Notebook No.194, March 1854

This red notebook contains a record of Charles Lyell’s geological travels around the Canary Islands with Georg Hartung, in the company of Mary Lyell, and Charles and Frances Bunbury, and along with previous notebook 193, is one of the longest. There is a clear date noted on page 1, of 6th March 1854, however, in the separate index recorded in the Madeira Index reference Coll-203/A5/16 dates are given there as 26th – 29th October 1855 – which may reflect the date the index was created. This notebook continues from 193, completing Lyell’s observations in Gran Canaria, before he goes to Tenerife and then La Palma focusing on Tejeda, Artenara, Roque Nublo, Teror, Canto Blanco, Santa Ursula, Santa Cruz de La Palma, Buenavista, Barranco de las Nieves, Barranco de la Madera, Roque de los Muchachos, and the Caldera of Palma. This notebook primarily focuses on the geological features and formations and includes a vast number of drawings and sketches of stratigraphical and geological features, primarily concerning volcanic activity, dikes, tuff, lava, dips, and eruption. A drawing of note is page 34, showing two sketches of rocky peaks, Tejeda and Roque Nublo. Lyell also mentions the work of Sabine Berthelot and Leopold Von Buch whilst developing his own theories. In addition, this notebook also references fauna and flora, botanical gardens and shells, listing species.

[Index as appears in Index to Notebooks on Geology of Madeira 186-197 reference Coll-203/A5/16, p. 66 onwards]
Oct. 26. 1855  [date as noted in separate Index Notebook]
p.1. Calderite Grand Canary Dikes - Trachyte 
p.3 Agglomerate (q[uery] older than the Trachyte of Cumbre with few dikes thr[ough] such) see specimens 
p.5 Dikes numerous trachyte & basalia antennaria 
[p.5] Texeda [sic Tejeda] 
p.7 Stones of basalt (qy by explosion over top of Cumbre) angular pieces from the dikes arena 5000 ft high 
p.8 Passo Blanco View of Teneriffe [sic Tenerife]
p.10 Loose cinders 5400 ft high 
p.10 Basalt above 5000. 5400 -
p.12 Texeda [sic Tejeda] view of centre of Grand Canary [sic Gran Canaria]
p.14 Slaty Trachyte 5500 ft high. Conglomerate with boulder in it 2ft diameter 
p.16 Basalt with olivine under trachyte
p.18 Pargana plateau of
p.19 Conglom[erate] no polished pebbles like S. Vincente – nor marine shells. 
[p.19] Barom[eter] Texeda [sic Tejeda] – [32 scored out] 3428 
p.19 Dip of beds in valley of Texeda [sic Tejeda] apparently slight but may be deceptive
[p.19] Agglomerate & Almendrado contrasted in form of pebbles - (argument for subaerial origin) alluvial breccias?  
p.20 Dip Valley of Texeda [sic Tejeda] [?] 6 to 8 
[p.20] Dikes not numerous in central region
p.21 - Basalt below & above trachyte see specimen O p. 24. [small sketch of rock shape on that page]
p.22 Barometer Texeda [sic Tejeda] & various heights from V[on]. Buch 
p.24 Plateau well laid down by (V[on]. Buch) at h[ea]d of Texeda [sic Tejeda] Valley 
[p.24] Landslips vast on sides of Valley of Texeda [sic Tejeda]. (qy earthquakes once?) 
p.26 Conglomerates thicker in central region 
[p.26] Barometer Texeda [sic Tejeda] 
[p.26] Dip outward from the valley? 
p.28 Conglom[erate] mixed fragments -
p.28 Nublo peak of Sketch 
p.30 Central valley top of G[ran]d Canary -
[p.30] Dikes trachyte & white 
p.32 Do. & thickness small
p.34 View of Nublo & central Valley & Antennaria.
p.36 Dike 6ft trachyte, N & S. 
[P.36] Basaltic fragments
p.38 Cruz de Texeda [sic Tejeda] Barom[eter] heights 
[p.38] Central & uppermost valley 
p.40 Dikes at r[ight]. angles to valley or N & S.
[p.40] Conglom[erate] dip 23 at N. 25 W- 
p.42 – [Conglomerate] between 5000 & 6000 ft higher but greater heights still  
[p.42] Dikes basalt cutting trachyte 
p.44 Origin of central chasm or col between Valley of Texeda [sic Tejeda] & of S. Barthelemes [sic San Bartolomé] – S. Mattheo [ Sic Mateo]-
p.44 Red sandst[one] without land animals [found or formed?] in vol[cani]c islands?
Oct. 27. Gd Canary 
p.46 Calderite & dikes. 8ft thick 
p.50 Teror view of sloping ridges 
p.52 Do.? 
p.54 Teror red soil, salas,
p.56 Barom[eter] Teror 
[p.56] Rents at Teror (one r) Subsidenses – recent.
p.60 Barom[eter] Teror 
[p.60] Teror B[aromete]r. Canto Blanco - 
p.62 Junction of trachyte tuff & basalt (laterite) agglome[rate] - 
p.66 Teror view of. 
p.68 Almondrado first seen at village of Tomacaceite [sic Tamaraceite], low down -
[p.68] Shells 400 ft above the sea in Barranco Sec
]p. 70] Land shells on isthmus
p.72 Magnetic view in isthmus
p.74 Isleta rock with land? shells - 
p.76 View from Isleta of Las Palmas 
p.78 Isleta monticule
p.80 Barometer Las Palmas 
p.82 Las Palmas & hills of Almenrado view of
p.84 Las Palmas view of 
p.86 Teneriffe [sic Tenerife] Paso Alto
p.92 - [Tenerife] Sa Cruz [sic Santa Cruz] to Laguna
p.94 Laguna city of
p.96 - [Laguna] Lavas on the plain separated by scoria
p.98 View of volc[ano] dome of E. division of Teneriffe [sic Tenerife]. 300 ft high 
p.100 Red hill (once cones) Tacoronte
p.102 Sa Ursala [Sic Santa Úrsula] slope 16 ½ & 10°- 
p.104 Tigauga [sic Tigaiga] angle of 12° from Matanza 
[p. 104] Barancos 
p.106 Slopes of 10 & 11° 
[p.106] Slopes diminishing near the sea - 
Oct. 27. 1855 [date given in Index only]
p.108 Eastern chain Teneriffe [sic Tenerife], general
[interlined below Eastern ‘dip’ and under chain ‘dip’] 
[p.108] Sa Ursala [Sic Santa Úrsula] dip 10°? From 500 S. U. [Santa Úrsula] comp[are]d to Tigauga [sic Tigaiga] etc-
p.110 . . [Santa Úrsula] Slope 28°. Lava S. Ursala [Sic Santa Úrsula] - 
p.112 Do.
[p.112] Columnar basalt at angle of 10° - dip 6
p.116 S. Ursala [Sic Santa Úrsula] & Tacoronte 10 ½ 16°. etc
p.118 Pico de Teyde [Sic Teide] angle of Slope 
[p.118] Dragon tree of V. Orotava [La Orotava]
p.120 - - [Dragon Tree] on lava slopes 7°. 
p.122 Angles of slope to Porto Orotava 
p.124 Barometer Cinder Cone Larena [sic La Arena] -
[p.124] Los Freyles slope 30 & 32 
p.126 Barometer Cinder hill 
[p.126] S. Ursula [Sic Santa Úrsula] slope 16 - 
p.128 Slopes Tigauga [sic Tigaiga] Barometer Orotava 
p.130 Berthelot earthq[uake] (at Orotava) when Guimar [sic Güimar] broke out 
p.132 View of Peak & small cinder cones 
p.134 View of Peak from Zurbano Bark [‘2-masted, indicating this is a boat / barqe] 
p.136 V[on]. Buch basaltic Islands sorlis de sen de la terre – [picks of dust from the earth]
p.138 V[on]. Buch index to
[p.138] Tedote basalt 
p.140 San Pedro mud crater agglomerate 
p.142 - [San Pedro] buried cone 
p.144 Do -
p.146 Do - 
p.148 Do - 
p.150 Lavas burring [sic burying] it at 12° -
p.152 Do. Unconformable to themselves want of parallelism cannot be recommend [reconciled?] with ordinary upheaval theory –
p.154 S. Pedro buried cone view or section of – mud cone -
p.157 Barometer Sa Cruz or Tedote 
p.158 Tedote Barr[anc]o de las Nievas section of unconformable or not-parallel lavas.
[From “INDEX To NOTE Books on Geology of Maderia” p.73: 
p.160 Conglomerate & lavas abutting against & curving B. de las Nievas
p.162 Inclination of lava increasing in the ravines 18 & 22° degrees 
p.164 Dikes in the Barranco de La Madera 
p.166 Dikes terminating upwards (qy) 
[p.166] Gradual steepening of beds
p.168 Barometer height in Barranco de La Madera
Lyell uses double exclamation marks at bottom of page 169 to emphasise point]
p.170 Do – Fork of the Barancos
p.171 Alluvium in another barranco -
[p.171] Dovetailing of higher & steeper inclined lava into flatter ones 
[p.171] B. de las Molino gravel old
p.172, 174} Barometer Sa Cruz 
p.173 No organic rem[ain]s in alluvium 
p.174 Buttress [?] [words are crossed out] Lower level nof Barometer Bonaviste [sic Buenavista]
p.175 Appearance of chain by dip of 15 
p.177 Baro[mete]r – Height of 1500 to 1600 ft 
p.178 Barom[eter] - Pass 2 4600? Ft 
[p.178] Dike near summit
[From “INDEX To NOTE Books on Geology of Maderia” p.74: 
Palma. Oct. 27/55 
p.180 Caldera first view of Cumnecito [Cumbre Nueva] 
p.182 Cumnecito [Cumbre Nueva] 
p.184 Paso view of Alejanado 
p.186 } Las Llaños Barometer 
p.187 Platform of Paso & Llaños 1000 & 200 ft with lavas 
[p.187] Continuity of Caldera high cliff from the Caldera outwards (wall of Caldera of Tiraxana [sic Tirajana] into Fataga) 
p.188 B. de las Angustias from Las Llaños 
p.190 Barometer Llaños Alejanado sketch from Llaños 
p.194 Dikes in Bar[ranco] de las Ang[ustias] crossing others 
p.194 Conglom[erate] in B. de les A 
p.196 Barometer 
[p.196] Agglomerate traversed by dikes (hade 54) 
[p.196] Lavas seen to terminate both ways in cliff at
p.198 Agglomerate at several heights superimposed 
[From “INDEX To NOTE Books on Geology of Maderia” p.75: 
p.199 - 2 layers of basalt each about 75 ft thick. 
[p.199] wedging of beds as in Maderia 
p.178 {Hade contrary to theory of upheaval if dike once vertical
p.200 Buried cone? (qy half melted) 
[p.200] Barometer at Tenerra & below
p.204 Panoramic view of Caldera of Palma 
p.208 Height of Tenerra 3800 ft -
[p.208] Cumbrecita - wall 2000 ft or rather more of Caldera-
p.208 Tenerra dikes vertical & oblique like threads 
p.210 Dike beds seen from Tenerra sum at angle of 22 & even 28° 
[p.210] Barometer Tenerra -
[p.210] Dip of bed 
p.210] Green beds in Lower formation -
p.212 Torrent, great power of
[p.212] Agglomerate, ejectamante 40 diam[ete]r angular – rapilli, scoria. 
[From “INDEX To NOTE Books on Geology of Maderia” p.76: 
p.212 - Spec[imen] B. in agglom[erate] zeolite 
[p,212] Olivein basalt 
p.214 In lower form schiston dike with walls of basalt – trachyte or clayst[one].
[p.214] Upper point of Caldeira later on ordinary alpine valley -
[p.214] Taboriente - Barometer -
p.214 Central pyramids & ruins in the Caldera not by engulfment? 
p.216 View of same 
p.218 Do -
p.220 Do Pyramidal & lower trachyte 
p.222 Central masses consist of [green – it is not clear if this word belongs to line above] lava form[atio]n constitutes ½ of their masses
[p.222] Lower format[io]n cut into 1200 to 1500 ft thick unstratified with dikes
[p.222] Facts ag[ains]t engulfment of central mass elevation of the same (dome may have existed & yet the hollow may have been here) 
[From “INDEX To NOTE Books on Geology of Maderia” reference Coll-203/A5/16 p.77: 
Oct. 29/55 
p.225 Criticism on Vidal & V[on]. Buch respecting central masses. 
[p.225] More scoria in central parts
p.226 Dikes some inclined at 40° - beds at 22 & 28° - 
p.226 Buttress slope of 15° -