No. 445.] ERrrriOA- or .uoi a t ri-i.rK. 53 



Recently the inhabitants of the Precheur heig:hts have com- 

 plained of a strong sulphurous odor. Some of them have visited 

 the Soufriere and report a fuming hole which has appeared, the 

 vapors mixing with the clouds and thus being imi)ercei)tible to 

 sight at a distance. On the 3rd of August the patrolman Car^ 

 bonel brought in a partridge found dead near the new opening, 

 and he said there were many others, that all the birds dr<)pi)cd 

 dead when they flew over the fatal cavity. Like the A vermis 

 of the Ancients, 



Tendere eter pennis : Talis sese haHtu.s atris 

 Faucibiis effundeus supera ad convexa ferebat ; 

 Unde locum Graii dixerunt nomine Avernon. 



Virgil. 



This year (1851) from the loth of May, there were no earth- 

 quakes in Martinique, but Guadeloupe had many of them and 

 was in continual fear. August 5, St. Pierre was peaceful ; the 

 weather had been fine. Towards 11 p. m. a dull, distant 

 sinister noise began, like thunder ; it was mistaken for thunder, 

 or for the roar of the river in flood. The noise increased, waked 

 many people and caused alarm. 



I was in my villa of Fonds Canonville, ver)- neai- the source 

 of the sounds. I thought it was thunder, but was astonished at 

 its continuance; I heard the workmen call me from without. 

 They shouted "Do you not hear that noise.?" I answered. 

 " Yes, it is thunder! " " No, it is the Soufriere." I n.se and 

 looked towards Mt. Pelee, but could see nothing: the noise con- 

 tinued. The rest of the night was passed m great an.\iet\ . and 

 torches were seen indicating the flight of many ])eo])le. Xo 

 one knew anything definite and the answer to all questions was, 

 " C'est la Soufriere qui bout ! " 



grayish cinders, which made the town look like a luiro])ean city 

 covered by the white frost of the early da\s of autumn. 



These ashes covered the country between the city and Mt. 

 Pelee, covered Morne Rouge, and extended to Carbet. '1 he 



