were much broken by the 

 unequal application of the uplifting forces, and formed into many 

 distinct and grotesque summits ; some of which, however, have 

 since been rounded by the hand of time. Nothing can exceed 

 the beauty of these mountains and the intervening valleys, when 

 covered by a luxuriant growth of the sugar-cane, interspersed 

 with plantations and orange groves, and seen from a summit, 

 which, at the same time, commands a view of several vistas to 

 the ocean. Some of the mountains, however, are too precipitous 

 for cultivation, and the rocks are too hard to be readily broken 

 down intp an arable soil. Such is ixiost of the eastern section of 

 the group on the north, and the extreme portion of the south- 

 eastern range. In favorable seasons, the cultivated tracts yield 

 good crops of cane, but they are peculiarly susceptible to the 

 drought. 



As a mass, this formation is distinctly stratified. The strata 

 vary in thickness from six inches to three feet ; and, in many pla- 

 ces, are exceedingly regular and well defined. A good section of 

 this description may be seen on the coast, below the Momit Wash- 

 ington estate. In others, they are schistose,, and much contorted, 

 as near Punch, in ascending from Little La Grange, and at a 

 quarry contiguous to Jolly Hill garden. In some cases, no strati- 

 fication is visible — the whole mass breaking up into small angu- 

 lar fragments, or being consolidated into columnar blocks, with a 

 structure and cleavage resembling trap. Localities, however, of 

 the last description, are not common ; and the angular fragments 

 of the other beds are generally soft and easily decomposed. 



The strata are highly inclined. The lowest angle I observed 

 was near Capt. Sempill's house, at Butler's Bay, which was about 

 45°. The inclination varies in different places, from this to 90°. 

 It is generally from 70° to 80°. The direction of the dip is 

 pretty uniform, and is nearly north. The composition and gene- 

 ral aspect of the strata in different localities, and even in juxta- 

 position, are often various. In some cases, they are decidedly 

 aluminous ; in others, silex predominates. They also vary much 

 in hardness, the more aluminous being generally soft and inclined 



