Account of Souffricre in St. Lucia. 257 



proportion more than fufficient. The wind here blows from 

 the fea, or nearly fo. 



" We cannot finiih this defcription without taking notice 

 of a volcano in the neighbourhood of SoufFriere. You pars 

 Over one or two fmall hills to the fouthward of the town, 

 and, before any mark of the place is perceived, you are fen- 

 fible of the fmell of fulphur. The firft thing you difcern is 

 a rivulet of black running water, fending forth fleams as if 

 nearly boiling. From the profpedl of this you foon open on 

 the volcano, which appears in a hollow, furrounded clofe on 

 every fide by hills. There are only two openings; the one 

 \ve entered, and another almoft oppofite to it on the north 

 fide. In the hollow there are many pits of a black and thick 

 boiling matter, which feems to work with great force. Lava 

 is flowly thrown out ; and in the centre of the hollow there 

 is a large mafs of it, forming a kind of hill. This we af- 

 cended ; but were foon obliged to return, from the exceffive 

 heat. The lava is a fulphur mixed with a calcareous earth 

 and fome faline body. We found fmall quantities of alum in 

 a perfect ftate. In the opening, at the north fide of the 

 hollow, there is a rivulet of very good water. On ftirring 

 the bottom, over which this water runs, we were furprifed 

 with feeling it very hot; and on placing a tumbler filled 

 with fome of the water clofe to the bottom of the rivulet, it 

 foon became fo hot as not to be touched. The liquid which 

 runs from the pits is ftrongly impregnated with fulphur, and 

 refembles a good deal the preparation fold in the fhops,, 

 known by the name of aqua fulphur at a, or gas fulphuris. 

 Before St. Lucia was in our pofleifion, two or three veflels 

 were loaded with the crude fulphur of this volcano, for the 

 ufc of America/' 



Vol. III. S V. £-- 



