ST. VINCENT IN 1902, AND ON A VISIT TO MONTAGNE PELEE. 
289 
eruption reached its climax about 2 o’clock in the morning of the 4th. A black cloud 
alive with electric displays stretched itself from the north to the south of the island; 
at 3 a.m. the detonations had become less regular, and at 3.55 a.m. an earthquake 
was noticed at Chateau Belair, and also at the Botanical Gardens, where the 
explosions were considered louder than in May, the “din” being described as terrific. 
From this time the eruptions became less violent, though slight rumblings con¬ 
tinued throughout the day till 5.30 p.m. It was noticed during the eruption that 
material like mud flowed from the crater down the Larikai valley. There was a 
heavy fall of ash on the leeward side of the island. Beginning as a thin layer 
at Barualli, it gradually increased to five to nine inches at Chateau Belair, where 
several buildings were injured by the heavy fall, which consisted of dust, lapilli, and 
black stones. Very little ash fell at Georgetown, or the windward side, and the 
mountains in the middle of the island showed no change in appearance. Mr. Powell 
made an official visit to some native allotments on the leeward side of the island, 
about four miles south of the volcano, in order to estimate the damage. At Rosebank, 
on the seashore, the thickness of the deposit was about three inches. It consisted of 
coarse ash and pieces of pumice stone up to three inches in diameter, with solid stones 
of the size of gravel and occasionally larger. For 1 \ miles inland the damage to the 
native provision grounds was very great, but for the next mile much less. No lives 
were lost. # 
On Sunday, September 21, there was a sharp, but short explosion, very striking- 
in appearance. The people were much frightened, and asserted that there was a 
greater accompaniment of “ fire ” than on previous occasions. Part of the red glow, 
however, may be attributed to the setting sun.f 
On September 18 the telegraph cable to the north, which had been repaired only 
the previous day, was again interrupted. 
On Friday, September 22, Mr. Htjckerby| made an ascent of the Soufriere. 
For some distance, whilst crossing the Wallibu valley, he had to walk ankle deep in 
mud. On the lower ridges he found a plentiful supply of fine ash. About 400 feet 
below the summit a large number of newly ejected blocks were lying about in all 
directions. Great changes had taken place within the crater. He estimated it to be 
150 feet deeper than it was immediately after the eruption of the 7th of May. 
A considerable amount of ash was banked up against the northern wall and part of 
the eastern side, which had become almost perpendicular, while a large portion of the 
Larikai (W.) side had been blown away and the lip lowered several feet. A fissure 
had been formed on the southern lip, from which steam was slowly ascending. The 
bottom of the crater contained a small lake of stone-coloured liquid, which was 
constantly boiling up and sending forth clouds of steam. 
* Mr. Powell’s Report, September 12, 1902. 
t Letter from Mr. Macdonald, of Wallilabu. 
| Rev. T. Hltckerby, in a letter to Dr. Anderson. 
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VOL. CCVIII.—A. 
