Volcanic islands. 
464 
catfi the influence of tlie volcanos of the "West India Islands* 
on the commotions felt on the coasts of Terra Pinna, it 
may be desirable, before we close this chapter, to take a 
cursory view of this Mediterranean archipelago. The vol- 
canic islands form one-fifth of that great arc extending 
from the coast of Paria to the peninsula of Florida. Fun- 
ning from south to north, they close the Caribbean Sea 
on the eastern side, while the greater West India Islands 
appear like the remains of a group of primitive mountains, 
the summit of which seems to have been between Cape 
Abacou, Point Morant, and the Copper Mountains, in that 
part where the islands of St. Domingo, Cuba, and Jamaica, 
are nearest to each other. Considering the basin of the 
Atlantic as an immense valley t which separates the two 
continents, and where, from 20° south to 130® north, the 
salient angles (Brazil and Senegambia) correspond to the 
receding angles (the gulf of Guinea and the Caribbean Sea), 
we are led to think that the latter sea owes its formation 
to the action of currents, which, like the current of rotation 
now existing, have flowed from east to west ; and have given 
* The following is the series of the phenomena : — 
27th of September, 1 790. Eruption in the West India Islands. 
(Volcano of Gnadaloupe). 
November. 1796. The volcano of Pasto began to emit smoke. 
1 4th of December, 179G. Destruction of Cuniana. 
4th of February, 1797. Destruction of Riobamba. 
30th of January, 1811. Appearance of Sabrina Island, in the Azores. 
The island enlarged very considerably on the 15th of June, 1811. 
May, 1811. Commencement of the earthquakes in the island of St. 
Vincent, which lasted till May 1812. 
16th of December, 1811. Commencement of the commotions in tlie 
valley of the Mississippi and the Ohio, which lasted till 1813. 
December, 1811. Earthquake at Caracas. 
26th of March, 1811. Destruction of Caracas. Earthquakes, wliicn 
continued till 1813. 
30th of April, 1811. Eruption of the volcano in St. Vincent; and 
the same day subterranean noises at Caracas, and on the banks of the 
Apure. 
+ The valley is narrowest (300 leagues) between Cape St. Roque and 
Sierra Leone. Proceeding toward the north along the coasts of the New 
Continent, from its pyramidal extremity, or the Straits of Magellan, we 
imagine we recognise the effect* of a repulsion directed first toward tho 
north-east, then toward the north-west, and finally again to the north- 
east. 
