60 



ON THE TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY 



CHAPTER II. 



TOPOGRAPHY OF THE REGION NORTH OF THE MAIN CHAIN. 



Owing to the almost complete geological identity of all of the region lying north 

 of the central mountain chain, it is best to include all in a general description, 

 although one half is valley, the other half mountain. It is true that Samana is in 

 a manner isolated, both topogi'aphically and geologically; but the first is hardly 

 evident on the map, and the last ditference is only a repetition of another exception 

 in the mountains near Puerto Plata. 



The great northern valley — called, as a whole, the Cibao, from the range of 

 mountains adjoining it — is divided into two unequal portions, watered respectively 

 by the Yaqui and the Yuna rivers and their tributaries. The former portion, from 

 Santiago to the Monte Cristi, is usually known as the Valley of Santiago, or of the 

 Yaqui ; while the latter is always called the Yega, or the Yega Real — the Royal 

 Meadow — a name given to it by Columbus, and one well merited by its beauty and 

 fertility. This valley occupies a depression between the central or Cibao range on the 

 south, and another on the north, which has no distinctive name, but which might be 

 called, for convenience, the Monte Cristi range. Both extremities of it are low and 

 marshy. Large salt-water marshes and lagoons occur near the mouth of the Yaqui 

 River, and other mud flats, similar in every respect, border the mouth of the Yuna. 

 In the latter region, the same valley or depression is prolonged still further, existing 

 as Samana Bay, having the same trend, and nearly the same width, as the valley of 

 which it is the evident continuation. 



The valley j)roper, from the mouth of one river to the mouth of the other, has an 

 entire length of nearly one hundred and fifty miles, while its average width is about 

 a dozen miles. In no place is it less than ten, and in perhaps none is it over fifteen 

 miles wide. The highest point is near Santiago, from which it falls very gradually 

 towards either end. Between the towns of la Yega and Santiago, that is to say, 

 between the Yaqui and the northern branches of the Yuna, there is a low range of 

 hills, which nearly divides the valley into two parts. But these hills do not reach 

 entirely to the Monte Cristi 'i^ange, a narrow interval of land intervening, so that one 

 can travel on the plain from Santiago to Moca, and from Moca to la Yega, although 

 the road from Yega to Santiago is rolling throughout almost the entire distance. 

 This is of importance, since the question of railroad routes in this vicinity has been 

 much mooted lately ; and it is possible that the configuration of the land may have 

 an important bearing in this connection. 



