SOUFEIERE, AND ON A VISIT TO MONTAGNE PELEE, IN 1902. 
.381 
a minute or two of landing, however, one of the party exclaimed, ‘ Soulfiere is bursting 
now^,’ and on looking toward the mountain I saw enormous vertical columns of white 
Ampour being ejected, virtually noiselessly, and was now quite convinced that an 
eruption had been, and was now taking place.” 
At 7.30 p.M. a great explosion followed, accompanied by a loud noise and by slight 
earthquakes. The discharge of vapour Avas greater than any of those Avhich preceded 
it. Mr. McDonald notes that he observed “ tlanie along the whole line of the top 
of the crater, forming a thin red sparkling line between the base of the column of 
vapour and rim of the crater.”"^ 
Thereafter at intervals of about two hours similar discharges took place, and some 
of them were reported to be also accompanied by dame. 
By means of the telephone, constant communication wars kept up between the 
police station at Chateaubelah’ and the liead office in Kingstown, and seeing that as 
the afternoon and eA’ening jjassed on, Chateaubelair AA^as becoming more and more 
crowded Avith refugees, and the excitement hourly Ijecame more intense. Captain 
Calder, the Chief Constable, decided to proceed thither Avith an additional force of 
pohcenien. Dr. Dunbar Hughes, the district Medical Officer, and Dr. Christian 
Branch, Medical Officer at KingstoAAui, accompanied him, and the Avritten notes 
supplied to us by these three gentlemen form a very Amluable body of evidence as to 
the course of eA^ents from this point ouAvard. 
Their boat aatis entering Chateaubelair Bay just about miduiglit. The night AA'as 
calm and clear, and on the AA^ay north they had passed seA^eral boats laden with 
fugitffies fleeing soutliAAmrd. Just as they reached the wharf, a powerful ex23losion 
took jJace. A column of steam ascended “rather higher tlian the mountain itself, 
that is to say, about 4000 feet.” Dr. Branch continues : “ The AA'liole AAudth of the 
mountain toji AAms outlined AA’ith leajjing flames, red, and having the same apjjearance 
as a cane field on fire . . . Immediately, as the flames died doAvn, a rattling roar 
like that of burning canes reached us.” Crqjtain Calder describes it as follows : 
“ The Avhole tojj of the mountain burst into flame, the long flashes of deeji red fire 
travelling from the top doAviiAvard in a circular track, just like fire ljursting fioin a 
head of smithy coal AAdien fanned by a strong draugdit from the belloAvs. Tliis AAms 
immediately folloAved by an explosion as of much lieaAy ordnance, dying aAAmy in a 
long-drawn angry grumble.” Dr. Dunbar Hughes compares tlie noise to the “sound 
of a fast-going cab on cobble stones, but much exaggerated.” Tliey found the black 
population madly excited, and standing gazing on the mountain. Dining the night 
at least two outbursts took place Avith a loud noise. 
The results of the observations made by persons at Moiiie Bonde, Wallibu, 
Bichmond, Bichmond Vale, and Chateaubelair (all on the sea coast along the south¬ 
west side of the mountain) during the day and night of Tuesday, May 6th, may be 
summed up as follows :—The first emissions of steam Avere seen someAviiat before 
* See Apijeiidix II. 
