and could not be approached. They avoided us, like partridges
on a rainy day in September, running with their
heads cocked u p ; and if pursued, they readily took to the
wing.
The scenery of St. Domingo possesses a beauty totally
unexpected, from the prevalent gloomy character of the rest
of the island. The village is situated at the bottom of a
valley, bounded by lofty and jagged walls of stratified lava.
The black rocks aiford a most striking contrast with the
bright green vegetation, which follows the banks of a little
stream of clear water. It happened to be a grand feast-day,
and the village was full of people. On our return we overtook
a party of about twenty young black girls, dressed in
most excellent taste ; their black skins and snow-wdiite linen
being set off by their coloured turbans and large shawls. As
soon as w’e approached near, they suddenly all turned round,
and covering the path with their shawls, sung with great
energy a wild song, beating time with their hands upon their
legs. We threw’ them some vintems, which were received
with screams of laughter, and w’e left them redoubling the
noise of their song.
It has already been remarked, that the atmosphere is
generally very hazy; this appears chiefly due to an impalpable
dust, which is constantly falling, even on vessels far
out at sea. The dust is of a brown colour, and under the
blow’pipe easily fuses into a black enamel. It is produced,
as I believe, from the wear and tear of volcanic rocks,
and must come from the coast of Africa. One morning
the view was singularly clear; the distant mountains being
projected with the sharpest outline, on a heavy bank of
dark blue clouds. Judging from the appearance, and from
similar cases in England, I supposed that the air was saturated
with moisture. The fact, however, turned out quite
the contrary. The hygrometer gave a difference of 29.6
degrees, between the temperature of the air, and the point
at which dew was precipitated. This difference was nearly
double that w’hich I had observed on the previous mornings.
This unusual degree of atmospheric dryness W’as accompanied
by continual flashes of lightning. Is it not an uncommon
case, thus to find a remarkable degree of aerial transparency
with such a state of weather ?
The geology of this island is the most interesting part of
its natural history. On entering the harbour, a perfectly
horizontal white hand, in thefface of the sea cliff, may be seen
running for some miles along the coast, and at the height of
about forty-five feet above the water. Upon examination,
this white stratum is found to consist of calcareous matter,
with numerous shells embedded, such as now exist on the
neighbouring coast. It rests on ancient volcanic rocks, and has
been covered by a stream of basalt, which must have entered
the sea, w’hen the white shelly bed was lying at the bottom.
It is interesting to trace the changes, produced by the heat of
the overlying lava, on the friable mass. For a thickness of
several inches it is converted, in some parts, into a firm
stone, as hard as the best freestone; and the earthy matter,
originally mingled with the calcareous, has been separated into
little spots, thus leaving the limestone w’hite and pure. In
other parts a highly crystalline marble has been formed, and
so perfect are the crystals of carbonate of lime, that they can
easily be measured by the reflecting goniometer. The change
is even more extraordinary, where the lime has been caught
up by the scoriaceous fragments of the low’er surface of the
stream; for it is there converted into groups of beautifully
radiated fibres resembling arragonite. The beds of lava rise
in successive gently-sloping plains, towards the interior,
whence the deluges of melted stone originally proceeded.
Within historical times, no signs of volcanic activity have, I
believe, been manifested in any part of St. Jago. This state
of quiescence is, probably, owing to the neighbouring island
of Fogo being frequently in eruption. Even the form of a
crater can but rarely be discovered on the summits of any of
the red cindery h ills; yet the more recent streams can be distinguished
on the coast, forming a line of cliffs of loss height,
but stretching out in advance of those belonging to an older