CHRONICLE. 



67 



awful scene presented itself on 

 Tuesday ; the fall of faviliae and 

 calcined pebbles still increasing, 

 and the compact, pitchy column 

 from the crater rising perpendicu- 

 larly to an immense height, with 

 a noise at intervals like the mut- 

 tering of distant thunder. On 

 Wednesday the 29th, all these 

 menacing symptoms of horror and 

 combustion still gathered more 

 thick and terrific for miles around 

 the dismal and half obscured 

 mountain. The prodigious co- 

 lumn shot up with quicker mo- 

 tion, dilating as it rose like a bal- 

 loon. The sun appeared in total 

 eclipse, and shed a meridian twi- 

 light over us, that aggravated the 

 wintry gloom of the scene, now 

 completely powdered over with 

 falling particles. It was evident 

 that the crisis was as yet to come — 

 that the burninf; fluid was strujr- 

 gling for a vent, and labouring to 

 throw off the superincumbent 

 strata and obstructions which sup- 

 pressed the ignivomous torrent. 

 At night it was rtianifest that it 

 had greatly disengaged itself from 

 its burthen, by the appearance of 

 fire flashing now and then, flak- 

 ing above the mouth of the crater. 

 On Thursday, the memorable 

 30th of April; the reflection of the 

 rising sun on this majestic body of 

 curling vapour was sublime beyond 

 imagination — any comparison of 

 the Glaciers, of the Andes, or 

 Cordilleras with it, can but feebly 

 convey an idea of the fleecy white- 

 ness and brilliancy of this awful 

 column of intermingled and wreath- 

 ed smoke and clouds : it afterwards 

 assumed a more sulphureous cast, 

 like what we call thunder-clouds, 

 and in the course of the day a 

 ferruginous and sanguine appear- 



ance, with much livelier action in 

 the ascent, a more extensive dila- 

 tion, as ifalmost freed from every ob- 

 struction. Intheafternoon,the noise 

 was incessant, and resembled the 

 approach of thunder still nearer 

 and nearer, with a vibration, that 

 affected the feelings and hearing; 

 as yet there vvas no convulsive mo- 

 tion, or sensible earthquake. Ter- 

 ror and consternation now seized 

 all beholders. The Charraibs, set- 

 tled at Morne Ronde, at the foot 

 of the Souftrier, abandoned their 

 houses, with their live stock, and 

 every thing they possessed, and 

 fled precipitately towards town. 

 The negroes became confused, for- 

 sook their work, looked up to the 

 mountain, and as it shook, trem- 

 bled, with the dread of what they 

 could neither understand or de- 

 scribe — the birds fell to the 

 ground, overpowered with showers 

 of faviliae, unable to keep them- 

 selves on the wing ; the cattle 

 were starving for want of food; 

 as not a blade of grass or a leaf 

 was now to be found : the sea was 

 much discoloured, but in no wise 

 uncommonly agitated ; and it is 

 remarkable, that throughout the 

 whole of this violent disturbance 

 of the earth, it continued quite 

 passive, and did not at any time 

 sympathise with the agitation of 

 the land. About four o'clock p. 

 m. the noise became more alarm- 

 ing, and just before sun-set the 

 clouds reflected a bright copper- 

 colour, suffused with fire. Scarce- 

 ly had the day closed, when the 

 flame burst at length pyramidically 

 from the crater, through the mass 

 of smoke; the rolling of the thun- 

 der became more awful and deaf- 

 ening ; electric flashes quickly 

 succeeded, attended with loud 

 F 2 daps ; 



