W. M. Qo.hh on the Qeohgy of Santa Domingo. 



Although tlie geological survey of the Eepublic of Santa 

 Domingo has now been in progress about two years, nothing 

 has been made public of our results, and I had not intended to 

 publish anything until its completion. But circumstances now 

 transpiring render it advisable that I should put on record at 

 least a sketch of the principal conclusions arrived at. 



The Eepublic is of a very irregular triangular shape, nearly 

 twice as long east and west as from north' to south. The total 

 area is about 20,000 square miles. Eunning nearly through the 

 middle, with a direction a little south of east, is a high chain 

 of mountains, some peaks reaching a height of 9,000 feet. 

 This range falls to the eastward, forming ultimately a chain of 

 hills which runs parallel with the southern border of Samana 

 bay. In some places it is hardly ten miles wide, in others (near 

 the middle) it reaches a width of nearly forty miles, includmg 

 its greater spurs. South of this range, bordering the coast, is a 

 tract, partly of rolling hills, partly of plains, which, especially 

 in the large peninsula at the eastern end, constituting the 

 Province of Saybo, are broad grassy prairies, cut up by hnes ot 

 trees, filling depressions and bordering water courses. 



Parallel with this great range and bordering the north coast 

 is another mountain chain, neither so broad nor so high as the 

 first. This extends from Manzanilla bay, almost on the Haytien 

 frontier, to the extreme end of Samana peninsula. It is cu^ 

 through, near the head of Samana bay, by a narrow bel o 

 marsh land, through which runs a salt water creek, thereby 

 making Samana really, an island. This range has a few peat^^ 

 risuag to 2,500 or 3,000 feet and is nowhere much over reu 

 miles wide. Between the two mountain chains lies a long vaue 

 having an average width of ten or fifteen miles, in some plac^^ 

 much wider, in others, encroached on by the foot-hiUs oi . 

 mountains on its south. The valley is divided near its m]^^ 

 by a water-shed, but 500 feet above the sea. The Yaqui anu 

 Yuna rivers, rising in the higher hills south, run t^rouglitm^ 

 valley, the former emptying into Manzanilla bay on the - . 

 the latter into Samana bay on the east. On the south £ 

 the island : ^ ^^ ■ ^ - -- ^..^ the 



mountain southward. The principal of these are the m^x^ 



Ozama, Jaina, Nigua, Nizao, Ocoa and Neyba, the lasx ^ 



^led the Yaqui of the south, rising in the same peai^ 



em namesate. ^ Viaracter- 



g thus described the leading topographical ^"^^ ^^^ 



concisely as possible, we can more easuy v 



