Coanabo had his retreat. The mean altitude of this
long ridge, the backbone of the island, is over 6000
feet, and the central peaks, Jicoma, Gallo, and
Entre Rios, rise to a height of 9000 feet. Isolated
from the main ridge on its southern side are the
great Pico de Yaqui, or Rucillo (gray), and Loma
Tina, which have never been explored and are believed
to be more than 10,000 feet high. For the
most part this great mountain range is covered with
dense forests whose depths have hardly been penetrated
since the aborigines disappeared.
There is another mountain range near the northern
coast, taking its name from that Monte Cristi upon
which Columbus looked with so much awe that he
gave it that imposing name. This flat height itself
springs sheer from the sea to about eight hundred
feet, and from that level the range rises eastward to
Sella de Caballo (“ Horse S ad d le ” ), 3900 feet, and
again after a depression to Campo Diego, 4000 feet,
and then it falls away into variegated uplands stretching
to the peninsula of Samana. In that peninsula,
almost severed from the island as it is, this northern
mountain system terminates in the abrupt elevations
of Monte Diablo and Pilon de A zu ca r (‘ ‘ Sugar
Loaf ” ), which are about 2000 feet high.
There is also a southern mountain system, but it
is wholly west of the Bay of Neyba and the valley
of the river which flows into it. It is connected with
the Cibao range by a group of uplands stretching to
the south-west, which is cut by the great river valley.
T h e Loma Paciencia and the Loma Barranca
here rise to the height of 6260 and 7540 feet, respect