302 Geology of St. Helena. 



we have journeyed with little rest and much expedition to this 

 quarter. Captain Franklin reached the Arctic Sea exactly six 

 months from the day he sailed from England, and I have been 

 nearly within sight of the Copper Mountains — a distance which 

 we attained on the former journey only in the third summer. 

 Having been so fortunate as to effect so much in one season, 

 and with our sea stores unimpaired, our prospects are flattering, 

 and we hope, in the course of next summer, to make the world 

 acquainted with a larger portion of the northern shores of this 

 continent than they at present know. We have travelled, 

 however, too quickly for the purposes of natural history; and 

 since we have entered the line of country we formerly travelled 

 through, I have not added more than fifty species of plants to 

 my last. Drummond (late of Forfar), who is in a more fertile 

 country, will, 1 hope, produce a pretty complete Flora of that 

 quarter. He is most zealous, and for two summers will direct 

 his attention solely to that end. Although this season has 

 been remarkably fine, and the fall unusually late, vegetation 

 ceased with us at the end of August, and we have still eight 

 months of winter to come. In the remaining two months of the 

 year all our collections must be made." — Mom. Chron. Oct. 9. 



GEOLOGY OF ST. HELENA. 



The following particulars on this subject, are extracted 

 from an Address to the Agricultural Society of St. Helena, 

 delivered by General Walker, the Governor, on the 13th of 

 February last. 



"All our knowledge of the geology of the island consists of 

 loose, indefinite, and casual observations. The remains of 

 fossil bones, of madrepores, of gravel mixed with lava, of 

 shells and calcareous strata, with siliceous rocks, present the 

 most interesting, and, at the same time, the most dissimilar 

 appearances. There are perhaps no primitive formations. A 

 description of the geology of St. Helena, accompanied by a 

 geological chart, would be highly useful and valuable. 



" The soil, rocks, and plants must be deeply interesting to 

 the chemist and the man of science; he may contrast the 

 black and unproductive lava, with meadows covered with 

 grass : he may see the singular and interesting spectacle of the 

 layers or strata of different masses along the coast. In the 

 interior he may observe the appearance of caverns and grot- 

 toes which suggest the volcanic origin of their formation ; 

 they disclose the contention which prevailed at their birth, and 

 indicate the terrible blaze which attended probably the pro- 

 duction of this island. This suggests a question of importance. 

 Are we to view the island as originally thrown up by fire, or as 



a por- 



