106 PORTO RICO 



lagoon. The former is a long valley extending east and west be- 

 tween the Cerro Gordo hills and the interior mountains, threaded 

 by the Rio Grande of Mayaguez. Continuous erosion in the 

 future would soon reduce this valley to sea-level and cut off from 

 Porto Rico as an island a long strip of country between the 

 River Susua and Rio Grande. This particular valley is given up 

 almost entirely to the extensive culture of Indian corn. 



South of this valley and separated from it by the Cerros is 

 the parting valley of the Laguna de Guanica, extending from 

 near Guaj^anilla to the port of Cabo Rojo. This is a narrow 

 east-and-west valley nearly at sea-level, lying between the Cerro 

 hills and the narrow rim of coast hills, the latter separating 

 it from the sea. The Laguna de Guanica occupies the east end 

 of thrs valley, and has outlet to the sea by a narrow passage cut 

 through the limestone hills. Parting valleys of a similar char- 

 acter are developed in many places around the remainder of the 

 island, although perhaps not quite so extensive in area. 



The following data will give an idea of the relief of the coast- 

 border topography : 



Altitudes of Points along the Southern Coast Border Region 



Feet 



Guayanilla, level of the plaza 2 36 



Guayanilla, highest level of the hill of modern limestone surmount- 

 ing the bay 2 278 



Garganta de la Torre (Pass of the Tower) route from Yauco to Sabana 



Grande" 2 616 



Limestone hills between Ponce and Guayanilla 2 331 



San German, house of Don Ramon 2 229 



Level of the modern shells to the north of the Hacienda de Del- 



gado, north of Cabo Rojo . , 98 



Cabo Rojo, casa de Cabaza 2 278 



Hacienda de Delgado, Cabo Rojo 2 46 



Sabana Grande 2 305 



Level of the superficial deposits of modern shells on the hill situ- 

 ated to the south of the hacienda 2 . , 314 



Mayaguez, level of the plaza 2 68 



Ponce, Hotel de Girl, in the heights of the city 2 75 



Ponce, Moreno Hotel 2 33 



Hacienda la Carlota (Guayama) 2 141 



Coamo-arriba plaza 2 413 



Hot spring of Coamo 2 190 



Coamo-abajo, hotel 2 29 



For references, see footnote on p. 97. 



There are several minor and exceptional features in the con- 

 figuration of Porto Rico which are more developed upon the 



