140 ST. HELENA 



Iron ore has been found in some parts of the island, but 

 any idea of its fusion is precluded by scarcity of fuel. As 

 shown in Governor Pike's time, appearances of gold and 

 copper were discovered and near Turk's Cap there are veins 

 of a stone which takes a most beautiful polish and which 

 will bear cutting for seals. 



The clays and earth of the interior are most interesting. 

 On the sides of the ravines in the eastern and southern part, 

 the infinite diversity of the tints of red, white, blue, purple 

 and grey which overspread the whole of this extraordinary 

 panorama are marvellous in their shading, and of such 

 brilliance when the sun is on them, that descriptions by 

 pen or even by brush is difficult. The strata of red soil 

 which is so often seen throughout the island contains a 

 large mixture of salt. A few hours' boiling separates the 

 latter from the red soil, and nitrations through these beds 

 will possibly account for some of the brackish springs to be 

 found ; yet not for all. One spring near Longwood con- 

 tains a considerable quantity of sulphate of magnesia, and 

 is noticed to be rather warmer than the surrounding atmo- 

 sphere ; this water operates as a carthartic, and is said to 

 resemble the Bristol Hotwells in taste. In 1887 a small 

 quantity of water, trickled over the rock on the side of Peak 

 Hill, so small a quantity that there was hardly a flow ; this 

 was so salt that it was not drinkable, whereas, now, in 1902, 

 flows over the same rock a little stream, hardly to be termed 

 brackish, and very pleasant to the taste. The stream has 

 developed to the extent of placing a drinking trough for 

 animals under its fall. Clear and wholesome springs issue 

 from the sides of almost every hill ; but as they have not 

 much volume, nor any length of current, they form only 

 small rills. The island is a mass of hills and valleys, and 

 from this circumstance visitors might expect to find a num- 

 ber of picturesque cascades, yet there are no waterfalls of 

 any magnitude. One stream projects itself from Francis 

 Plain 1,250 feet above the sea level into the valley of James- 

 town below, a height of 260 feet; but as a general thing 

 the stream is so thin that it becomes a shower of mist before 

 reaching the cavity below; still, after heavy rains it is 

 swollen to a torrent and descends in a continuous stream. 

 At such times, however, its effect and beauty are greatly 



