ASCENT OF THE GUADELOUPE SOUFRIERE. 34I 



THE SOUFRIERE OF pUADELOUFE. 



some Titan had rent the solid rock asunder so deep 

 that we could not see the bottom of the dark ab) r ss 

 until we stood upon a narrow bridge of rock that 

 spanned the central space. The southern end is a 

 perpendicular wall, running down into depths the eye 

 cannot penetrate. From a fissure near its base arose 

 blue fumes which stained the face of the cliff a long 

 way up, as though away down in the earth's center, 

 where the Vulcans are at work, there burned a very 

 hot coal fire. 



We crossed the bridge and scaled the opposite cliff, 

 and were greeted, at the top, with loud blasts and 



