184 



The National Geographic Magazine 



ferers. They arrived in Fort de France 

 \Vednesda3' morning, May 21, several 

 hours after the second great eruption of 

 Mount Pelee, which in violence ex- 

 ceeded the explosion of May 8. 



In placing such a competent expedi- 

 tion in the field so promptly the National 

 Geographic Society is rendering science 

 and the advancement of knowledge a 

 great service. It is most important from 

 a scientific point of view that the general 

 volcanic activity now devastating Mar- 

 tinique and St. Vincent and disturbing 

 the West Indian region should be studied 

 by specialists at the earliest possible mo- 

 ment. Not in history has such a favor- 

 able opportunity occurred for an inves- 

 tigation of the causes of volcanic and 

 seismic action, of those hidden forces 

 which, smothered in large measure in 

 the bowels of the earth, occasionally 

 burst forth with old-time fury and make 

 or unmake great masses of land. 



The most recent volcanic explosion of 

 modern times, the explosion of Krakatoa 

 in 1883, took place thousands of miles 

 from the center of the world's scientific 

 workers. 



But in the present activity of Mount 

 Pelee, of La Souffriere, and the uneasi- 

 ness general throughout the Lesser An- 

 tilles, the scientists of the United States 

 have a unique opportunity for investiga- 

 tion. The United States Government 

 has no authority to expend money for 

 scientific investigations in foreign ter- 

 riton-. None of the scientific branches 

 of the government, as the U. S. Geo- 

 logical Survey, was therefore in a posi- 

 tion to send an expedition to Martinique. 

 But the National Geographic Society, 

 recognizing the importance of immedi- 

 .ate investigation, has sent to the region 



of disturbance, at its own cost, three 

 of the foremost authorities on volcanic 

 action in the world. 



Mr. Hill is well known as the author 

 of "Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Other 

 Islands of the West Indies " (The Cen- 

 tury Co.) and numerous articles and 

 government reports on the geographj^ 

 and geology of the West Indian group. 

 He visited Martinique and St. Vincent 

 several 3'ears ago. Dr. Russell is the 

 head of the Department of Geology in 

 the University of Michigan and the 

 author of ' ' Volcanoes of North Amer- 

 ica," a standard work on the subject. 



Commander C. E. Borchgrevink 



Member of the National Geographic Society 

 Expedition to Martinique 



