SOUFEIEEE, AND ON A VISIT TO MONTAGNE PELEE, IN 1902. 
389 
as 200 yards, and on the north as 20 yards, there remains a considerable part of the 
central part of the lake of which the depth and configuration are not known. No 
trace of any interior cone, however, can be found in Mr. Huggins’s soundings, 
especially as he states that the depth in the centre was about 87 fathoms, and if 
there was none it certainly seems unlikely that comparatively unimportant outbursts 
like those of Tuesday, May 6, 1902, should have built up a new cone not less than 
500 feet in height. In that case it may he that the ruddy light was the reflection of the 
surface of molten lava exposed in cracks and fissures in the sides of the crater. It 
must be remembered that not more than one-third of the depth of the depression was 
occupied by water, and the level of the lake on Tuesday forenoon did not tlifler 
greatly from the normal. Mr. Whymper’s"^ description of the crater of Cotopaxi as 
he saw it, is of great interest in this respect.—“ We saw an amphitheatre 2300 feet 
in diameter from north to south, and 1650 feet across from east to west, with a rugged 
and irregular crest, notched and cracked; surrounded by clifts, by perpendicular and 
even overhanging precipices—some hearing snow, and others apparently encrusted 
with sulphur. Cavernous recesses belched forth smoke ; the sides of cracks and 
chasms no more than half-way down shone with ruddy light; and so it continued on 
all sides, right down to the bottom, probably 1200 feet below us.” 
The Northern and Eastern sides of tiie Mountain .—Apprehension and anxiety 
jDrevailed among the inhaljitants of the north shore of the island during the 
forenoon of Wednesday. About 10 or 11 o’clock boats arrived to take away 
some of tlie people, and they brought news that from Chateaubelair the 
Soufriere had been seen giving off clouds of steam, and that a red glow had 
been visible on the summit dining the previous night. About 1 ] o’clock thick dark 
grey clouds were noticed over the summit of the SoufriMe. As seen from Fancy 
“ they continued to increase and ascend higher in the air and assume the form of 
flowers bursting into bloom, the dark ashen-grey clouds lieing interspersed with 
streaks of silver. Simultaneously there were earthquakes, severe rumbling noises, 
and flashes of lightning. The volumes of smoke seemed to take a north-easterly course, 
and as the day was calm their progress in that direction was not impeded.”! 
Mr. Dux, of Owia, reports that he heard noises at 10.15 A.M., 12.30 P.M., and 
12.45 P.M. The first was like the rumbling of a heavy goods train, but the second 
sounded like a great explosion, and left no doubt in his mind of the reality of the 
eruption. They were accompanied by earthquakes, and about 11 o’clock a little rain 
fell containing fine particles of ash. 
On the windward side the night of Tuesday had passed without anything having 
been seen which indicated the proximity of danger. On Wednesday morning it 
became widely known that it was rumoured from Chateaubelair that the Soufriere 
was in eruption, but in the absence of positive evidence a general scepticism prevailed. 
* E. Whymper, ‘ Travels amongst the Great Andes of the Equator,’ p. 152. 1892. 
t Narrative furnished by Mr. Cubbix. 
