E. Howe — Tiiffs of the Soufriere^ St. Vincent. 31 Y 



Aet. XXX. — Recent Tuffs of the Soufriere, St. Vincent ; by 

 Ernest Howe. 



When geologists visited the region of the West Indian vol- 

 canoes after the violent eruption a year ago, a detailed study 

 of the vast deposits of ejecta was all but impossible, and in 

 papers which have appeared during the year, writers have con- 

 fined themselves to descriptions of varied phenomena of the 

 eruptions and to discussions of complex physical problems. 

 Matters which for the time were of less general interest, such 

 as the forms and character of the new deposits, were to a large 

 extent left untouched. It was my good fortune in February 

 last to be able to spend several days in the vicinity of the 

 Soufriere in St. Yincent, and while there, to study under 

 favorable conditions the enormous deposits of recent ejecta. 



Geography. — The Island of St. Yincent lies just north of 

 the Grenadines and Grenada toward the southern end of the 

 chain of the Lesser Antilles. It is abont 18 miles in length 

 and 11 in breadth, the longer diameter having a north and 

 south direction. It is wholly mountainous, several peaks rising 

 over 3,500 feet above the sea, and before the last outbreak of 

 the volcano the interior was everywhere densely wooded. 



The northern third of the island is dominated by the Souf- 

 riere, between which and the abrupt cliffs of Morne Garu, the 

 northern outlier of the hills to the south, is a well marked 

 depression or pass leading from the eastern to the western side 

 of the island. It is from this pass nortiiward that the havoc 

 was wrought, the rampart of the Morne Garn having protected 

 the lands to the south from more than relatively slight and 

 temporary damage. 



Tojoography . — The Soufriere rises on all sides, with even, 

 constructional slopes of rather low angle, to an altitude of a 

 little over 4,000 feet. The sides of the hill have been deeply 

 eroded by streams that have eaten back almost to the crater 

 i^im, leaving sharp, radiating spurs between them, the crests of 

 which are in places a thousand feet above the stream-beds on 

 either side. To the north and west abrupt cliffs look down 

 upon the present crater ; they are the remains of a much older 

 crater-wall that Drs. Flett and Anderson have aptly compared 

 with Monte Somma. In times past recurrent eruptions have 

 obliterated more or less Completely previous drainage systems 

 and presented fresh initial slopes, partly controlled by earlier 

 sculpturing, to the attack of streams. Taking this into account, 

 as well as the only partial consolidation of the fragmental 

 rocks, the erosion of the slopes of the Soufriere may be con- 

 sidered to have advanced into late youth or early maturity. 

 Am. Jour. Scl— Fourth Series, Vol. XVI, No. 94.— October, 1903. 



