It is evident that the best
portion of the land, west of the Buonaventura, was first redeemed from
the sea by some terrible volcanic eruption. Until about two centuries
ago, or perhaps less, these subterranean fires have continued to
exercise their ravages, raising prairies into mountains, and sinking
mountains and forests many fathoms below the surface of the earth; their
sites now marked by lakes of clear and transparent water, frequently
impregnated with a slight, though not unpleasant, taste of sulphur;
while precious stones, such as topazes, sapphires, large blocks of
amethysts, are found every day in the sand and among the pebbles on
their borders.
In calm days I have often seen, at a few fathoms deep, the tops of pine
trees still standing in their natural perpendicular position. In the
southern streams are found emeralds of very fine water; opals also are
very frequently met with.
The formation of the rocks is in general basaltic, but white, black, and
green marble, red porphyry, jaspar, red and grey granite, abound east of
the Buonaventura. Quartz, upon some of the mountains near the sea-shore,
is found in immense blocks, and principally in that mountain range which
is designated in the map as the "Montagne du Monstre," at the foot of
which were dug up the remains of the huge Saurian lizard.
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