Eruption of the Soufrjere, 1812 



59 



2,000 feet from the level of the sea (cal- 

 culating from conjecture on the south 

 side of the mountain) and rather more 

 than two-thirds of its height, opens a 

 circular chasm, somewhat exceeding 

 half a mile in diameter and between 400 

 or 500 feet in depth. Exactly in the 

 -center of this capacious bowl rose a 

 ■conical hill about 260 or 300 feet in 

 height, and about 200 in diameter, 

 richly covered and variegated with 

 shrubs, brushwood, and vines about 

 half way up, and for the remainder 

 powdered over with virgin sulphur at 

 the top. From the fissure in the cone 

 and interstices of the rocks, a thin white 

 smoke was constantly emitted, occasion- 

 ally tinged with a slight bluish flame. 

 The precipitous sides of this magnifi- 

 cent amphitheater were fringed with 

 various evergreens and aromatic shrubs, 

 flowers, and many Alpine plants. On 

 the north and south sides of the base 

 of the cone were two pieces of water, 

 one perfectly pure and tasteless, the 

 other strongly impregnated with sul- 

 phur and alum. This lonely and beau- 

 tiful spot was rendered more enchanting 

 by the singularly melodious notes of a 

 bird, an inhabitant of those upper soli- 

 tudes, and altogether unknown to the 

 other parts of the island; hence princi- 

 pally called or supposed to be invisi- 

 ble, though it certainly has been seen, 

 and is a species of the merle. A cen- 

 tury had now elapsed since the last con- 

 vulsion of the mountain, or since any. 

 other elements had disturbed the seren- 

 ity of this wilderness, than those which 

 are common to the tropical tempest. It 

 apparently slumbered in primeval soli- 

 tude and tranquillity, and from the 

 luxuriant vegetation and growth of the 

 forest which covered its sides from the 

 base nearly to the summit, seemed to 

 discountenance the face and falsify the 

 records of the ancient volcano. Such 

 was the majestic, peaceful Soufriere of 

 April 27th ; but we trod on ignes sup- 

 positos cineri doloso, and our imaginary 



safety was soon to be confounded by 

 the sudden danger of devastation. 



Just as the plantation bells rang twelve 

 at noon, on Monday, the 27th, an abrupt 

 and dreadful crash from the mountain, 

 with a severe concussion of the earth 

 and tremulous noise in the air, alarmed 

 all around it. The resurrection of this 

 fiery furnace was proclaimed in a mo- 

 ment by a vast column of thick, black, 

 ropy smoke, like that of an immense 

 glass house, bursting forth at once, and 

 mounting to the sky, showering down 

 sand with gritty, calcined particles of 

 earth and favilla mixed, on all below. 

 This, driven before the wind towards 

 Wallibou and Morne Ronde, darkened 

 the air like a cataract of rain, and cov- 

 ered the ridges, woods, and canepieces 

 with light, gray-colored ashes, resem- 

 bled snow when slightly covered by 

 dust. As the eruption increased, this 

 continued shower expanded, destroying 

 every appearance of vegetation. At 

 night a very considerable degree of ig- 

 nition was observed on the lips of the 

 crater, but it is not asserted that there 

 was as yet any visible ascension of 

 flame. The same awful scene presented 

 itself on Tuesda} r , the fall of favilla and 

 calcined pebbles still increasing, and 

 the compact, pitchy column from the cra- 

 ter rising perpendicularly to an immense 

 height with a noise at intervals like 

 the muttering of distant thunder. On 

 Wednesday, the 29th, all these menac- 

 ing symptoms of horror and combustion 

 still gathered more thick and terrific for 

 miles around the dismal and half-ob- 

 scured mountain. The prodigious col- 

 umn shot up with quicker motion, di- 

 lating as it rose like a balloon. The 

 sun appeared in total eclipse, and shed 

 a meridian twilight over us that aggra- 

 vated the wintry gloom of the scene now 

 completely powdered over with falling 

 particles. It was evident that the crisis 

 was yet to come; that the burning fluid 

 was struggling for a vent, and laboring 

 to throw off the superincumbent strata 



