The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-04-20
4 BOILJNG LAKE.
WONDERFUL NATURAL CURIOSITY IN
TIE WEST INDIES.

Mr.. William Clifford Palgrave, She
Arabian traveller British Consul, and
English novelist, always finds some.
thing interesting to write about, in
whatever part Of the world he may be
His narrative of the journey into Cen
tral Arabia. which made him famous,
Is. perhaps, the very best of modern
books of travel He has not only the
spirit of an explorer, geographer, and
a man of science, but also the romantic
imagination which could give us such a
story as Herman Aghd, where the glow
and fervor of life in the East are SO
wonderfully mingled with its tragic
realities His observations, while Con-
sui at Trebizondc, on the classic South
ern shore Of the Black Sea, gave him
the material for his valuable essays on
the Eastern question. More recently
ne has held the British Consulate at
st. Thomas, in the West Indies, and
he is now on his way thence, half
around the world, to the philippine
Islands, where he is to represent the
Queens Government rs Consul at
Manila While in the West Indies lie
did rot cease to travel and to learn ali
he could, consistently with his official
duties; and among the places which
he cnanced to visit, was one OF the
most singular and remarkable lakes on
the SUI lace of the earth.
In the summer Of 1875, the scientific
world was surprised and interested to
hear that n lake of constantly boiling
water had been discovered upon or near
the summit of the mountainous West
Indian island Of Dominica But where
was Dominica 1t is not to be won
dered at that this question was asked
both in England and America. The
fact that the negro nation which Occu-
pies the eastern portion OF the great
Island of San Domingo or Hayti calls
itself the Dominican Republic naturally
led to the supposition that this might
he the island meant. 1t was in reality
however, another and very different
one, the loftiest of the Lesser Antilles,
n British colony living between the
French Islands of GuadalOupe and
Martinique, and which, instead of being
as large as Ireland, contains only about
three hundle square miles. Here we
we were told, lay boiling lake high
among the mountains, and hitherto
unknown to man. 1t was not mere
collection of geysers or hot springs,
hut an expanse of water large enough
to deserve the name Of lake, and its
presence explained the cloud Of white
vapcr 50 often seen floating over the
higher parts Of the island.
Last summer this lake was visited by
Mr. Palgrave, and he has now contrib
uted TO UdcnIiaH'S -Ndgdzine the first
detailed description of it given to the
general public 1t seems certain that
the lake was never seen by any Euro
pean prior to tue month OF January,
1875, and probably it had never been
seen by any native. Traditions point
ed to its existence, but these appear to
have been based upon the fact that n
stream of walm and milky water known
as the Sulpher river, rushes headlong
from the highlands down to the sea,
and q boiling sOuce seems necessary TO
account for the heat OF its waves
This, however. might have had It's Ori
gin in one of the so-culled soufrieres
50 abundant in the volcanic islands OF
the West Indies, consisting of the floor
of some diving crater where .epid, hot,
or boiling springs give forth steam,
gasses, AMI occasionally lofty jets OF
water Indeed, it turned out that the
boiling lake was situated in sOufriere
the most active and extensive in the
entire Archipelago. Two expeditions
to this region had preceded that of Mr..
PalrraVc, who was fortunate in having
for companion and guide DR. Mich.
oils, young medical officer of the
colony, and one Of the Original party
of discovery.
The startling place is ROseau, the
principal town of Dominica, on the
south coast. Hence you ride up the
valley ON ponies 10 hamlet 800 feet
above the sea. Beyond this the work
is all on foot, first through the mag
nficent scenery of the West Indian
tropical forest, next amid thorny and
pricklev underbush, and then up and
down the sides of gu.lies. Where TIL,
climbing is slippery ami risky, and in
wolves fantastic capers, calling forth
says Mr.. Palgravc, an occasional Eng
lsh ejaculation, the same that Byroi
declares to have no like for emphasis
in any other language. While moving
through labrynth Of small trees tn,
travellers suddenly came upon sheer
precipice with so little warning thai
they just escaped tumGlng seveia
hundred feet down into the Grand,
Soufrierc which lay below This is ;
half extinct crater, paved with sof1
ashes, and bubbling with innumerablt
mineral springs of white, black, anC
red waters which mingle and rush on
of one side in a scalding hot torrent
There is but little vegetation to chee
'the demonical grandeur of this semi
internal hollow most plants withe
in the fumes of the vapor. The BlacI
G,n,tt.V- e Ep,rlon, ca,c Mr. pnltro,-