SOUFRIEEE, AND ON A VISIT TO MONT A ONE PELEE, IN 1902. 
415 
somewhat cleared the atmosphere and dissipated the sulphurous fumes. Lightning 
and thunder accompanied the rain. 
About 2.30 P.M. there was a considerable increase of activity, and as the afternoon 
was fairly clear, it was possible to see that great clouds of smoke were being 
discharged from the site of the old crater. Captain Calder notes that at this time 
“ molten lava was coursing down each deep ravine, clouds of wdiite vapour marking 
its path over the damp earth.”* This is the first record of steam eruptions in the 
valleys after rains due to the action of the water of the streams on the hot ashes 
through which they flowed. All the afternoon there was thunder and lightning, with 
possibly also noises from the mountain, and dense clouds, partly of rain, partly of 
steam mixed with ashes, floated to lee’ward, obscuring the coast line and the slopes 
Avhich face Chateaubelair. During the evening there was more rain and thnnder, with 
lightning, which was very vivid, and continued at intervals through the whole night. 
On Friday, the 9th May, there were loud noises and rumblings in the early morning, 
and about 7 o’clock vast masses of dark smoke were ascending from tlie crater, and 
what was supposed to he a stream of boiling mud or lava was seen rushing downwards 
through the valley of the Wallihu to the sea. After this it became very dark in 
Chateaubelair, the heat was intense, and breathing was difficult. In Georgetown the 
sound of the eruption was also heard, and there was a shower of small stones, followed 
by fine aslies. From Kingstown a great column of smoke was seen to shoot upwards 
in the air above the volcano. The rumbling sonnd was heard for half an hour or less. 
Flashes of lightning were visible in the clouds, but not generally over the sky. There 
was a slight fall of fine dust, and the air was foggy with suspended matter. At 
Fancy, on the north shore of the island, stones and sand continued to fall for nearly 
two hours, and during that time there was darkness (though not total). 
Although the descriptions of what was seen from Chateauljelair are not very lucid 
or satisfactory, it is certain that there was an outlnirst on Friday morning, which may 
have been accompanied b}^ a manifestation of the l)lack cloud phenomenon on a small 
scale. The amount of matter discharged was quite inconsiderable compared witli that 
of the great eruption of the 7th, and as the danger-zone was almost completely 
vacated, no loss of life occurred. 
During the whole afternoon of Friday slaty-coloured vapours were emitted by the 
crater, and fine dust was falling on the leeward parts of the mountain. Showers of 
rain are recorded as having taken place several times during the day, and there was 
a good deal of thunder and lightning, with occasional noises from the volcano. From 
the ravines on the side towards Chateanbelair steam and dark vapours were often 
seen to ascend. Mr. McDonald inmarks that from some of the valleys discharges ol 
vapour took place, each accompanied by a Hash of lightning and a peal of thunder. 
He observed that from the ravines clouds of steam were rising, and these led to the 
belief that fissures were formed in the valleys, or streams of lava were flowing down 
* ‘ Century Magazine,’ vol. Ixiv, August, 1902, p. 637. 
