DES. T. AXDEESOX AXD J. S. FLEET OX THE EEUPTIOXS OF THE 
“ The Sovfri'ere at St. Vincent. 
“To the Editor, 
“ ‘ Trinidad Chronic-le.’ 
“ Dear Sir, 
“ I obserA'e that, in noticing what the fears of those who dwell in the vicinity of the Soiifriere in 
St. Vincent lead them to regard as possible signs of a coming eruption, you state that the volcano has 
l)een quiescent since the great eruption in 1812. This is not quite correct. There was the small eruption 
of 1814, of which I have a manuscript account by an e 3 ’e-witness. This has never been published. I 
think a few extracts from it may not be uninteresting to j^our readers :— 
“ ‘ On Sunday, January 9th, 1814, about 1 o’clock P.M., I obserA^ed a cloud of smoke issuing from the 
Soufriere. A part appeared to roll down the side of the mountain towards "Wallibu; and a large coliunn 
shot ujiright to a great height. It continued to rise for upAvards of half an hour, when it was detached 
from the mountain and proceeded in a compact liody in a direction nearly ojAposite to that of the (lower 
stratum of) Avind at the time. At about 5 o’clock it had reached the horizon, and before six had entirely 
disapjDeared. During its passage overhead the heat Avas excessive, but I had no thermometer to ascertain 
its deoTee. 
C* 
“ ‘ The erujrtion AA'as preceded by loud noises .... like the discharge of distant artillery. It 
wa.s preceded by a seA^ere earthquake. Dr. , aaEo Avas in a faAmurable position for obserA’ing the 
craters, not onljr remarked an intense light to issue from them, but saAv rocks throAAm to a great height, 
AA’hich seemed to fall back into them. All appearing quiet on hlonday and Tuesday, the craters were 
Ausited on Wednesday. The eruption proved to have been from the old crater. Large rocks had been 
ejected to considerable distances, some haAung been found a quarter of a mile from the edge of the crater, 
AA’hich is streAved AAuth them. There is little alteration in the appearance of the crater, but the water in it 
is boiling Avith great A'iolence. The neAv crater remains unaltered. The rocks around are shattered in 
seA^eral places. One of these fractures is A’ery large.Many of the pieces which have been ejected 
. . . . are entirely unaltered by fire .... but many have been eAudently acted upon and altered by fire, 
but none retained anj" heat.Amongst others Avas a curious specimen of AA’hat I obserA^ed after the 
great eruption. It hcas the colour and someAvhat the appearance of dry sponge, but is very friable, and 
seems prinequally comjiosed of slender glass-like filaments, slightly connected, and enclosing numerous 
pieces of spar and other mineral substances.’ 
“ I may mention that a correspondent of mine states, in addition to the particulars which you quote 
from your correspondent’s letter, that all the beautiful A'egetation, AAdnch for 60 years has adorned the 
slojiing sides of the old crater, and has always been such a remarkable feature in the scene, has been 
destroyed, burnt up as if by fire, it is supposed by volumes of gas, Avhich have rolled round the crater and 
OA^erlapping its edge liaAm rolled some Avay doAvn the leeAAmrd side of the mountain and there, likeAvise, 
destroyed the vegetation. IMountain pigeons and some other birds are commonlj" seen on the heights— 
these seem to haA^e forsaken the dangerous neighbourhood, and the melodious notes of the mysterious, and 
as po^mlarlv belieA’ed invisible, Soufriere bird are no longer heard. 
“ (Signed) H. 
“ SejSember 2Sth, 1880.” 
The note.s by an eye-\vitness of tJie eruption of 1814, contained in this letter, are 
so explicit and carefully Avorded that there can be little doubt that they describe a 
real occurrence, and not merely those deceitful shapes assumed by the drifting trade- 
Avind cloud Avhich frequently mislead superficial obserAmrs, and start the propagation 
of baseless rumours of eruptions. But it is quite improbable that any considerable 
disturbance took place, or that any great activity AA'as manifested. AVe note 
