The Mountains of the West Indies. 85 
3,000 feet high, that has been ina6tive since the year 
1 8 12, at which time there was a terrific eruption. The 
lava poured down the side of the mountain in torrents, 
whilst vast quantities of rocks and ashes were hurled 
into the air. The latter were driven to a considerable 
distance, some falling in Barbados, distant nearly ioo 
miles to windward. The highest peak of the range rises 
to 4,800 feet. The scenery in the interior is bold and 
beautiful, but the land, for the most part, slopes away 
towards the shores. 
Grenada, with its dependencies the Grenadines, and 
Tobago, are the last of the small island chain. The 
great mountain chain seems to end in the former to 
reappear in Trinidad, the hills of Tobago appearing to 
have been detached peaks, if connected with the chain 
at all. They are simply formed of a mass of rocks 
rising abruptly from the sea. 
Barbados, one of the principal British colonies in the 
West Indies, lies away to the east of the other islands, 
and was, probably, never connected with the supposed 
mainland. The island is almost flat, and entirely of 
coral formation. It possesses, nevertheless, very diver- 
sified scenery, the picturesqueness of some of which is 
perfect. 
Trinidad is the next, and last island with which we 
have to do. The mountain chain we have supposed as 
traversing the tra6t of land subsequently broken into the 
West Indian Archipelago, reappears here, and forms 
itself into three distinct ranges of hills — hence the name 
Trinidad. From this island they appear to join them- 
selves to the chain which traverses the northern coast of 
Venezuela, curves south to avoid the lake of Maracaybo, 
