152 
Like many other mountains in the world, if we may rely 
upon the records of its past history, it is yet engaged 
in raising steam, and when by this process the volcanic 
strain has sufficiently increased, some unusually large 
relief in seismic strain—even at a distance—may be the 
ultimate cause of a renewal of its activity. Volcanoes, 
like mines, require to be charged before they can be ex- 
ploded, and the final cause of such explosions seems at 
times to be connected with bodily movements of their 
foundations, which movements may originate locally or 
be the propter hoc of corresponding disturbances origin- 
ating at a distance. The shiverings which constitute 
local earthquakes, which are so frequent throughout the 
world, play but little part in these violent awakenings, 
and the giants sleep whilst humanity may be terrified. 
To see how far such a view is sustained let us turn to 
the volcanic history of the West Indies. First of all 
attention may be directed to the fact that the volcanic 
activity of these islands is confined to the Lesser 
Antilles, from St. Martin in the north to Grenada in the 
south. In the larger islands, which run approximately 
east and west, like Cuba, Jamaica, Dominica and Puerto 
Rico, although there are volcanic rocks and hot springs, 
volcanoes proper do not exist. What we have to deal 
with are the peaks of ‘“ Antillia,” now represented by a 
suboceanic ridge about 500 miles in length. 
NATURE 
The following notes, derived from Fuchs’ “ Vulcane | 
und Erdbeben” and other sources, may be taken as a 
summary of what is generally known respecting the 
vulcanicity of these outcrops. 
yet it may suffice to illustrate the hypothesis that world- 
shaking earthquakes may be closely followed by volcanic 
outbursts. 
Grenada.—The island is practically built up of two mountains 
which are joined together. The crater of Grand Etang is filled 
with water. Morne Rouge is built of ashes. The greatest 
height is 2749 feet. It contains hot chalybeate and sulphurous 
springs. 
St. Vincent.—In 1718, on the night between March 6 and 7, 
a piece of land rose from the sea and then sank. There was a 
furious hurricane on April 24, and Morne Garou (La Soufriere) 
erupted. From 1718 to 1812 this mountain was quiescent, but 
in the latter year it erupted, changed the form of its crater, and 
its ashes fell in Barbados. The last violent eruption was on 
May 7, 1902. The intervals between eruptions have, therefore, 
been ninety-four and ninety years. 
St. Lucta.—Cualibou, 1800 feet. At present this is in the 
solfatara stage. In the large crater there are small lakes, 
and sulphurous gas and steam escapes. It erupted in 1766. 
The highest peak is 2117 feet. 
Martinigue.— Mont Pelée, 4438 feet. It erupted at the end 
of the eighteenth century, on August 5, 1851, and lastly on 
May 8, 1902. 
Dominica.—Here there are many solfataras. 
peak is 4747 feet. 
Guadeloupe.—The ‘‘ Grand Terre,” or the eastern side of the 
island, is not volcanic. Soufriére de Guadeloupe (4869 feet) 
erupted in 1778, 1797, February 1802, 1812 and 1836. 
Montserrat.—The Soufriére is volcanic. On November 29, 
1896, 20 inches of rain fell, and this was followed by many small 
earthquakes. For forty years before there had been but few 
noticeable shocks. Since the rainfall the springs give off more 
gas, and silver is blackened three miles away. 
Nevzs.—Sulphurous vapour escapes from the crater. 
St. Christopher (St. Kitts)—Mount Misere erupted in 1692. 
At present there is a lake in the crater. 
St. Eustatius.—The volcano is apparently extinct and covered 
with vegetation, 
The eruptions we have to consider are therefore those 
of the years 1692, 1718, 1766, 1797, 1802, 1812 (two), 
1836, 1851 and 1902 (two). 
We will now compare these with seismic disturbances 
of which 
Mallet’s Catalogues of Earthquakes, published in the 
Reports of the British Association 1852-1854, and in 
Lyell’s ‘‘ Principles of Geology.” 
NO. 1702, VOL. 66] 
The highest | 
| and 10,000 of its inhabitants perished. Shocks continued until 
Although it is imperfect, | 
[JUNE 12, 1902. 
1692.—June 7, between 11 a.m. and noon, Port Royal in 
Jamaica was destroyed. A piece of land of more than 1000 acres 
sank, carrying with it buildings and their inhabitants beneath 
the sea. There was great disturbance in the ocean, and houses 
throughout the island were shaken down. Mountains were 
shattered and a lake created. This was accompanied by the 
eruption of St. Kitts. 
1718.—As already stated, this eruption in St. Vincent was ac- 
companied by a ‘‘ very violent” earthquake. 
1766.—March 9, Island of Antigua, a violent shock. March 17, 
Island of Grenada, a violent shock. June 11 (midnight), 
Jamaica, especialiy at Port Royal, also at Cuba. In Jamaica a 
violent shock lasting one and a-half minutes. In Cuba it lasted 
seven minutes, and the shocks recurred up to August 1. July 
| (middle of month, during the night), Ste. Marie, S. America, 
very violent shocks, followed by slighter ones every day up to 
| July 21. August 13 (10 p.m.), Island of Martinique, an earth- 
quake during a terrible hurricane. August (towards end of 
month), Island of Martinique, another and very violent shock. 
August 18, Guadeloupe. August (end of month), Cuba, an 
earthquake, City of St. Jago overturned. October 6, Island 
of St. Eustache, an earthquake accompanied by a hurricane. 
Very violent shocks. In the territory of Caraccas they recurred 
hourly (probably only at first) for fourteen months up to the end 
of 1767. According to tradition, the shocks were simple 
horizontal oscillations.» At Surinam there were two other 
violent shocks felt besides the one here mentioned, viz. on the 
24th at midnight and on the 27th at 7a.m. October 21, 3a.m., 
Cumana and Caraccas in New Granada, S. America; also 
Island of Trinidad; also Surinam and all N.E. portion of 
S. America, The whole of the city of Cumana was ruined. 
Eruptions of sulphurous water frequently occurred, especially 
about Casanay, two leagues east of Coriaco. The inhabitants 
lived in the streets for the two years 1766-67. The Indians 
| celebrated by feasts the approaching destruction and subsequent 
| 
more detailed accounts are to be found in | 
regeneration of the world. During these shocks a little island 
in the Orinoco sank and disappeared beneath the waters, and in 
| many places disturbances of the surface were produced. The 
first and third of the shocks at Surinam were attended with 
subterranean noise, as were the shocks at the mission station of 
Encaramado, December 12, Martinique, a slight shock. 
1797-—February 4, 7.45 a.m. On this date there was a 
destructive earthquake in Quito, in which 40,000 lives were 
lost. A great extent of country was shaken, and the ground 
about Tanguragua opened into enormous clefts, from which 
water and stinking mud (moya) issued, The mountain itself 
remained quiet, but the smoke from Pacto, seventy-five leagues 
distant, disappeared suddenly. 
About this time a series of shocks began in the Lesser 
Antilles, and these did not cease for eight months, until the 
eruption of the volcano in Guadeloupe on September 27 ‘‘ put 
an end to them.” 
1802.—On February 2 there was a ‘‘severe shock” in Antigua, 
whilst in Guadeloupe there were vibratory shocks accompanied 
by an eruption. Shocks were felt in the west Indian islands 
during February and March. 
1812.—On March 26 of this year Caraccas was utterly ruined, 
April 5. The waters of Lake Maracaybo were lowered, and 
Mount Silla is said to have lost 300 to 360 feet of its height by 
subsidence. On April 24 St. Vincent erupted, the noise of 
which was heard as far as Caraccas. Preceding this eruption, in 
St. Vincent and in the West Indian islands there had been 
very many shocks. In St. Vincent more than 200 had been 
noted. Another tremendous earth disturbance, took place 
before this eruption commenced on November 16, I8II, 
in the valley of the Mississippi, Ohio and Kansas. The ground 
| was raised or lowered, and about New Madrid shocks occurred 
| almost hourly for months and continued until the date of the 
Caraccas earthquake. 
The eruptions in St. Vincent and Guadeloupe appear to 
have been closely associated with two unusually large seismic 
disturbances on the neighbouring American Continent. 
1835.—On February 20 an earthquake was felt for nearly 
1000 miles along the coast of Chili. Many towns were destroyed 
and the coast was elevated from 1 to ro feet. Up to March 4 
300 shocks were counted. A submarine volcano broke out near 
Bacalao Head, and the Andes for a distance of 1300 miles 
were before and after the convulsion in an unusual state of 
| activity, In November of this year Conception was severely 
\ 
