ater, which made, as the first indication of the eruption
on April 27, 1812, a tremulous noise in the air. A severe concussion of
the earth followed, and then a column of thick black smoke burst from
the crater.

THE ERUPTION OF 1812

The eruption which followed these premonitory symptoms was one of the
most terrific which had occurred in the West Indies up to that time. It
was the culminating event which seemed to relieve a pressure within the
earth's crust which extended from the Mississippi Valley to Caracas,
Venezuela, producing terrible effects in the latter place. Here,
thirty-five days before the volcanic explosion, the ground was rent and
shaken by a frightful earthquake which hurled the city in ruins to the
ground and killed ten thousand of its inhabitants in a moment of time.

La Soufriere made the first historic display of its hidden powers in
1718, when lava poured from its crater. A far more violent demonstration
of its destructive forces was that above mentioned. On this occasion the
eruption lasted for three days, ruining a number of the estates in the
vicinity and destroying many lives. Myriads of tons of ashes, cinders,
pumice and scoriae, hurled from the crater, fell in every section of
the island. Volumes of sand darkened the air, and woods, ridges and cane
fields were covered with light gray ashes, which speedily destroyed all
vegetation. The sun for three days seemed to be in a total eclipse,
the sea was discolored and the ground bore a wintry appearance from the
white crust of fallen ashes.

Carib natives who lived at Morne Rond fled from their houses to
Kingstown. As the third day drew to a close flames sprang pyramidically
from the crater, accompanied by loud thunder and electric flashes,
which rent the column of smoke hanging over the volcano. Eruptive matter
pouring from the northwest side plunged over the cliff, carrying down
rocks and woods in its course. The island was shaken by an earthquake
and bombarded with showers of cinders and stones, which set houses on
fire and killed many of the natives.

THE TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE AT CARACAS

For nearly two years before this explosion earthquakes had been common,
and sea and land had been agitated from the valley of the Mississippi to
the coasts of Venezuela and the mountains of New Grenada, and from the
Azores to the West Indies. On March 26, 1812, these culminated in the
terrible tragedy, spoken of above, of which Humboldt gives us a