St. Vincent, and Mt. PeUe^ Martinique. 333 



on St. Yincent, probably because the crater of Pel(§e is so 

 much lower on the southwest than on the other sides and the 

 great gash opening into the gorge of the Riviere Blanche, 

 together with the configuration of the neighboring " mornes," 

 or ridges, has given direction to ail the violent explosions 

 which have occurred. Although the whole island has received 

 debris from sonie of the outbursts and dust has been scattered 

 over a wide area, the district over which the vegetation was 

 killed, at least temporarily, is included within a line beginning 

 at the sea coast, about midway between St. Pierre and Carbet, 

 though the palm trees along the coast at the base of the bluffs 

 were scorched as far as Carbet Point itself. Passing inland 

 about a mile, the line curves sharply to the north and east of 

 north to the Roxelane Piver, then goes northeastward along 

 this river and one of its tributaries, paralleling the main street 

 of Morne Rouge within a quarter of a mile, swings then to 

 the east of La Calebasse and rises somewhat on the northeastern 

 flanks of Pelee, apparently passing along the south side of Pain 

 de Sucre and then northwestward, leaving the island midway 

 between La Perle Pock and Cap St. Martin. Much of this 

 area is already springing into verdure again ; the grass was 

 already very noticeable on the hill slopes encircling St. Pierre 

 by July 1, and green vegetation was to be seen even nearer 

 the source of destruction. When I flrst arrived at Martinique 

 (May 21) the line between the scorched and unscorched areas 

 was strikingly sharp, and was still very noticeable six or seven 

 weeks later. In many places the line of demarkation passed 

 through single trees, leaving one side scorched and brown, 

 while the other side remained as green as if no eruption had 

 occurred."^ 



The material ejected by Pelee during this series of eruptions 

 consists of dust in vast quantities,t fine and coarse lapilli, 

 breadcrust bombs (see fig. 3) of all sizes from one inch to 

 three feet and more across, and blocks of small and great size, 

 the cracked condition of which shows that they have been 

 highly heated. The freshly fallen ashes had a curious resem- 

 blance to snow, which gave a peculiar Alpine aspect to the 



* The tremendous eruptions of August 25, 28 and 30 and September 3 have 

 extended the devastated area greatly on the northeast, east and southeast 

 sides of the area of destruction indicated on the accompanying map. It now 

 extends as far as Carbet, and includes Morne Rouge, but the reports thus far 

 received do not clearly show whether it reaches quite to the coast on the 

 north and northeast or not. Tha eruption of Mt. Pelee- now must nearly if 

 not quite equal that of La Soufriere in magnitude. 



f One hundred and twentj^ tons of dust and lapilli were removed from the 

 decks of the Roddam after her arrival in the harbor of Castries, St. Lucia, 

 according to the personal statement of one of the agents of the line to 

 which the steamer belonged. 



