West Indian Eruptions of igo2. — Curtis. 43 
all who would visit, and it is in a careful study of these tangi- 
ble remains that the contributions ma}- be made to geological 
science. 
Crater of 1812. 
On the north east side of the Soufriere crater at St. Vin- 
cent lies a small lateral crater of about ^ the diameter of La 
Soufriere. Current rumor has it that this lateral crater which 
is reported to have been formed by the eruption of 1812, had 
played an active part in the present eruption, and that the nar- 
row wall between the two vents had been broken away. 
On June 7th with Dr. E. O. Hovey and a black guide, 
Samuel Brown of the destroyed Lot 14 Estate. I succeeded in 
reaching the crater of 1812 and crawled for some distance out 
upon the narrow divide which separates it from the great 
crater of "La Soufriere." The wall was still standing, no 
evidence that could be gathered indicated the small crater had 
been in eruption during the recent outbreak. 
The eruptions in Martinique have occurred within the 
somma ring of the great summit crater of Mt. Pelee which 
though divided into several foci of activity can scarcelv be re- 
garded as possessing lateral vents. 
From this I believe that while manifestations of volcanic 
energy in the form of outbursts of dust laden steam within the 
river beds have been frequently observed, no true lateral vol- 
canic eruptions have taken place and no true lateral or para- 
sitic craters have yet been formed in the West Indian eruption 
of 1902. 
MINERALS OBSERVED ON BURIED CHINESE 
COINS OF THE SEVENTH CENTURY. 
By Austin F. Roceks, New York. 
Anything that throws light on the formation of minerals 
is welcome to the mineralogist, geologist and student of ore 
deposits. Principal among the objects furnishing such light 
are the so-called artificial minerals, products of the laboratory 
and furnace. 
There is another class of objects forming, as it were, a con- 
necting link between minerals and artificial minerals which 
