SOUFRIERE, AND ON A VISIT TO MONTAGNE PELTE, IN 1902. 
395 
velocity, now assuming the shape of gigantic cauliflowers, then efflorescing into beautiful flower shapes 
some dark, some effulgent, some bronze, others pearly white, and all brilliantly illumined by electric 
flashes. Darkness, however, soon fell upon us. The sulphurous air was laden with fine dust that fell 
thickly upon and around us, discolouring the sea; a black rain began to fall, followed by another rain of 
favilla, lapilli, and scoriae. The electric flashes were marvellously rapid in their motions, and numerous 
beyond all computation. These, with the thundering noise of the mountain, mingled with the dismal 
roar of the lava, the shocks of earthquake, the falling of stones, the enormous quantity of material 
ejected from the belching craters, producing a darkness as dense as a starless night, together Avith the 
plutonic energy of the mountain, groAving greater and greater every moment, comliined to make up a 
scene of horrors.” 
Dr, Christian Branch, of Kingstow]i, tvas in the same lioat, and gives the 
following description of the scene ;— 
“ We did not go far, for the first point Ave rounded disclosed a horrid black, solid Avail of smoke jutting 
into the sea, about tAvo or three miles from us. It looked like a promontory of solicl land, but it rolled 
and tumbled and spread itself out, until, AA'hen Ave could last see it sometime later, it must have e.vtended 
quite 8 miles over the sea to the west. It aa^s eAudent Ave could not go through it, and if it overtook us, 
as it seemed likely to do, Ave AAmuld be lost in darkness, even if nothing poisonous A\'as in it. 
“ The island to the north of us and north-east Avas noAv covered Avith a mighty black pall of smoke, 
perhaps tAAm miles deep, and the smoke column Avas noAv a vast shapeless blackness. Then began the 
most gorgeous display of lightning Ave could conceive. All around us and above, so near, that several 
times I saAv it betAveen us and the cliffs not 200 yards off. It Avas still bright daylight Avith us, but the 
Avhole atmosphere quivered and shimmered Avith AA’av'y lines intersecting each other like trellice Avork. 
We were encircled in a Inistling ring of fiery bayonets. It aa^s too stupendous to terrify; one could only 
marvel and feel nervous. A feAV stones plumped in the sea around us, and then fell pretty thickly. 
They Avere light pebbles for the most part, and only these fell in the boat. A nasty shoAver of mud 
folloAAmd the lightning, and then a long shoAver of gritty sand. After this a fog of fine dust descended, 
and it got darker and darker, until Ave could Avith great difficulty see the shore and points along which 
Ave steered.” 
On the wind ward side of the island the black cloud descended in probably no less 
volume than to leeward. Its main current flowed down the valley of the Rabaka 
Dry River as, at Owia on the north-west side of the island, and at Georgetown, 
which stands well to the south of tlie valley, its action, though traceable, was not 
devastating or lethal. 
In the Carih country work in the fields had stopped, and in the sugar vmi'ks, 
though they were full of people, no sugar making was going on. Everyone was 
watching the progress of the eruption in mingled fear and admiration. Small stones 
began to fall after mid-day, and about half past one in some places there were 
showers of hot scalding mud. Tlie cattle, horses and mules Avere mostly out grazing, 
hut nearly all the people had gathered into the more substantial buildings, the 
managers’ houses or the stores and cellars attached to the sugar Avorks, though many 
were in their huts in the villages adjoining the estates. Some had been struck 
with falling stones, but as yet probably no one was killed, and but feAv injured. 
Then, AAuth a loud roar, at 2 o’clock the great convulsion came. Those who Avere 
in the open air saAv the Imge black cloud rolling doAvn the mountain in glohulai’, 
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