1S4 Account of" The Sulphur," or « Sovffriere," 



whole wav from one of the higher mountains to the sea. 

 A riiirsiecl horse-path was traced alnnu the brink of the ra- 

 vine, which we followed amidst tiie most beautiful and ro- 

 mantic scenery. At the head oi' ihis ravine is a small am- 

 phitheatre formed bv lofty surrounding mountains, and here 

 is situated what is termed " The Sulphur." Though the 

 scene was extremely t;rard and well worthy of observation, 

 yet [ confess I could not help feeling a good deal disap- 

 pointed, as there was noliiing Ike a crater to be seen, or any 

 ihino- else that could lead me to suppose the place had any 

 connexion with a volcano. On the north, east and west 

 sides were loftv mountains \\ ooded to the tops, composed 

 apparently of the sani" kind of porphyry we had noticed all 

 alons the way. On the south, the same kind of rock of 

 no iireit height, quite bare of vegetation, and in a very pe- 

 culiar state of decomposition. And on the south eastern 

 ^ide, our path and ihe ouilet into the ravine. The whole 

 area thus included, mighi be three or four hundred yards in 

 len.-th. and halt iliat distance in breadth. The surface of 

 the 2,round, not occupied by the ravine, was broken and 

 strewed with fragtnents aiifl masses of the porphyritic rock, 

 for the most part so exceedinglv decomposed as to be friable 

 and to crumble on the smallest pressure. For some time 

 I thouchl that this substance, which is perfectly white and 

 in some instances exhibits an arrangement like crystals, was 

 a peculiar mineral ; but aficrwards became convinced, that 

 it was merclv the porphyritic rock singularly altered, not by 

 the action of the uir or weather, but, as I conjecture, by a 

 strong sulphureous or sulphuric acid vapour which is ge- 

 nerated here, and which is probably driven more against 

 one side by the eddy wind up the ravine, the breeze from 

 ^ny other quarter being shut out by the surrounding hills*. 



• This peculiartlccomposiiion of thesurrounclino; rock has been frequently 

 oliscrvcd in similar situations, and under analogous circumstances, and has 

 J find been acc<>ui:ted for bv other persons in the same way: thus Dolomieu 

 favs, " La coulcnr blanche des picrres de I'interieurde tons les craters in- 

 flammes est due a line veritable alteration de la lave produite par les vapeurs 

 acido-sulfurcuses qui les penetrent, et qui se conibincnt avec I'argile qui leur 

 6ert dc base, y lorniant I'alun que Too retire des matieres volcaniques." ^;y, 

 r.:u' Islfs dc Lip'iri, p. i8. 



And he afterwards adds," Cette alteration des laves par les vapeurs acido- 

 eulfureu'es, est iine espece d'analyse que la nature fait ellememe des matieres 

 volcaniques. II y a des iaves sur le=.quelles les vapeurs n'ont pas encore eu 

 assez de terns d'agir pour Is dcnaturer entirement. et alors on les voit dans 

 difTirens etats dc decomposition que Ton rcronnoit par la couleur." 



Alum is doubtless formed at thi- place, as \\c\\ as elsewhere under similar 

 circumstances: 'he potash nocetsury for the composition of this salt, beii^g, 

 gs well as the argil, derived from the surrounding rock. See Vauquelin's 

 Mcmoire, Juu'H- (lis Muiei,\o\. x. p. -iH. 



Amidst 



