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Dr. Tempest Anderson and Dr. J. S. Flett. 



Dominica — and other officials connected with the Colonial Office — we 

 are especially indebted for information, advice, and assistance. Dr. 

 Morris, C.M.G., of the Imperial Department of Agriculture for the 

 West Indies, and the members of this department in the various 

 islands, received us with the greatest kindness, and gave us invaluable 

 help throughout. The many planters and overseers of estates, medical 

 men, and merchants to whom we made application for information or 

 for assistance, received us with that courtesy and hospitality which 

 is characteristic of the Colony, and did everything in their power to 

 forward our work in every way. In Martinique, the Governor of 

 the island gave us every facility for conducting our scientific investi- 

 gations. In this brief preliminary report it is impossible for us to 

 mention by name even a small proportion of those who, often at con- 

 siderable inconvenience to themselves, lightened our labours by their 

 kind provision and forethought. In every place we visited we found 

 friends who were willing to direct, assist, and accompany us ; and 

 without their help it would often have been impossible for us to make 

 satisfactory arrangements or to accomplish our work. In this way 

 what might have been a very arduous undertaking was greatly 

 lightened, and we wish to place on record our deep indebtedness to 

 our many kind friends in the Windward and Leeward Islands. 



The island of St. Vincent is of oval form, 18 miles by 11 miles, 

 the longer diameter being nearly north and south. A mountain 

 chain stretches along the main axis of the island and reaches to a 

 height of 2000 to 4000 feet — the highest point being just over 4000. 

 It is entirely composed of volcanic materials, the beds of lava and 

 tuff dipping away in all directions from the central mass towards the 

 sea. In the southern part of the island, volcanic action has long been 

 extinct or dormant, but at the northern end stands the still active 

 Soufriere — a striking volcanic cone 4048 feet in height, with a crater 

 nearly circular in form, and about 1 mile in diameter. Along the 

 leeward side of the island very fine sections are exposed, and these 

 show it to consist of volcanic rocks of which by far the commonest is a 

 coarse andesitic agglomerate or tuff, though there are many lava 

 streams which may be traced as vertical cliffs along the vallej" sides 

 alternating with the gentler slopes, due to the thick beds of ash. The 

 scenery is bold and picturesque, the heavy tropical rains acting on 

 steep slopes having effected rapid and intense erosion. As a conse- 

 quence, deep valleys radiate out from the central ridge, separated by 

 high narrow spurs running down to the sea. On the windward side 

 below the level of 700 feet above the sea there are considerable 

 stretches of flat or gently sloping ground, on which stand many of 

 the mos: important arrowroot and sugar estates. The first glance 

 at these lower grounds suffices to show that they are very distinct in 

 configuration from the highly eroded and deeply sculptured uplands,, 



