The new age. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1902-190?, 1902-06-06

tanned a certain smartness, covering
it's crumbling walls with whitewash,
as the proud old soldier carefully inks
his ragged buttonhoIes.
In the streets, rutted and quilted by
many a rainy season, the green grass
grew almost unchecked. Down Middle
street, as the main thoroughfare is
called, the dust of years had gathered
on the narrow little shop windows
making their dim interiors gloomy
beyond description.
The unusual sound of footsteps
brought each merchant eagerly to the
door. only to gaze gloomily at our re-
treating backs. A crowd of eager
darby boys flocked around us, begging
shrilly for a penny. But saddest sight
of all was the old market place, the
heart and center of every West In
dian town, where, be it only to talk
gloomily of ruin, gathers what life the
place possesses. But in st. Vincent
only few withered crones sat numb
ling to themselves for lack of company
"a handful of charcoal, few vans.
shriveled bite of sickly fruit, such
were the contents of their baskets. OF
customers, at least while we were
there, no sign! Saddened beyond ex-
preston by these signs of ruin that
filled the little town of pleasant men,
cries, we set out for the journey up
Souffriere. Starting up the rock road
back of the town, we passed the fine
botanical gardens. a green oasis in
barren land; higher up, the road led to
the backbone of the central ridge.
Here. for the first time, We could see
the eastern side, windward.
In startling contrast to the hills
around Kingston, everything was
green and beautiful. This was the old
Carib country, given to the pitiful
remnant that survived the countless
massacres of their fellows, and
promptly taken away again as soon
as the district was found to contain
the most fertile land on the island.
Down to the coast past the mineral
springs in Amos vale, back again to
Richmond-in and out, up and down.
ambles the road to Souffriere. grow
ing more and more imposing at every
step, the cloud cap on it's summit
giving it false loftiness of aspect.
Beautiful beyond words is this path
up Souffriere, a jungle of marvellous
green foliage studded with gorgeous
flowers, passing through the primeval
tropic forest, where the huge trees so
knit themselves together as to resist
successfully the fury of the hurricane.
The sunlight filters dimly through a
screen of green far overhead; long
snake-like lianos drop seemingly out
of emerald clouds to the ground
hundred feet below. Orchids and GU
rious parasites cling to the massive
sides of the trees and fill the crotch
of every limb. Humming birds like
flashes of colored fire dart everywhere.
Huge butterflies. scarcely less bril-
liant, flap slowly back and forth, with
gorgeous wings so large as seemingly
to impede their speed.
Gradually the trees grow more
stunted, the tender tree ferns lay be-
hind, the harder ferns take the place
of the exotic under growth and at last
the crater Of Souffriere. II is two
creators in reality, for in that great
eruption of 1912, when he shook half
the world with the fury of his wrath.
new vent opened beside the old out
let. separated by a narrow ledge of
jagged rock.
Quite impossible of description is
this twin crater of Souffriere. The old
mouth mile across and 700 feet deem.
lined with hardy ferns that dared 20
creep down to the edge of the uncanny
lake of milk-white water that. when
we saw, was commencing already to
bubble uneasily with sulphurous gases
bleaching the foliage all around the
edge.
The new outlet was far less limos.
ing-a tiny, black, unfathomed pool
at the bottom like some DEVILS ink.
stand. The crests of both craters
were jagged and scanned with old
scars; the rocks and bare places were
colored to uncanny hues by rising
gases; while most impressive of all
the cloud mists whirled and tossed
and fioated out to vanish in the ann.
shine.
standing on the crater's rim The
,''ie Island seemed like a tiny emerald
noating On vast blue sea. NESTING
aions tne mountains TANKS were