The Geology of Barbados Part I. The Coral-rocks of Barbados and other West-Indian Islands

Abstract

§ 1: Introduction. Seeing that Barbados has always been a station for our West-Indian ibrces, and that it has for some time been the first place of call for the Royal Mail steamers, it is somewhat strange that no adequate account of the geology of the island has ever been published, especially as it is one of the most healthy of our West-Indian possessions and offers few physical difficulties to the explorer. The earliest notice on Barbados is a short paper by Dr. J. Skey, but this gives very little information. Ehrenberg in 1s5g described the Microzoa obtained from the white earths of Barbados, and the Radiolaria have since become familiar to microscopical students; but the true geological position of these earths has never been made known. So far as we can learn, the only geological description of the island is that given by Sir Robert Schomburgk in his “History of Barbados” (1848). So far as it goes, and considering the date at which it was written, Sehomburgk9s description is a good one. He describes the rocks under two heads : (1) Coral Limestone, (2) Siliceous rocks. His account of the Coral Limestone is fairly complete and accurate; he explains the phenomena which it presents by a gradual but discontinuous upheaval of the area, and truly remarks that the structure of the island offers several features which are difficult to reconcilewith Darwin9s theory of coral-reefs. For the siliceous rocks he proposes the name of “Scotland Formation,” because the area in