Dr. Skey on the Geology of Barhadoes. 241 



kss marked by organic remains than in the other districts. Sp. 

 No. 15, which, from its texture and the pearly kistre of its recent 

 fracture appears to be composed of shells and other organic remains 

 extremely comminuted, is from St. Joseph's pansh, which, al- 

 though not strictly a part of Scotland, has features in common 

 with it. Imbedded in this rock I found coarse flint, and a fine 

 grained ferruginous sandstone is in contact with it : this latter is 

 in nearly vertical strata, and is the only specimen of siliceous sand- 

 stone which I have met with in the island. The rocks near the 

 spot are frequently found impregnated with bitumen. 



The following peculiarities are observable in the district ; the 

 country is much more broken into hill and valley than any other 

 part of the island, it has few or no gullies, is watered by some 

 scanty streams, and has no traces of those successive stages which 

 give so peculiar a character to the opposite side of the island. Its 

 land boundary is in some places a very lofty cliff, and in every 

 part a ridge of pretty considerable elevation, having a precipitous 

 descent towards the north. 



In the parish of St. Andrew this descent is the site of a spring 

 upon whose surface floats the bitumen v/hich is to be met with 

 more or less in every part of the district, and is seen to exude 

 through the soil : near some small hollows which have been made to 

 collect this substance is a spring through whose muddy bottom 

 carbonated hydrogen bubbles and burns with a lambent flame 

 when a lighted taper is held above it. 



The soil here appeared to be more argillaceous than that of the 

 rest of the island, and indeed there is a pottery of coarse ware in 

 Scotland, which I believe is the only part which furnishes the 

 material for it.* 



* The nature of the soil in this district affects its productions, which are more those 

 of the mountainous islands than is the case generally in Barbadoes : the plantain flourishii 

 here and here only. 



Vol. III. 2 h 



