Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 3 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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We Found A
Block Of Madrepore In The Rock, Measuring Upwards Of Three Cubic Feet.
Doubtless This Limestone Formation, Which At A Distance Resembles Jura
Limestone, Is A Fragmentary Rock.
It would be well if this chain of
cayos which surrounds the island of Cuba were examined by geologists
With the view of determining what may be attributed to the animals
which still work at the bottom of the sea, and what belongs to the
real tertiary formations, the age of which may be traced back to the
date of the coarse limestone abounding in remains of lithophite coral.
In general, that which rises above the waters is only breccia, or
aggregate of madreporic fragments cemented by carbonate of lime,
broken shells, and sand. It is important to examine, in each of the
cayos, on what this breccia reposes; whether it covers edifices of
mollusca still living, or those secondary and tertiary rocks, which
judging from the remains of coral they contain, seem to be the product
of our days. The gypsum of the cayos opposite San Juan de los
Remedios, on the northern coast of the island of Cuba, merits great
attention. Its age is doubtless more remote than historic times, and
no geologist will believe that it is the work of the mollusca of our
seas.
From the Cayo de Piedras we could faintly discern in the direction of
east-north-east the lofty mountains that rise beyond the bay of Xagua.
During the night we again lay at anchor; and next day (12th March),
having passed between the northern cape of the Cayo de Piedras and the
island of Cuba, we entered a sea free from breakers.
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