The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-05-22
The Boiling Lake Of Dominica.

Dominica, the most mountainous ot
the Lesser Antilles, is about thirty miles
in length by sixteen in breadth. The
physical formation of the island is in
describably rugged, and the scenery
generally is of the most varied and
beautiful character. The highest noun.
tain. Morne Diablotin, is 1853 feet
above the level of the sea, or little
higher than Ben Nevis, in Scotland.
There are several large rivers in the
island, but it's interior is still little
known, although nearly 400 years have
elapsed since the discovery of the island
by Columbus. A correspondent of the
illustrated London Ne,Us relates the
discovery of the boiling lake, and the
details of recent journey to that re.
markable place:
We stood upon large plateau OF
about fifty acres in extent, which is in
reality small spur of what have since
been called the Sulphur Hills. Here
and there over this plateau, on the sur
face of which is no vestige of vegetation,
were huge charred trunks Of trees, large
masses of volcanic rock, and numberless
blow-holes, eiecting steam and water.
The water, collecting from all sides,
formed in the center of this scene of
desolation a milk-white, impetuous
stream, discharging itself over the edge
of the plateau into the precipice be-
meath. Picking our way cautiously
over this volcanic bed of scoria, pumice,
and sulphur, and jumping from rock to
rock, which here and there protruded
from the stream, we crossed firm
mound of earth beyond, and unexpect-
edly found ourselves at the edge of the
Boiling Lake. Here, then, at an eleva-
tion of about z. 400 feet above the level
of the sea, and on the southern side of
the Sulphur Hills, is the Boiling Lake
of Dominica. It is body of pale slate
colored boiling water, inclosed in a cir
cular basin of about $50 yards in width,
the sides of the basin being, I should
say, about sixty feet in height. The
bare SUBMITS of the Sulphur Hills rise
about 500 feet above the edge of the
basin, and from blow-holes in the side
of the hills issue small quantities OF
water, which in their downward course
to the lake form two tributary rivulets.
On arriving at the edge Of the basin one
sees nothing but clouds of steam rising
from the lake. But the noise OF the
boiling water is distinctly audible, and
it is only when a passing breeze for a
moment dissipates the clouds OF steam
that one sees boiling in vast bubbles
the body of water at ones feet. The
actually boiling portion of the lake
must be in q circle of about forty feet
in diameter, and the bubbles rise, [
should say, about three or four feet into
the air. The ripples caused by the
boiling break towards the surrounding
shore until they lave the sulphur-coated
stones at the waters edge. The water
itself, it is curious to observe, has, near
the shore, a circular motion, which, per-
haps, to some extent, accounts for the
shape of tho lakes basin; for I noticed
that small log thrown into the water
travelled round the lake, passing and
repassing the spot at which it had enter
ed the water. The only apparent exit
to the lake is on the southwestern side,
and is not unlike railway cutting-say
about nine feet in width. The amount
of water discharged through this exit is
apparently very small; but on closer
examination noticed an extensive sub.
surface drainage, which, at about 200
yards south of the lake, forms beauti-
full waterfall.