New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-02

| year-in every day IN the month ascent
| the charming plateau of Aatouba, which
| Is TO the island OF GuadelOup2 as parteTT'
| to garden, and you have an abundance
! which never fails; asparagus which flourish
! III their trenches. artichokes that bristie
| peas whose pods bend the branches. melOn
| that grow yellow in the sun. stra W berries
| whose flowers smell like daisies, and cher
! enc parts where the fruits pave the grOunC
| and flowers embalm the air What do VII
! in Europes tI0ed heavens! what DO re
| L ask myself every Gay vixen my hers'
| treads under his feet The piles of orange
which make him stumble in the parks o
Beaupin Duplessis. Alas! ! could not an
swer my own ipguigy then, aad know NJ
better to-day.
Even though the Grand Terre is of reg
uiar aspect, Guadeloupe itself is varied if
its surface. The mountains, which occupy
the central part and toward which tht
country rises gradually and by slopes ina
nense and magnificent, as gigantic stair
way, have all been formerly principally
volcanoes, for the lava ia still piled il
black and 'DonstrOus blocks from the SUM
nit OF the mountains 70 the seashOre
Ahelr highest summit, the queen OF then
all, lie SOUtfgitre, bOifs with "a frightfu
noise, and pOHrs its thick yapor ipceseantl !
through the vents OF it's dark abyss
foot of the mountains, and flow il all direc
tons. To these the most beautiful streams
OF the u Ieunes are bue as the sills ct tins
gardener Of these runs some are cod
others hOS, for GuaGel0upe has perhaps the
most abundant therina! waters in :hs
world
But among sSese there are three which
can not well De imagined or forgotten
They are called sIatouba Dole and tn.
Vii. al / q ,A,N,, H..
must unite in the same view the memOrIs
of The most charming places-the hills OF
Bath the tees OF KeGsing5oa, ard the t,,r!
of Pennsylvania.
MatOuba is half way up Sh9 mountains.
which shelter it from the winds. IL iS IN
the midst OF the coffee estates, and al Its
foot lie the sugar plantations. 1t Flses 20
the elevation of the forests. 1t is traversed
by clear rivulets, which murmur among the
banana plants softening by their moisture
the rays of the sun and the vapors which
float around the volcano and descend upon
the orange groves. Over every part so OBJ
structed IGculererSeel by obstacles enc
marches in sulphur pure and sublim&ted)
half leg deep. There are places like grot-
toes sheltered by enormous webs where
this sulphur may be dug up like sand with
the pick and loaded into carts. Baskets IN
verified and placed on the chimnies will be
filled with sulphur in two or three days.
Why, then, does not some one utilize this
sulphur furnace? Has no one ever thought
of doing So Certainly. But this misera-
BILE Guadeloupe has for long time been in
the hands of fossil administration, III
capable and Jealous 1t guards with the
malice of eunuch those treasures which it
can neither appreciate nor enjoy.
In descending tho SOutfriere on the west
ern side, we find half way down, a singular
crater opened since the last eruption. 1t is
a round hole made in the hard and per
pendicular rock, as a bullet hole of large
calibre. Through this escapes with fright
full Kissing, an enormous jet of steam. Its
force is so great that stones thrown into
this orifce are thrown into the air. while
from the base of the mountain escape tor
rents of thermal waters, chalybeate and i'm
pi egnated with sulphur, of any degree of
heat, side by side with other fountains OF
Geld and clear water. Cavities have been
dug where the bathers resort, and as the
waters deposit in some of them yellow
sediment. they have called these the yellow
bath
The boidest stream OF thermal water. che
most accessible and best arranged, is that
belonging to n. Beauvailon. which escapes
tr0m the foot Of Morne Gouyayier This
spring large enough 20 turn a mill, bursts
forth on q level space among rocks volcanic
and calCin'd. 4 vat some feet il depth.
shaded by vines, holds the water, o? wheel,
the greater part PUSHES Mostly pat. Wild
plants incline toward this receptacle, and
warm their tender stems in the yapGrs
which rise perpetuallT. ! visited these
baths On my way go the volcano of the
Soutfriere. I assembled on the twenty see
Ond of March, guided by NJ. Mieheville, an
intrepid hunter of the forest We left the
yellow baths at sunrise and walked up
Mount Gouyayier to reach Gcchran's
meadow. This is the name of wide heath
at the foot of th3 Soutfriere, covered with
stunted shrubs, whose branches are with
cred with the cinders that fall from the
volcano. When the English occupied
f.uadeloape, Admiral Cochran went with
large escort TO visit the SOutfriere, and 40
the yellow baths had not then been estab-
lished he pitched his tent and passed the
night on this heath, which has since that
time borne his name. 1t is crossed by a
ravine which is Usually ,vered with VapOr.
but in which may be found water cold and
pleasant - drink.
As you approach the solc&no shis ais
becomes charged with sulphurous exh&-
latiOns, which are noe, however. particU-
larly disagrceaOle for respiration. The
SoutfrieEe is nearly con!cal in shape, and its
sides, deprived Of trees, are covered with
>canty vegetables, among which may be
observed a sort OF wild pineapple para
sitical, like those which spring FROM the
bark and branches of the silk cotton tree.
We assembled the southern side, following
q rough path whore but one person could
pass and which is SO steep as to require
frequent rests, unless the tourist should be
as strong as any guide, whe assembled the
whole way without pausing to take breath.
Ia about halls an hour after leaving the
Cochran meadow Sye arrived AZ She s.is1-
nit Of the volcano.
couis: conceive .: nothing more Dis
torted. confused ana fri.htfui than the
summit OF This suiphurOus mounfaiP. i il
quite large level spaCe formed 81 vol
canic rock without: soil. and bearing the
impress Of many shocks, which have success
svely given il many changes OF form. 81.
immense ehasns. which "Opens 3ue east ana
west. and which "a formed hv two perpep-
,licuar walls Of rock many hundred feet in
depth. gives Sens 90 a perpetual discharge
OF steam and sulphUrOus Vspor. The rGck,
% Tar as the eye san penetrate ito depth. is
tayestred with :. heautifu! yellow coating.
brilliant with crystals. and when large
stones are thrown into this chasm, they are
heard te leap from one abyss 10 another Tor
several seconds. with sOnOrOus echo.
which grows less and less audibfe with the
depth Ihi. remarkable elf is not mere
than two hundred PAGES in length,
and il scarcely fifty PAGES in width.
as these Walls are perpendicular, one
cn9 advance 70 9he edge without dan
ger. Il may be walled around without di'
icuIty either os, she right or left. and !.
may I've even crossed by = peri,oas 6ri':g.
.or!nsd OF enormous blocks of stone. which
are ieayed UP and leaning against each
o,he: along 'h" ehasm. The part ~! 'his
a@ei space. being "H me north side -: 'hI>
bridge. has i'eci, broken w ana left n q
.ea!.y state by t!.e last esuptiou. wA!ciI ct
cUfre.S some ION. % live year. since. I. 10
/. type of III st'sctive !DEc. in liz most c"jo7-
"a! and ts:Ijh'" aspect. Rocks which alarm
the sight by 'L"ir immense proportions,
have been bcrH"n 20 snC: scattered a. gan.
0. sand.