268 R. T. HILL — PELE AND THE WINDWARD ARCHIPELAGO 



volcanic piles which grew up above the sea. The one on the left is a 

 volcanic mass which still exhibits its constructional forms, although it 

 is being baseleveled to the sea by erosions of the numerous streams 

 radiating away from the summits, as can be seen by flattening profiles 

 near the coast. There are many old volcanic vents, six or seven of 

 which are recognizable. 



Towering above these near the south end is the Soufriere, altitude 4,868 

 feet, the highest peak of the Windward islands. This is a live volcano* 

 emitting steam and sulphur fumes, and is the most dangerous and fre- 

 quent erupter of the Caribbean group. It is clearly the latest chimney 

 of a group of successive chimneys which through ages past have been 

 building up the great ash pile which constitutes the island. 



On the right is the low, terraced, and flat-topped island of Grande 

 Terre, surrounded by growing coral reefs. It, too, was once a volcanic 

 pile, probably as high as Guadeloupe ; but in Tertiary time it was worn 

 down to the level of the sea by erosion (largely marine), and through 

 regional subsidence its truncated top sunk over 200 feet beneath the sea. 

 Corals and other invertebrate life grew on it, and it was veneered thereby 

 with a thick coat of limestone. In late, almost recent, geological time 

 it (together with Guadeloupe and all the Windward islands) was re- 

 elevated by another regional movement to 300 feet above the sea, and 

 its surface is again being plowed and removed by erosion wearing it 

 down toward baselevel. 



While these processes of atmospheric and marine destruction are 

 tearing away at the surface the crater of Soufriere is, at intervals, build- 

 ing up by eruption of new matter from the earth's interior. Thus the 

 great processes of nature continue, the sum total of which is the addition 

 of matter to the thickness of the earth's crust by volcanic contributions 

 from its interior. 



The great indentation of the coast line on the northeast shows how 

 the trade-wind surf has eaten away that portion of the once nearly 

 circular island. 



The above phenomena are further illustrated in the half-tone plates. 

 Plate 45, figure 1, illustrates the more recent piles at the summit of Guade- 

 loupe. Plate 45, figure 2, shows the profile of the volcanic pile, and 

 plate 46, figure 2, shows the physiography of Grande Terre, exhibiting 

 two of the notable levels — a higher one in the background and a bench 

 in the foreground, on which the village is built. Growing reefs may be 

 seen where the water is breaking in the sea. Plate 47 shows the de- 

 structive character of the marine ocean, which is planing away the lee 

 shore of both islands. 



To the east of Grande Terre is the small terraced island of Desirade, 



