Situated as these islands are, within the tropics, and possessing the advantages of an insular and moist climate, their vegetation is of the most beautiful and splendid description. Here the various palm-trees,-the cocoa-nut palm, datepalm, and cabbage-palm,-rise majestically, accompanied by the fern-tree, the pandanus, or screw-pine, the avocado pear, the Myrtus pimenta (fig. 15), which produces the allspice, or pimento of commerce; the banana, mango, calabash (fig. 134), teak, mahogany, and the papaw tree, the milky juice of whose fruit possesses the remarkable property of making tender any meat steeped in water impregnated with it; nay, the very vapour of the tree serves the same purpose; and it is said to be customary in Barbadoes to suspend the meat and fowls on its branches, to prepare them for the table. Innumerable cacti and euphorbiæ are also met with, as well as fantastically-shaped orchideous plants. Climbing plants are also in great profusion, ascending to the tops of the loftiest trees, and hanging in wild profusion from their branches. Among these may be mentioned the passion-flower, of which there are four species, all of great beauty, and producing the fruit called, in the West Indies, the grenadilla. The pine-apple is a native of these islands, though the mammee is considered one of the best West Indian fruits; it is described as being in appearance not unlike a russet-apple, but with pulp resembling a fine apricot, and with a delicious flavour. In this region also grows the maranta (fig. 166), from which arrow-root is obtained; whilst the spice plants, ginger (fig. 164), and other productions of distant intertropical regions, have been introduced into these islands, where they thrive luxuriantly. In these islands we find also the deadly manchineel (fig. 54), under whose poisonous influence not even a blade of grass will grow.

The native animals of the West Indies are little known; but among the most remarkable of those with which we are acquainted, are the agouti, (considered as the representative of the hare,) the common iguana, and the iguana

lizard. The green turtle, (so called from the colour of its fat, and held in such high estimation by epicures,) is a native of these shores.

The birds bear much resemblance to those of the neighbouring mainland: and of all the islands, Trinidad appears the most prolific in the feathered tribes. The hummingbird, the "fairy king of flowers," in that island presents some of its splendid varieties; among which are the rubytopaz, the ruff-necked and the emerald-crested. Pelicans, great white herons, and flamingoes, frequent the salt marshes.

It is a general remark, that in islands, the species of insects are less numerous than on continents; nor do the West Indies present any of particular interest. Many of our readers may be familiar with the little round substances, having the appearance of grains, or seeds of gold, which are frequently sent over in boxes of small shells. These little gilded grains have been discovered to be the chrysalis case of an insect, which dwells among, and preys upon the ants. On close examination, a small hole will be perceived, through which the insect has effected its escape.

CHAPTER XXII.

VOLCANIC REGION OF AMERICA.

The dread volcano ministers to good;

Its smothered flames might undermine a world.-YOUNG.

THE volcanic region of the Andes exhibits the phenomena of earthquakes and volcanos, on the most appalling and magnificent scale. From the island of Chiloe, (situated to the south of Chili,) to the north of Mexico, a vast area extends, in some parts of which, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur uninterruptedly. Nor, in fact, do these

limits appear to form the actual termination of this volcanic region, for, though perhaps not in equal energy, traces of these commotions may be observed, extending both further northward and southwards: and it is not impossible that future investigations may disclose, that the volcanic band stretches, with greater or less force, along the whole continent;

From the Antarctic, from the Land of Fire,

To where Alaska's wintry wilds retire.

That it does extend to the "Land of Fire," or Tierra del Fuego, is indeed not merely conjectural; the appearance of vivid flashes of fire, observed by Captain Basil Hall, off that island, seeming clearly to indicate the existence of an active volcano, at no great distance from the Beagle Channel. And, that volcanic action extends almost to the Antarctic itself, is also evident, from the volcanic nature of Deception Island, one of the New South Shetland group, and from the indications of subterranean heat observable in that island.

We have already seen that these islands, from their general geological formation, appear to form a continuation of Tierra del Fuego, and that they are mostly covered with snow to the water's edge. In this respect, however, the volcanic island of Deception differs from the others, being in great measure denuded of its snowy mantle, a circumstance apparently attributable to the warmth of its soil, which is black and composed of cinders. The shape of this island is one of common occurrence in volcanic formations, that of a nearly circular shell, inclosing a bay or inland sea. The principal part of the island, is formed of alternate layers of ice and volcanic ashes, thus conveyed the impression, that the snow of each winter had, during a series of years, been preserved between layers of cinders. That volcanic action is still in force, at least internally, in this island, appears from the circumstance, that not less than 150 chasms, or fissures occur, from which steam issues with a loud hissing noise. The beach also abounds with hot springs; in some

parts affording the extraordinary spectacle of water, at the temperature of 140°, issuing from beneath the snow-clad surface of the soil, and pouring into the sea, which, by this means, has its temperature raised above that of the surrounding waters.

Several active volcanos are said to exist in the Andes of Patagonia, but the most southerly of which any certain account has been given, is the flat-topped volcano of Yanteles, in front of the island of Chiloe.

The province of Chili contains at least nineteen wellknown points of eruption, situated in a continuous line along the ridge of the Andes, in which, many of these volcanic cones form lofty summits. Among these we may mention, as the most remarkable, the elevated Villarica, which continues burning without intermission, the lofty Aconcagua, whose summit is almost always covered with snow, and the Petroleum volcano, from whence a stream of that mineral pitch continually flows. This territory also exhibits the energy of subterranean heat to a remarkable degree, in the phenomena of earthquakes; a year never passing without several shocks, whilst convulsions of the most tremendous description have from time to time occurred; in some instances, agitating the whole country from one extremity to the other, and permanently raising continuous tracts of land from one to twenty feet above their former level: but destroying the works of man, and not unfrequently involving him in their ruin. Nor are these awful convulsions confined to Chili; they extend continuously in full energy along the whole line of the Andes, from the southern extremity of Chili, to their northern termination. And so far from being of less frequent occurrence in the present day, these catastrophes have been repeated at shorter intervals since the commencement of the nineteenth century, than at any former period on record. After the first discovery of those countries, an idea prevailed, that these convulsions of the earth's crust occurred at intervals of a century; afterwards it was supposed, that about

fifty years was the term which usually elapsed between violent earthquakes; but recent facts clearly prove, that their occurrence is far more frequent, and at no fixed term. Thus, severe earthquakes have occurred at Caraccas, in the year 1812; at Copiapo, in 1818; at Santiago, in 1822; at Bogota, in 1827; at Lima, in 1828; at Santiago, in 1829; at Huasco, in 1832 ; at Concepcion, in 1835; and at Valdivia, in 1837. And the mighty effects produced by some of these tremendous convulsions lead to the conclusion, that "the same causes are still in operation, which, ages since, raised tertiary formations to their present lofty site in the great range of the Cordillera." It may not be without interest to the reader, to consider some particulars of the most remarkable of these tremendous agitations of the earth's surface; those of November, 1822, and of February, 1835.

The destructive earthquake which occurred in November, 1822, and which greatly injured Santiago, Valparaiso, and several other towns, was felt simultaneously throughout a space of 1200 miles from north to south; and in the neighbourhood of Valparaiso, the coast, for the length of 100 miles, was permanently raised from three to four feet above its former level.

*The area over which this permanent alteration in level, is conjectured to have extended, is 100,000 square miles: a space equal to half of France. The whole district, from the foot of the Andes to a considerable distance out at sea, is supposed to have been upheaved; the greatest rise being about two miles from the shore, where it appears to have been about five, six, or, in some places, seven feet. “If,” observes Mr. Lyell, "we suppose the elevation to have been only three feet on an average, it will be seen that the mass of rock, added to the continent of America, by the movement, or in other words, the mass previously below the level of the sea, and after the shocks permanently raised above it, must have exceeded seventy-five cubic miles in bulk, which would be sufficient to form a conical mountain two miles high (or about as high as Ætna), with a circum