SOUFEIERE, AND ON A VISTT TO MONTxVGNE PELFE, IN 1902. 
475 
and preparations had been made among the troops to repel attack. Thick clouds 
covered the sky except near the southern horizon, where a bright light shone through 
a thin cloud-veil. The morning was still and calm, and the appearance of slcy and 
air so unusual that he was apprehensive of an impending catastrophe, and hastened 
to the house of some friends. B}’- 7 o’clock it was much darker, at half-past 
seven candles were required; by eight it was pitch dark—“ so dark that we could 
not perceive our hands when held up Ijefore our faces at two feet distance.” This 
continued till 12.25 P.M., when the light returned and rapidly increased till near 
objects could accurately be perceived. About 3 or 4 o’clock the light was fairly 
good, hut the air hazy. Fine ashes fell all day till 8 o’clock at night. 
“ In order to ascertain the quantity vhicli had fallen, Air. H. last night took up that vhich lay upon 
a foot square, when it measi;red three pints somewhat pressed into the measure, and weighed 1| lb. 
“ This morning another square foot, where the surface was hard and level, gave, in f inch and 4 iuch in 
depth, three pints loosely filled up in measure, and 1 lb. 74 ozs. in weight. 
“ Against the bottoms of windows, doors, and walls it was considerably deeper. But assuming the 
product of my experiment as the medium quantity which fell on a foot square throughout the island, 
and estimating from our best maps the quantity of land in the island at 106,470 acres, the total quantity 
of this extraneous substance which is now on its surface, independent of that which is on the trees, could 
not be less than 1,739,187,750 gallons wine measure, or 6,811,817,512 lb. avoirdupois.” 
According to tbi.s estimate, a total of al)oiit 3,000,000 tons fell on the surface of 
Barbados, whicli is nearly twice that estimated to have fallen this year. Although 
both accounts differ somewhat in respect of tliis point, they agree in making the fall 
of ashes greater than it was in May, 1902, ljut it is very doubtful if the old estimates 
are anything like as accurate as the modern ones. 
Further Activity in 1814 and in 1880. 
It is generally supposed that in 1812 tlie Soufrim’e harl relapsed into repose, and 
that the lake whicli has occupied its crater since the last great eruption has l^een 
undisturbed by volcanic emissions till the beginning of this year. But tliere is good 
evidence that this is not altogether the case, and we are indebted to Dr. Nicholls, 
O.M.G., of Dominica, a gentleman who has done much for the advance of scientific 
knowledge regarding the Caribbean Islands, for bringing to our notice a most 
interesting correspondence which appeared in the ‘Trinidad Chronicle’ in 1880. 
Had his quick eye not detected its importance at the time, and had he not carefully 
preserved it, we should certainly have missed it altogether. Inquiries made at the 
Colonial Office showed that there was no mention of volcanic activity, on the dates 
mentioned, in the official papers and despatches. 
It seems that in September, 1880, reports reached Trinidad that apprehension was 
being felt in St. Vincent regarding the state of the Soufriere, and that an eruption 
was feared. On September 28th the following letter was printed in the ‘ Trinidad 
Chronicle ’:—■ 
p 2 
O 
O 
