The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-29
THE BoiLfyG naKE or DomrsIcA.
Mr.. WILLIAM GrrroRp PA1onAvr. the


tral Arabia. which made him famous is. per
haps. the very best Of modern books Of travel.
He has not only the spirit Of an explorer. :,
gcOgrapher. and man OF science. but also the
romantic imaginable which could give ua such
n story IA Herman Aghd. where the glow and
ivrvur OF life In the East are wonderfully
IN ngled with It's tragic realities. His obscrva-
tons. while Consul at Trebi1onde ON the classic
southern shore OF the Black sea- gave him the
material for his valuable essays on the Eastern
question. More recently. he has ncld the British
Consulate ut -. Thomas. in the West indies
and h" Is now on his way thence. half around the
world 10 the Philippine Islands. whore he Is To-
represent the Queens Government as Consul
NJ Manila. While in the West Indies he did not
cas' to travel and to learn all he could. con
-isteniy with his oil 'ial duties ;an1 among the
places which he chancod io visit WIS one of the
most singular and remarkable lakes on the sur
face of the earth.
In the summer NJ 1875 the scientific world
was surprised and Interested to hear that a lax
Of constantly boiling water had becn diseov-
er"d upon or nopr the summit of the noun
famous Wos' Indian island ~ Dominica. But
whore was Dominica II is not to bc wondered at
that this question WAS asked both in Englnnl and
America. The fat that the negro nation which
oo'upi' the eastern portion Of the great Island
~ Srn Domingo or Huyti calls itself the Domin-
iaan Republic naturally lel to the supposition
that this might he the island meant II was IN
reality. however. another and v'ry different
on" the loticst Of the l. 4ser Antilles. n British
colony lying between tho French islands Of
Guadcloupr and Martinique. and which. in
strad NJ being NJ largo ns ireland contains only
about three hundred square miles. Here. W.
were told lay boiling lake high among the
mountains. and hithei to unknown to man. 1t
was not mere collection Of gcyscrs or hot
springs. hut an cNpanse of water large enough
g. 4 'serve The name IT n lake. and its proson'
explained the cloud Of white vapor SO Oft n
~e II floating overthn higher parts Of the island.
l.lst summer this lake WAS visited by Mr.
pal-ravc. and ho has nowooutributod To Mdc1pI-
inns Magazine the first detailed description
of II given to the general public. II seems GER
tain thni the lake wa- never soon by amy
European prior 20 ia" month of January. 1878.
an probably It had never been soen by any
nuiyr Traditions pointed To- is existence. but
these appear to have been based upon the Ia I
that % stream of warm and milky water. known
as Tine ~ulphar river. r. hos headong from the
highland Town q, the son. and q boiling source
seemed u .tn-1rv To- account for the heat Of it,
waves. THIS however might have had its
origin In ON" of the -l-cnlled soufriares SO
abundant in the volcanic islands of the West
Indies. consisting OF the iioor II some dying
crater. whcr" 'pid. hot. or boiling springs give
forth steam. gases. and occasionally lofty jets of
water Indeed. it turn, out that Tie boiling
lake WIS situnt' in soufriar, tho most active
AMI extensive In the eutir' Archipelago. Two
esq siti1us g. this region had preceded that II
Mr.. Palgrav', who was fortunate in having for
a companion and guide Dr. Nichols. "a Young
medical on ar Of the colony and one Of the