428 



Dr. Tempest Anderson and Dr. J. S. Flett. 



another like trellis-work. We were encircled in a ring of fiery 

 bayonets." _ 



Another eye-witness (the Bev. Mr. Darrell, of Kingstown), who was 

 in the same boat with Dr. Branch, describes it as follows : — "We were 

 rapidly proceeding to our point of observation when we saw an im- 

 mense cloud — dark, dense, and apparently thick with volcanic material 

 descending over our pathway, impeding our progress and warning us 

 to proceed no further. This gigantic bank of sulphurous vapour and 

 smoke assumed at one time the shape of a gigantic promontory, 

 then as a collection of twisting, revolving cloud whirls, turning with 

 rapid velocity — now assuming the shape of gigantic cauliflowers, then 

 efflorescing into beautiful flower-shapes, some dark, some effulgent, 

 some bronze, others pearly white, and all brilliantly illumined by 

 electric flashes." 



On the windward side of the island an uninterrupted view of the 

 progress of the eruption could not be obtained, owing to the veil of 

 cloud which obscured the summit. By mid-day on Wednesday even 

 the most sceptical were convinced that the Soufriere was in eruption, 

 and that the noises heard continuously were not due to a thunderstorm. 

 Before mid-clay there had been very heavy rain-showers, and it was 

 noticed that the rain-drops carried down fine particles of ash. Work 

 ceased on the plantations, and those labourers who still remained 

 endeavoured to escape to Georgetown or shut themselves up in their 

 houses. By 2 o'clock fine ashes, with occasional larger stones, were 

 falling steadily, but, as yet, little damage had been done, and no one 

 had been injured. Then came the climax of the eruption, and those 

 who were in the open air saw a dense black cloud rolling with terrific 

 velocity down the mountain. They took refuge in their houses and 

 in the plantation works, where they crowded together in such numbers 

 that in one small room eighty-seven were killed. The cloud was seen to 

 roll down upon the sea, and was described to us as flashing with 

 lightning, especially when it touched the water. All state that it was 

 intensely hot, smelt strongly of sulphur, and was suffocating. They 

 felt as if something was compressing their throats, and as if there was 

 no air to breathe. There was no fire in the ordinanr sense of the 

 word, only the air was itself intensely hot and was charged with hot 

 dust. The suffocating cloud only lasted a few minutes. Those who 

 survived this ordeal mostly escaped, though many died within a few 

 hours from shock, or from the severity of their injuries. In some cases a 

 few survived, entirely or almost entirely uninjured, in a room in which 

 many others died. Most of those who escaped had shut themselves up 

 in the rum cellars or in substantially built houses, and had firmly 

 closed all doors and windows. By the time the hot blast had reached 

 the coast the sand it contained was no longer incandescent, and 

 though still at a very high temperature it did not set fire to wood or 



