34:6 E. 0. Hovey — Erujptions of 1902 of La Soufriere^ 



off even with the matrix. The whole showed striations parallel 

 with the slope, so that the surface looked like the glaciated 

 rock surfaces so common in northern latitudes. The planing 

 and the striations seem to have been due to the scouring action 

 of the ash avalanches in this part of their course. They ceased 

 where the steep slope of the cone changed to the gentle slope 

 of the plateau, and thus gave opportunity for the material of 

 the avalanches to check its descent and pile up. The sides of 

 the radial gorges on the flanks of Mt. Pelee show approximately 

 horizontal striations. l^ear the stream-beds such striations 

 occur on both sides of the gorges, and are due to abrasion by 

 the sand and stones carried by the torrents. High above the 

 stream on the bluffs facing the crater there are similar stria- 

 tions, but these most have been made by sand-blast action dur- 

 ing the hurricanes of dust-laden steam, resulting from the 

 explosions during the recent great eruptions. These striations 

 extend to the very tops of bluffs rising 500 feet and more above 

 the stream beds at their bases (see lig. 15). 



Erosion seems not yet to have cut deeply into the old land- 

 surface since or as a feature of the eruptions, because here and 

 there all over the mountain side one can lind undisturbed roots 

 and charred grass still in place. The shore line from Ste. 

 Marthe Point nearly to Cap St. Martin has been somewhat 

 altered since the eruptions began, some of the river deltas hav- 

 ing been built out by the new material brought down by stream 

 and torrent, while others have been cut back by the waves. 

 The most important example of the cutting back is near the 

 mouths of the Secheand the Blanche, where local land-slides 

 have assisted the sea in forming nearly vertical bluffs from ten 

 to thirty feet in height. These bluffs show sections of the old 

 and the new material now composing the plain. The little ash 

 island* which was formed near the mouth of the Riviere la 

 Mare between May 8 and 23, and which was visited on May 

 23 by Mr. Curtis and two companions, had been washed away 

 by June 14. The stone pavement laid on the beach of St. 

 Pierre was cut into in places^ perhaps by the return waves 

 from the ocean accompanying the great outbursts. 



The mud-flow which swept down the Grande Riviere 

 reached the village of the same name at 4 A. M., May 8, four 

 hours before the eruption occurred which destroyed St. Pierre. 

 Three other great mud-flows have traversed this river : on May 

 11, June 6 and June 22, though no great eruption of Pelee 

 took place on May 11 or June 22. The eruption of June 6 

 was one of the heaviest that occurred ; this time the mud-torrent 

 reached Grrande Riviere village about an hour and a half before 



* Mentioned by Hill ; Tlie Century Magazine, vol. Ixiv, p. 773, September, 

 1902. 



