294 DR. TEMPEST ANDERSON ON THE ERUPTIONS OF THE SOUFR1ERE IN 
very loud detonations, the earth trembled severely. I immediately went outside, to 
see if the Soufri&re were showing any signs of an eruption. Everything seemed calm 
and quiet on the northern end of the island, but looking in the direction of the harbour 
(Chateau Belair), I noticed three horizontal rings of vapour, one within the other.* 
“ On the 2'lst large volumes of steam were emitted from the crater, and early the 
following morning detonations and rumblings were heard. At 7.25 a.m. the explosive 
period of the eruption commenced, the usual black cloud, cauliflower in shape and 
fringed with various colours, rose to a tremendous height and then passed away 
in all directions. The regular detonations and explosions ceased about 10 o’clock. 
Occasionally, during the day, noises proceeded from the crater, as if some great 
monster were in distress. There were three earthquakes between 7 and 8 in the 
morning, and one at 9 o’clock. After the detonations and explosions had ceased, the 
crater continued to send forth dust-laden vapour, without cessation, right on to the 
30th of March. On the last-named date I visited the coast as far as the Larikai 
valley. Very little ejecta had fallen at Wallibu. At Morne Ronde there was a 
depth of 4 inches of new grey dust. At the opening of the Larikai valley there 
was a fall of 6f- inches. Further along the coast, at the bottom of the Larikai 
ravine, there was a depth of 20 feet of new ejecta, indicating that there must have 
been a considerable flow from the western lip of the crater. A bomb, found 
in a heated condition on the top of a deep layer of ash, proved to be 75 lbs. in 
weight. Between 8 and 9 o’clock on the night of the same day the whole of the 
crater seemed as if it was lighted up by electricity. I concluded that the bottom of 
the crater was in a luminous condition and reflected its glow on everything around 
and on the cloud above. The light lasted for a few minutes and was followed by the 
ordinary emissions of dense clouds of steam. 
“ On the 31st T started on a trip round the island. I found that the material dis¬ 
tributed on the windward side of the island was very different from that which had 
fallen on the leeward side. The deposit on the leeward side, except in the Larikai 
ravine, was consistently grey dust, while on the windward side, ash, pumice, and 
large pieces of dull chocolate-coloui'ed material preponderated. The pumice, which I 
had picked up at Owia, has the appearance of a pink sponge. 
“ At the beginning of April I again visited the Soufriere. The inside of the crater 
presented an entirely different appearance, the bottom was filled up to about the old 
water level, with chocolate-coloured ash. In the centre of this new deposit was a 
comparatively narrow hole, which I concluded was the mouth of the funnel. The 
southern lip had been raised by the outflowing dust. A large portion of the north¬ 
eastern wall had been blown out and a fair number of fissures, which had formed in 
the new deposit of the crater, were throwing up a large amount of steam. 
* Two such concentric rings were also seen at Chateau Belair on August 30, 1902, before the eruption 
of September 3.—(Mr. Chastenet, quoted by Mr. Macdonald in a letter to Dr. Anderson.) See also 
the eruption of October 13, 14, supra. 
