SOUFRIERE, AND ON A VISIT TO MONTAGNE PELDE, IN 1902. 
385 
Mr. McDonald estimates the height to which the steam shot upwards at 30,000 
to 40,000 feet. Mr. Darrell considered that a few hours later it was about 8 miles. 
A more reliable estimate is probably that of Major Dodder, R.E., who observed the 
cloud from the military establishment at Morne Fortune, above Castries, St. Lucia, in 
the middle of that afternoon, and found its altitude 12° above the artificial horizon. 
As the distance apart of these two stations is about 27 miles, this gives a height of 
5|- miles. 
Fine ash was raining all around the mountain. At Wallibu the sugar mill was 
working, but they stopped it at 9 o’clock owing to the steady showers of dust. No 
large stones had yet fallen, but at the base of the pillar of steam, dark, heavy matter 
was seen projected during the, greater outbursts and falling back into the crater. It 
was obvious that the emissions proceeded mostly, if not entirely, from the old or 
larger crater. At mid-day the hill was still green, at least on the lower slopes, 
though the bush around the summit had been withered and Ifiasted by the heat. 
About 1 o’clock in the afternoon the epoch of maximum activity supervened. The 
noises were now much louder, and, though not continuous, they accompanied all the 
great outbursts, wliich followed one another in rapid succession. Steam was seen 
ascending from the valleys in tliin streaks at first, but afterwards in dense clouds 
which obscured the view of the mountain. Mr. McDonald mentions that at 1 o’clock 
he saw stones being projected to windward, and again at 1.30 P.M., and in great 
numljers at 1.50. They were carried up by the steam column to heights of thousands 
of feet, and showed “tails of fine black matter.” “Jets of fine black matter,” 
“showers of blackish material,” and “dense black uplieavals” were also seen, 
esjDecially at 12.25 p.m. 
On Wednesday morning the fish sellers who liad crossed to Georgetown on 
Tuesday, started at day-break to return. Nothing had been seen on the windward 
side to make them suspect what was going on at the crater. As they went up the 
path, however, near the “ River Bed ” (about a mile alcove Lot 14), they noticed where 
stones had fallen and indented the earth. This was eaily in the forenoon, probably 
between 8 and 9 o’clock. They pushed on to near the summit of the hill, though 
they heard noises and saw cracks in the earth, for they little knew the dangers they 
were facing. 
The top of the mountain was covered with mist, and the foremost of them followed 
the path up to the base of the summit cone. Some went up to quite near the 
Up of the crater, or possibly even to the actual edge. What they saw there was 
enough to dismay the stoutest hearts. The lake they could hardly have seen, for the 
whole of the crater depression was filled with dense steam. -Tlie bush within tlie 
crater was scorched and withered. There was a strong sulphurous smell, and 
rumblings within the crater mingled with the hissing sound of the steam jets. The 
lip of the crater near the old rest house was covered with “ soft sulphur,” that is to 
say, a coating of mud, probably sulphurous, from the bottom of the lake. Some said 
3 D 
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