Volcanic Disturbances in West Indies 



33 



(of 1812) by a ridge of igneous mate- 

 rial. This is a mere fragment of an 

 ancient cone which, it is said, probably 

 at one time rose to double the present 

 height of the loftiest summits of the 

 crater. Reports, contradictory in their 

 details, all agree in the general state- 

 ment that in the year 17 18 a terrific 

 eruption of La Soufriere buried the 

 whole island and surrounding waters 

 in ashes ; it was, doubtless, on that oc- 

 casion that the upper part of the cone 

 was blown away. The ruptured moun- 

 tain was still in a restless state in 1785 ; 

 but in 1 81 2 a deep lake flooded its ter- 

 minal crater. The waters were agitated 

 by frequent shocks, which corresponded 

 with similar disturbances occurring si- 

 multaneously in both Americas and the 

 Antilles. 



During the year 1812 Morne Garon 

 vomited vast clouds of dust which dark- 

 ened the sun for an entire day and 

 spread over a hundred miles of sea and 

 land. The volumes of mud changed 



the configuration of the island, as well 

 as its eastern end. The present crater, 

 formed at that time, is half a mile in 

 diameter and 500 feet deep, and is now 

 a beautiful lake, walled in by rocky 

 cliffs to a height of 800 feet. Its slopes 

 have been re-covered with peaceful vege- 

 tation and fields of cane until the be- 

 ginning of May last. 



The volcanic uplands, culminating in 

 a peak 2,750 feet high, were clothed with 

 forest growths, which here and there 

 reveal the mud streams and prismatic 

 colonnades terminating in superb cliffs 

 on the coast. Still open craters occur 

 in several places, and two romantic 

 lakelets, fringed with bamboo and tree 

 ferns, are also probably flooded volcanic 

 cones. Pleasant villas and country-seats 

 are scattered over the valleys and on the 

 slopes of the hills in the midst of verdant 

 thickets and flower gardens. None of 

 the Antilles surpass Grenada in sylvan 

 charms, wealth of color, and fragrant 

 blossom. 



MARTINIQUE 



GENERAL GEOGRAPHY 



The surface of Martinique, about 380 

 square miles in area, is exceedingly 

 mountainous and rugged. The island 

 is irregular in outline. Its greatest 

 length, north to south, is 49.6 miles ; 

 the greatest width, 18.6 miles. Its 

 northern and western coast lines, ex- 

 cept where the latter is indented by the 

 great Cul de Sac or Fort de France Bay, 

 are comparatively regular, but the east- 

 ern or windward coast is broken into 

 numerous peninsulas, islands, and head- 

 lands by the erosive action of the strong 

 surf driven by the trade winds against 

 that shore. 



In general, while all of the island is of 

 rugged configuration, it may be divided 

 into two conspicuous subdivisions by 

 drawing a line north and south from the 

 mouth of Lazard River, near the eastern 



extremity of Fort de France Bay, north- 

 ward through the village of La Trinite. 

 The Rivers Lazard and Gabon separate 

 the two divisions, and by encroachment 

 will soon completely capture the slight 

 divide now existing between them, and 

 perhaps some day in the future separate 

 Martinique into two divisions as Guade- 

 loupe is now separated. 



To the east of this line and south of 

 the Bay of Fort de France, the country 

 is comparatively less rugged, although 

 still mountainous, and has a more an- 

 cient and degraded configuration. 



The southern division of the island 

 does not rise anywhere to the heights of 

 the northwestern, the culminating point 

 being Mont Vauclin, 1,567 feet. 



This portion has lost most of its orig- 

 inal constructional forms, and its ridges 

 and valleys are principally the work 

 of destructional erosion. The eastern 



