394 
DRS. T. A^7)ERS0N ANl^ .T. S. FLETT OX THE EEUPTTOXR OF THE 
of a crew fleelno- from a dreadful death. But the cloud was travellinof at least 
twice or thrice as fast. The curtain-like lateral margin of the dense black cloud 
was almost stationary, or consisted of gentle eddies at the side of a rushing torrent. 
Another man, who was caught in this cloud and survived, gave us a very interesting 
narrative wliich confirms those we have been considerino-. He was comino- .south from 
o o 
Campobello on the north shore in a boat with several others. That morning he had 
gone north from Morne Ilonde to rescue his family, and when he got to Campobello 
the people there knew nothing of the eruption. His party left at 1 o’clock, and a 
little later they passed Windsor Forest. This was a grazing estate, and he saw that 
all the cattle were gathered on the beach, running to and fi’o and bellowing with 
terror. A feAv minutes later he heard the sound of a great explosion and saw a huge 
black mass pouring out of the Wallibu and Larikai A^alleys to the south of him. 
Terrified, he started to return, but at Baleine another similar cloud was rushing down 
the ravines on the mountain side to the north. No course remained open except to 
stand right out to sea. 
Small stones began to fall in the boat. Then he was enveloped in dense darkness 
and ash fell, at first wet but afterwards dry and quite cold. By this time they were 
several miles out from the shore. Another boat was quite near him when the dark¬ 
ness descended. It was never seen again, but with its occupants was totally lost. 
He thinks it was filled with sand and sunk, for the downpour of ash and stones was 
so heavy that they had to keep constantly bailing it out. “ It rained as fast as if 
three men were throwing in sand with shovels.” 
He rowed right out to sea, and that night the tide took him to quite near St. Lucia. 
When it turned, it carried him back again, and next morning he landed near 
Chateaubelair. 
This narrative proves that the black cloud swept over the north-west side of the 
mountain, and that here also it poured down the valleys almost like a torrent of 
water. It was much less dense in this quarter than at Wallibu, and when it had 
passed a few miles from the shore, though laden with dust and stones, it was quite 
cold, and was moving so slowly that it did not overturn his boat or raise the sea 
sufficiently to make it dangerous. He did not mention anv great smell of sulphur, 
but stated tliat the lio-htnino' was terrific, and there was a continuous rumble in the 
cloud “ like the inllino- of a harrel.” 
Co 
We have also the reports of several conqietent observers who saw the cloud from a 
distance of several miles as it rolled out over the sea past Chateauhelair. The Ptev. 
Mr. Darrell, of Kingstown, in a brief account of the eriq)tion, which was printed in 
Kingstown on May 12, writes as follows ;—• 
“ e were rapidly proceeding to our destination when an immense cloud, dark, dense, and apparently 
thick with volcanic material, descended over our pathway, impeding our progress and warning us to 
proceed no further. This mighty Imnk of sulphurous vapour and smoke assumed at one time the shape 
of a gigantic promontory, then a collection of twirling, revolving cloud-wliorls, turning with rapid 
