第66章

The WEST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO of "fringed" islands, alone remains to be mentioned; evidence of an elevation within a late tertiary epoch of nearly the whole of this great area, may be found in the works of almost all the naturalists who have visited it. I will give some of the principal references in a note. (On Florida and the north shores of the Gulf of Mexico, Rogers' "Report to Brit. Assoc." volume iii., page 14.--On the shores of Mexico, Humboldt, "Polit. Essay on New Spain," volume i., page 62. (I have also some corroborative facts with respect to the shores of Mexico.)--Honduras and the Antilles, Lyell's "Principles," 5th edition, volume iv., page 22.--Santa Cruz and Barbadoes, Prof. Hovey, "Silliman's Journal", volume xxxv., page 74.--St. Domingo, Courrojolles, "Journ de Phys." tom. liv., page 106.--Bahamas, "United Service Journal", No. lxxi., pages 218 and 224. Jamaica, De la Beche, "Geol. Man." page 142.--Cuba, Taylor in "Lond. and Edin. Mag." volume xi., page 17. Dr. Daubeny also, at a meeting of the Geolog. Soc., orally described some very modern beds lying on the N.W. parts of Cuba. I might have added many other less important references.)

It is very remarkable on reviewing these details, to observe in how many instances fringing-reefs round the shores, have coincided with the existence on the land of upraised organic remains, which seem, from evidence more or less satisfactory, to belong to a late tertiary period.

It may, however, be objected, that similar proofs of elevation, perhaps, occur on the coasts coloured blue in our map: but this certainly is not the case with the few following and doubtful exceptions.