SOUFRIERE, AND ON A VISIT TO MONTAGNE PELEE, IN 1902. 
465 
together in its course dovcn the slope of the mountain, until it precipitated itself down some vast 
ravine, concealed from our sight by the intervening ridges of Morne Ronde. Vast globular bodies of fire 
were seen projected from the fiery furnace, and bursting, fell back into it, or over it on the suri'ounding 
bushes, which were instantly set in flames. About four hours from the lava boiling over the crater it 
reached the sea, as we could observe from the reflection of the fire and the electric flashes attending 
it. About half-past one another stream of la’^'a was seen descending to the‘eastward towards Rabaka. 
The thundering noise of the mountain, and the vibration of sound that harl been so formidable hitherto, 
now mingled in the srrllen, monotonous roar of the rolling lava, became so terrible that dismay was 
almost turned into despair. At this time the first earthcpiake rvas felt; this was followed by showers 
of cinders, that fell with the hissing noise of hail, during two hours ; at 3 o’clock a rolling on theuoofs 
of the houses indicated a fall of stones, which soon thickened, and at length descended in a rain of 
intermingled fire that threatened at once the fate of Pompeii' or Hercuhuieum. The crackling and 
coruscations from the crater at this period exceeded all that had yet passed; the eyes were struck 
with momentary blindness, and the ears stunned with the glomeration of sounds. People sought shelter 
in cellars, under rocks, or anywhere, for everywhere was nearly the same ; and the miserable negroes, 
flying from their huts, were knocked down or wounded, many killed in the open air. Several houses 
were set on fire; the estates situated in the immediate vicinity seemed doomed to destruction. Had the 
stones that fell been proportionately heavy to their size, not a living creature could have escaped 
without death; these having undergone a thorough fusion, they were divested of their natural gravity 
and fell almost as light as jJiime.r, though in some places as large as a man’s head. This dreadful rain 
of stones and fire lasted upwards of an hour, and was again succeeded by cinders from 3 till 6 o'’cldCk in 
the morning; earthcpiake followed earthcpiake almost momentarily,, or rather the whole of this part of the 
island was in a state of continued oscillation, not agitated by shocks, vertical or horizontal, but undulated 
like water shaken in a bowl. 
“ The break of day, if such it could be called, was truly terrific. Darkness was only visible at 8 o’clock, 
and the birth of May dawned like the Day of Judgment. A chaotic gloom enveloped the mountain, and 
an impenetrable haze hung over the sea, with black, sulphurous clouds of a sulphurous cast. 'The whole 
island was covered with favilla, cinders, scorite, and broken masses of volcanic matter. Tt was not until 
the afternoon the muttering noise of the mountain sunk gradually into-a solemn yet susjjicious silence. 
Such were the particulars of this sublime and tremendous scene, from comm.encement Jo catastrophe.: to 
describe the eft'ects is, if possil)le, a more difficult and truly most distressing task.” 
In Shephard’s ‘Historical Account of the Island of St. Vincent’ (London,’18'31) 
there is an account of this eruption, which is obviously very largely extracted from 
that given above. It is valuable, however, in that it gives some further particulars 
as to the subsecpient history of tlie mountain, and the distribution and amount of the 
damage incurred :— 
“The volcano still, however, burned, and on June 9th it again gave alarming signs of activity, but 
nothing more occurred than the throwing up of a cpiantity of stones and ashes, which fell back into the 
abyss from whence they came. All the former beauty of the Soufriere was, of course, destroyed ; the conical 
mount disappeai’ed, and an extensive lake of yellow-coloured water, whose agitated wave's perpetually 
threw up vast epantities of black sand, supplied its place. A-new-crater was formed on the north-east, of 
the original one, and the face of the mountain was entirely cliangecL-. Many_of tLe adjoining ravines weie 
filled up, particularly Wallibu and Duvallie’s. In the formey the river was absorbed for some years, but 
the gradual accumulation of water burst through the sandy barrier, and carried away many negio houses 
in its progress ; 32 slaves, belonging to Wallibu estate, were washed into the sea .by the torrent. At 
Duvallie’s, the former settlement of the Carib chief, a sugar plantation had been established by Messrs. 
YOL. CC.—A. 3 O 
