ERUPTION OF THP: SOUFRIERP] IN ST. VINCENT. 829 



l)ei^-;in to cliano-o its foriii; fresli protiiheraiu-f's cea.sed to shoot out or 

 grew but slowly. They were loss gloljular, and the face of the cloud 

 more nearly reseinl)led a ])lack curtain dniped in folds. At the same 

 time it ])ecamei)alerand more gray in color, and for a time the sui-face 

 shimmered in the moonlight like a piece of silk. The particles of ash 

 were now settling down, and the white steam, freed from entangled 

 dust, was beginning to rise in the aii'. 



The cloud still traveled forward, but now was mostly steam, and 

 rose from the surface of the sea, passing over our heads in a great 

 tongue-shaped mass, which in a few minutes was directly al)ove us. 

 Then stones, some as large as a cliestnut,'l)egan to fall on the ])oat. 

 They were followed l)y small pellets, which rattled on the deck like a 

 shower of peas. In a minute or two tine, gray ash, moist and clinging 

 together in small globules, poured down upon us. After that for some 

 time there was a rain of dry, gray ashes. But the cloud had lost most 

 of its solid matter, and as it shot forward over our heads it left us in a 

 stratum of clear, pure air. \\'hen the Wuo ash began to fall, there was 

 a smell of sulphurous acid, but not wry marked. There was no rain. 



The volume of steam discharged must have V)een enormous, for the 

 tongue-shaped cloud broadening, as it passed southward, covered the 

 whole sky except a thin rim on the extreme horizon. Dust fell on 

 Fort de France and the whole south end of Martinique. The display 

 of lightning was magniticent. It threaded the cloud in ever}' direction 

 in irregular branching lines. At the same time there was a continuous 

 low ruml)le overhead. 



AVhat happened on Mont Pelee after this discharge can not be 

 definitely ascertained. For some hours afterwards there were 1>rilliant 

 lightnings and loud noises which we took for thunder. That night 

 there was a heaxy thunder stoi'm over the north end of Mai'tini([ue, 

 and much of the lightning was atmospheric, but probably the eruption 

 had something to do with it. and the noises may have Ijccmi in })art of 

 volcanic oi'igin. 



There can l)e no doubt that the eruption we witnessed was a counter- 

 part of that which destroyed St. Pierre. The mechanism of these dis- 

 charges is obscure and many interesting problems are invoh cd, but 

 we are convinced that the glowing avalan<'he consisted of hot sand and 

 gases, principally steam; and when we passed the hill in R. M. 8. Vdrc 

 a few days later we had, l)y the kindness of the captain, an excellent 

 opportunity of making a close examination of the shore from the bridge 

 of the steaml)oat. The southwest side of the hill, along the course of 

 the Riviere Seclie, was covercnl with a thin coating of freshly fallen 

 tine gray ashes, which appeared to l)(> thickest in the stream valleys. 

 The water of the rivers tlowing down this })art of the hill was steaming 

 hot. This was undoubtedlv the material emitted from tho crater on 



