BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 

 Vol, 2, pp. 75-84. January 27, i89i. 



THE PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS OF THE ISLAND OF NAVASSA. 



BY EDWARD V. d'iNVILLIERS. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



The Phy.siography of the Island 75 



Geographic Position 75 



Configuration 76 



Geology 77 



Climate and Vegetation...,-- 78 



Character, Variety and Methods of Occurrence of the Phosphates 79 



Principal Varieties 79 



Systemic Character 79 



Method of Occurrence 80 



Chemical Character of the Phosphates 81 



Composition _. 81 



Moisture . 82 



Area and Tonnage of the Phosphate Deposits 83 



Mining and Transportation Facilities 83 



The Physiography of the Island. 



Geographic Position. — The island of Navassa is situated in latitude 18° 

 25' north and longitude 75° b' west of Greenwich, in the Windward Passage 

 channel, between the islands of Hayti on the east and Jamaica on the west, 

 and about 1,300 miles from New York. Its discovery is generally credited 

 to Captain E. K. Cooper, a Baltimore sea captain, who, at least, in 1857, 

 placed it under the protection of the United States flag. 



The extreme length of the island, between its northwestern and eastern 

 points, is 2\ miles (11,700 feet), and its greatest width is If miles (7,250 

 feet). The island is shaped something like a pear, with the stem to the west- 

 ward. 



The small sketch map forming figure 1, drawn from surveys in 1803 by 

 Captain R. Owen, of the English service, and printed in 1856 by the French 

 Marine department, shows with sufficient accuracy the varying outline and 

 indentations of the shore line. It is the only chart showing the soundings 

 and the approximate location of the surrounding reef that could be obtained. 



XII— Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., Vol. 2, 1890. C^^) 



