The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-17

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of the many fumarolles of the Soufriere.
To get a sight of the monster 1t was
necessary to climb down the rough noun
tain side There was no path, and each
one had to pick his way over huge rocks
covered with sulphur films and amid
swirling clouds of the fetid breath OF the
fumarolie.
A quarter of an hour brought us down
to an altitude of 1926 feet and we were
at the foot of the Great Fissure.
The secret of the Sourriere lay before
u.s.
We were looking into an enormous
crack in massive rock, towering far, far
above our heads and extending to the
very depts of the earth below. These
massive rock walls were split and crack
ed into quasi columnar forms and the
sulphur laden fumes had painted them
a solft silver gray with curious wreath
like forms of incrustations of sulphur,
gray, yellow, green. amid the vapors.
Turning. toward the north Morne Auric
lies at our feet and Morne Carmichael is
just in front of US. Behind it, from the
further edge of Morne Auris, four puffs
of silver white steam mark the positions
of four new fumaroles lately broken out.
The view over the central and northern
mountains of the island is beautiful and
grandoise in the extreme. 1t is doubt
full if more exquisitely beautiful and more
sublime scenery can be found anywhere
than in this island, and when one has
fine day on the Soufriere it is worth
But, despite the fascination of the view,
one turns instinctively back to the Great
Fissure.
From the Crater Napoleon we went,
still southwest to the Crater de Sud, the
south end of the Great Fissure Once
a point of great activity, this fumarole
is comparatively quiet now although it.
too threw out some ashes a few weeks
ago. 1t is notNpossible to approach close
enough to its edge to look into it, but
We hurled great blocks of stone into its
gaping mouths and counted the rebounds
Seventeen seconds passed before the last
noise of the falling stone reached our
ears Then we began tn toilsome descent
of the southwestern face of the cone.
We are now at the southern end of the
the vast bulk of the Echelle, the twin
peak of the Soufriere, rising to almost
the same height. At somewhat lower
level than where we are standing we
see the great fumaroles. which broke
out but few years ago. and which have
caused the greatest fears among the peo-
pie of the island during the last few
months. They are pouring out enormous
quantities and vapors and for a great
space around them the tree ferns and all
vegetation are buried and dead.
But at once I see that one report IS
false. The whole top OF the mountain
is not devastated. No, the same brilliant
green vegetation I saw there on the burn
ing and devastation are confined to the
lower slope near the connecting ridge TO
the Soufriere. 1t is a terrible descent
to this ridge and then a rough. hot climb
| over the burning rocks to the fumaroles
and geysers of the Fchelle
These are true. if small. geysers. They
are not drowned basins as a certain
French scientist has said; they are gey-
sers OF hot water bubbling up from the
earth's interior just like the geysers of
our own Yellowstone valley And IL proof
were needed here Is one thaI IS n Nerl-
table 'paintpot." 1t throws out a small
quantity Of blush mud very hot
After a nearly perpendicular descent OF
thousand feet or more OF this awful
gorge we come out on the plateau and
turn back toward the main trail Now
we are forcing our way through man
grove swamp, interrupted by steep rocky
descents. Hot sulphurous gases are reek-
ing and oozing out OF our very footsteps
This is the very worst OF the whole trip
After what seems an interminable time
we emerge into the basin Of the sources
OF the Gallon. a collection OF sulphur
springs OF all sizes and varying degrees
Of heat. The largest spring comes out
from under a huge rock, shattered few
years ago by a sharp earthquake shock
Two OF three hundred yards more ~
rough going and We find ourselves az the
foot Of the cone az the point where we
began our original ascent We have COM
pletely circled the great cone and have
seen al Of its fumaroles and vents. both
old and new.