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., Diana’s Peak 2697, and
High Peak 2635 feet above the sea level. The ridge itself, for
about fire 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 howl, 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 he 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 he 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