The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-15
BIRTHSTONE.

PROFESSOR aEssNERs VISIT TO THE SULPHUR
BEDS OF THE ISLAND OF SABA RIVAL
OF SICILY IN THE WEST INDIES.
ST. THOMAS, March 20, 1875.
! To THR EDITOR OF THE HERALD
i My visit to the island OF Saba. about 100 miles
from here and one of the windward Group, has
been very interesting, and hope that some account
OF IL may prove so to your readers. rhe island is
a volcanic cone, about two miles in diameter and
some 5000 leet In neight at the peak. The prlnc-
pal town ana seat OF government Is Leverock SIT
uated 1000 feet alb We the sea, in the oowl-shaped
valley Of the old crater. In this town had my
quarters Tor two weeks making excursions from
It to all parts OF the island. There are lew
cocoanut. banana and tamarlnd trees scat
tered about the town, which contains some 500
people, composed or population OF half whites
and half blacks. The population Of the whole
island Is about 1900. nv ooec' IN visiting this
strange island was the examination oil the much
\ talked-of sulphur deposits | lost no time
alter arrival in org MIXING party 10 act as guides
and assistants. My landlord, very intelligent
man ana water carrier, ana some fine looking
negroes with picks ana snovels formed the party.
My march began at six IN the morning. The
scene rom my door 10 Leverock was novel and
grand. Just In front Of me two lava peaks, part
OF the rim OF the old crater, some seven
hundred feet, like giants antiquity. TO the right
and left the sea appeared through The wide
assures made by former eruptons. AT tue back
the Peak OF Saba, with the clouds whirling around
1t tinuay, rose q 900 feet. Now and then these
clouds would fall in rain the little valley, the
sun shining brightly all the time. There are no
carriage roads IN Saba, all the transportation
being Done by the negroes, who carry enormous
II loads upon their heads with great apparent ease.
\ The paths are In some places very stony, and the
climbing is sometimes very hazardous. Though
made many excursions In saba, aud saw evidences
OF The existence OF birthstone during the most OF
them VIII describe one only, which may seem TO
give an idea OF all.
The little yellow boy who acts as water carrier
Is at the door, his eyes dancing at the prospect OF
q days pickniclng and silver half dollar; ana
when he is duly loaded with bread and butter,
cold meats a bottle OF rum and one OF water. all
Of VIII Oh ne carries in a basket neatly balanced
upon his nead we depart. Ny landlord leads the
way, / follow with the nghtest OF clothing and
sun umbrella, the miners come next and the yes-
low boy brings up the rear. Our way lies over st.
Johns HILL which is ]. 500 ieet above the sea- wi tn
SIN II cluster OF houses upon its top. From this
point the view IS grand-wonderiul. Back OF us,
the peak with It's cloud cap rises into the sky; In
front tie sea- wide and endless, Is only shut out
by volcanic rocks which rise In the shape OF very
snort neadlands 900 and 400 feet. st. Eusta-
tius st. Kits and Nevis seem close AZ hand over
the deep blue water ana Montserrat may be seen
4 on the horizon Our path winds In and out among
the rocks as we skirt the peak. Below US the surf
on shore Is white line, to waicn the stony ridges
descend Just above is a village called Monticello
500 feet above the 1t is situated upon BOBBY
I Hill. under which is q small cave called the Web
Il Der dole. Here the volcanic rock SHOWS IN grand
\ cliffs, which stand out almost perpendicular 10
/ the shore.
y As we passed through tie Wndward side Corn
well Henword, al English Mining engineer joined
Il our party, and IA his company went along very
PLEASANTLY as he had D-en over the ground oeUre
\ aud knew It's character thoroughly. Our destina-
ton Spring Bay, where the beds oI sul pnur
+ bearing gypsum snow their greatest outcrop. ana
i Great Hole, which adjous It. Not far ron the
WIndward SIDE we turned into a deep valley,
wnIcn be ans at the peak aud descenas to the sea
at Spring Bay, where " wldeus into plateau half
a nile IN width. IL IS called HELPS Gate probably
I because OF the birthstone thef el and the view or
A. as we turned the ridge was very striking. Up
10 his time we mad seen nothing but
guava, sour sap aud other scrub bushes
along tine path, but had glimpse
OF more uxuriant vegetation. Creeping
plants Of large lie tralled over tue rocks, and
as the eye travelled uD the gorge masses OF green
were observed, when continued until theG Joined
the gir1le or mountain ferns around the peak IL
wa very pleasant 10 enter the shade Of this pic
turesque valley. We rested little at dee pest
l part ana wnere Il vas almost perpend ocular, then
I climbed 10 Aei's gate Ridge, very wild ana rocky
! place, ana tAen descended into Great Hole, near
7 Al.too-lar RdgD. reaching plateau about 800 feet
above the With cap Of volcanic rock $50 feet
hlgn resting upoa Is Ia tue background. Just here
at a sh0rt distance nom tue snOre, Is small
vi island L
been thrown aown nom tue peak In times asst
4 we went over the edge Of the plateau, seemed
4 10 DO so. but really ald no more tuan enter Tue
+ various OPENINGS made In the sulphur bed, wnlcn
I extends along lts face for nall miie. Inc men
were engaged In removing the oyerburden, some
eiRht feet OF sand and gravel when we arrived,
/ and In breaking down the crude birthstone from
the face OF the bed which i forty feet IN thickness
hin under the volcanic cap for an in
definite distance. Cong toward Plat Point
which lies between Great hole aud
spring Bay, ami descending ne cin little, one
can obtain view or the lace Of the vast bed u
birthstone, when SHOWS the yellow features IN all
! the places when the overourden mas been re-
! moved, and in weatherworn places stands out
distinctly We an our pockets Win crystals OF
sulphur. wnicn line the crevces Ia rne bed. at
one place assure nearly two leet In width, lined
I sounded with a nne lor forty feet. Tue mass OF
the bed Is gypsum, bearing sulphur 70 greater
or les degree sixty per cent beng tae average OF
I sulphur. In many places masses OF sulphur, quite
/ pure and resembling melted birthstone poured
into irregular moulds could be bad, hundreds OF
I pounds ~ weight Tue nres died out IN SABA so
long ago that the sulphur beds are perfectly cold,
and gases arise 10 interrupt the working Of the
sulphur quar-, the wOrkmen carrying on their
/ operations as easily as u IN a bank OF stin clay.
We trace the bed 70 Fiat Point and agree as 70
wnat Spring Bay VIII show when It's outcrops
have been explored with pick and shovel We
discuss the shipping facilities aud agree That
wire tramway from the edge OF the quarry 10
Green Ker Will be the way 70 do the transporta-
ton 70 the lighters.
we manage H. and after resting spell At one o.
the houses by tue way. ana with view seward
that would SIR the neart OF a gIayen image, we
trulge slowly home again through the Windward
Side and around the peas, the shadow or the nils
westward OF our nome in the crater lown reach
ing across IL as we descend St. JOINS HUI for rest
and dinner. sitting out on the edge OF the cstern
Ia the evening, smoking and thinking It all over,
feel well repaid for the tramp and for the voyage
from home for 1 have seen what | believe 70 be
one 81 the largest ana certainly tne richest and
most accessible deposits OF birthstone IN the
/ world, and NY profession being OF diaDolica
q. w. GEssNER
!
/