48 
ST. HELENA. 
crater, as is thus described, of enormous dimensions, forming that 
side of the Island called Sandy Bay. The southern edge of this 
crater, being that exposed to an ever prevailing south-easterly trade 
wind, is broken away below the level of the sea, and the crater itself 
which measures four miles across, thus exceeding in size the 
remarkable La Caldera of the Island of Palma, is covered by the 
sea to the extent of about two-fifths of its full size. The remaining 
three-fifths stand above the sea, resembling the larger part of a 
broken bowl, its edge rising to an elevation varying from 2000 to 
2697 feet, and forming the central ridge or backbone of the Island 
known as “Sandy Bay Ridge.” On this ridge are situated the 
highest mountain peaks in the Island, viz., Dianas Peak 269/, and 
High Peak 2635 feet above the sea level. The ridge itself, for 
about five or six miles along its central portion, is tolerably 
horizontal, but slopes at its eastern and western extremities towards 
the sea, meeting it at its terminations in steep precipices. On its 
south side the fall into the crater is very nearly perpendicular for 
some six or seven hundred feet down, where, amongst the 
vegetable soil and indigenous plants now clothing the upper portion, 
are still easily traced thick lava strata running in a horizontal 
direction around the side of the bowl, assuming here and there the 
appearance of gigantic steps, and dipping northwards at an angle of 
about 6° to 8°. 
This ridge, or crater edge as we shall now call it, is covered with 
a layer of rich vegetable soil, under which can be traced felspathic 
lavas in all stages of decomposition. First comes, as seen above 
Swampy Gut, the damp red, yellow, or bluish white clay ; a little 
deeper the semi-decomposed lava ; and finally, at a depth where the 
influence of atmospheric moisture has failed to penetrate, we find the 
compact hard lava in its natural cool state. Many lumps of these 
decomposing lavas have become detached and slid away down into the 
crater ; above Sandy Bay School large masses of basalt are to be 
seen embedded in the soil, which have evidently rolled down from 
some lava strata, now itself quite passed away into surface soil. 
Amongst the grass below Rose Cottage also may be seen cropping up 
large masses of basalt, which have there found resting-places in their 
descent, while many more, some of a deep reddish tint, lodge in the 
neighbourhood of Bay House and Cole’s Rock. Some of them are 
huge in size and angular in shape, while they vary in composition 
