Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-04-19

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dian tropical forest. next amid thorny
and prickly underbrush and then up
and down the sides of gullies, where
the climbing is slippery and risky and
involves fantastic capers, calling forth,
says Mr.. Palgrave, al occasional En-
glish nulation, the same that Byron
declare. 10 have no like for emphasis
in any other language While NOV
inc through labyrinth of small trees
the travellers suddenly came upon
sheer precipice with so little warning
that they just escaped tumbling sew
eral hundred feet down into the Grand
Soufriere which lay below. This is
half extinct crater. paved with soft
ashes, aud bubling with innumerable
mineral springs Of white, black and
red waters, which mingle and rush
out Of one side in scalding hot tor
rent. There is but little vegetation
to cheer ''the demoniaeal grandeur of
this semi-infernal hollow most plants
wither in the fumes of the vapor. The
Black Country Of England, says Mr..
Palgrave, is a weird place, and su9-
geats weird ideas enough, whether
trayersed by night or day; bat it is
''mild domestic compared to natures
White Country, the sulpher region OF
Dominica.
The boiling lake lies northeast OF
the first crater, about an hours climb,
being separated from it by a second
crater with steep edges, NEARLY burned
out and comparatively quiet. Two
took the Intervening barrier at q run,
says the narrator, "and checked onr-
selves short at the top. A few steps
more would have sent US head.fore-
most into the boiling lake. a strange
sight to see, and not less awful than
strange. Fenced in by steep, mostly
indeed, perpendicular banks, varying
from sixty to one hundred feet high,
cut out in ashes and pumice, this lake
RACES and roars like wild beast in
its cage; the surface, to which such
measurements as we could make as
signed about two hundred yards in
length by more than half the same
number IN breadth, is that Of giant
SETTLING caldron, covered with vapid
steam through when the veil is for
moment blown apart by the mountain
breeze, appears confused mass OF
tossing waves, crossing and lashing
in every direction-a chaos of boiling
waters"
In addition to their observations OF
the dimensions Of the lake about 600
BY 800 feet--and its general appear
ance, the travellers ascertained that it
was fifty or sixty feet deep within six
feet from the shore; that it is little
over 2,400 feet above the level of the
! sea; that it is almost wholly supplied
with water from below; and that the
temperature Of its waters 49, was
L. where the waves beat against the
shore, and nearly 200 4. liJtle
| farther out. At that elevation, aud
an atmospheric temperature Is r..
the boiling point of water IS about
2O7 > +. The center Of ebuliitlon is
near the middle of the lake, to which,
Of course, it was impossible for the
party to convey their thermometers
Except at one place, the surrounding
cliffs are absolutely perpendicular ana
permit no approach to the water The
outlet is a scalding stream, which IN
the lowlands becomes known as the
Sulpher River already spoken Of
The journey to the boiling lake OF
Dominion requires an absence of three
days and two nights from Roseau. 1t
is difficult, but offers no formidable
obstacles to fair pedestrian. There
is no path, save that which is made
through the tropical vines by the
great cutlasses, which the blacks car
ry for the purpose; but, on the other
hand, there is no danger from wild
beasts and poisonous snakes, which
last are unknown on the island, aud
the climate of the elevated districts is
delightful. Mr.. Palgraye predicts
that many others will visit this won
derful region, and it seems to us that
not only Dominica, with its boiling
lake, but many other West Indian
islands, present attractions for Ameri
can travellers which they would hard
ly neglect If cognizant Of them. Ma.
Mia is regarded as sort Of paradise
for ConsuIs, and Mr.. Palgrave says
the Philippines are, by oil accounts
pleasant places, isles Of Eden, loto'
! lands; bnt that they can scarcely b.
pleasantcr, or more lotos-bearlng, O
more Eden-like, than are the Yves
Indies, taken as a whole, from Jamal
ca to Trinidad.