402 
DES. T. ANDERSON AND J. S. ELETT ON THE ERUPTIONS OF THE 
the groiiiirl. But in all tlie district round the volcano, during the earlier part of the 
afternoon, the inhahitants felt that the temperature of the air was unusually high, and 
rendered exertion difficult. Most of them also remarked that their throats were 
parched and dry, and their thirst excessive. This may have been the effect not only 
of the high temperature of the air, but also of the fine dust which irritated the 
mucous membranes. It seems quite clear that the sudden discharge of enormous 
masses of incandescent sand into the atmosphere was sufficient to raise its tempera¬ 
ture all over the northern part of St. Vincent during a period of at least a couple of 
hours. It is unfortunate that we have no readings of the thermometer which would 
enable us to ascertain how far these effects proceeded. 
Bain does not appear to liave fallen in abundance anvwhere immediately around 
tlie hill that afternoon and night vdiile the eruption was at its maximum or drawing 
gradually to a close. During the morning and forenoon there were local showers, 
especially on the windward side, but, though they were heavy, they were certainl}’ 
not general. As already stated, the climax of the eruption was heralded in some 
places by showers of hot mud, or wet, hot ashes, which scalded not a few peojjle. But 
on the leeward side tire day was essentially dry, and at Kingstown, though the ash at 
first fell wet, there were no I'ains of any consequence. It is not a little remarkable 
that the discharge of such enormous quantities of water vapour into the air should not 
have been accompanied by condensation or })recipitation on a large scale; but, what¬ 
ever may be the reasons for it, the fact remains that the great eruption of the 
Soufriere was essentially a dry ei'uption. 
Vfhen tire great black cloud was seen rushing out to sea past Chateauhelair, even 
those whom courage, or a sense of duty, or helplessness, had led to linger in the 
village, were struck with one impulse to escape. We have some graphic narratives of 
that flight, which give us a picture of the demoralisation of the black population and 
the terrors of the eriq^tion, so vivid as to he worth reproducing here. Dr. Dunbar 
Hughes and Captain Carder, who had hotli gone there by order of the Administrator, 
Avere the last to leave, and Captain Carder’s account of his escape is as folloAvs"^ ;— 
“When the black people realised their clanger most of them grew madlj' excited, and in a few minutes 
everything in the shape of a boat or canoe pushed off from the shore, weighted down to a dangerous 
degree with human freight, each one excitedly urging on the others. I could then have left with the 
police in our boat, but with three or four hundred refugees on the shore I cpiickly determined that our 
duty was to remain. 
“ While I Avas speaking to the people in the street, the excitement and danger were increased by hot, 
half-melted stones falling from the envelojnng cloud. I ordered everyone in the streets to leave the 
town at once, and. to prevent injury l»y falling stones, I directed them to take old boards and 
shingles from the dilapidated houses and cover their heads. Stones up to half a pound in weight were 
now falling, while the suhdiurous fumes and fine light dust rendered breathing difficult. So, with at 
least three hundred refugees in front, we started out of the Chateauhelair vallej’, accompanied by the 
* ‘ Century Magazine,’ August 1902, p. 636. 
