64 



THE AMERICAX X A 11 ' R A 1 .1 S T. [\-. >i . X XX V 1 1 1. 



Morne Plumet the orifice nearest to St. Pierre (that from which 

 the thickest fumes come) is to the east 30 north ; the second is 

 32° north and the third which opens in the ravine is to the east 

 36° north. St. Pierre hes to the south 10° east ^ at a distance 

 of about 10 kilometers as a bird flies ; the town of Precheur is 

 about 7 kilometers directly west. The Ruffin house, which is 

 the nearest dwelling, is about 3 kiltMiieters from the upi)er 

 opening, and 2 kilometers from that situated above I. a Sou- 

 fri^re; the sugar factory Canonville is 5 kilometers away. 

 From the Grande Rue du Mouillage the upper opening is north 

 4° east ; 2 it is this which is best seen from below and from this 

 escaped the densest vapors; these entirely mask the second 

 opening which in this direction is behind the first ; as to the 

 vapors thrown out by the opening situated in the ancient 

 Soufriere, they cannot be seen from St. Pierre; the high crest 

 which separates Riviere Blanche from Riviere Claire hides this 

 opening entirely. 



The 29th of August we returned at two o'clock to the Ruffin 

 House. Our excursion had occupied about seven hours ; at the 

 cost of some fatigue we bore with us the memory of one of the 

 most imposing spectacles man had ever seen. But our task was 

 not finished. We had to assure ourselves that there were no 

 other points in the mountain where changes had taken place in 

 consequence of the eruption of the fifth of August. Of course 

 It was mijjortant to determine what had happened to the hot 

 waters which exist in the part of Mt. Pelee called Montague 

 d'Irlandc where Mr. A. Desnoux de Messirny has built a bath 

 establishment. Sept. 2, Messrs. Le Prieur and Peyraud betook 

 themselves to that locality and found the water of the spring 

 itscll at 35 .8. and at the first faucet of the first bath of the 

 esta ) ishment (which is ten minutes walk distant) we found the 

 temperature to be 33°. The weather was clear; — after heavy 

 rams have tallen on the pipes, the loss of heat between the 

 spun- and the baths is still greater. Dr. Dutroileau who was 

 at the estahlislunent on account of his health on the night of the 

 htth ot Au-iist assured us that no change happened to the water 



