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“...well as in Grenada, Trinidad, and the south
end of St. Lucia. At 12.10 p.m. on Wednesday, I left in com-
pany with several gentlemen in a small row-boat to go to
Chateaubelair, where we hoped to get a better view of the
eruption. As we passed Layou, the first town on the leeward
coast, the smell of sulphuretted hydrogen was very perceptible.
Before we got half-way on our journey, a vast column of steam,
smoke, and ashes ascended to a prodigious elevation. The
majestic body of curling vapour was sublime beyond imagina-
tion. We were about eight miles from the crater as the crow
flies, and the top of the enormous column, eight miles off,
reached higher than one-fourth of the segment of the circle.
I judged that the awful pillar was fully eight miles in height.
We were rapidly proceeding to our point of observation, when
an immense cloud, dark, dense, and apparently thick with
volcanic material, descended over our pathway, impeding our
progress and warning us to proceed no farther. This mighty...”
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“...their characteristic huts
abound. Now, instead of bananas many flourishing
young cacao plantations first strike the eye.
After passing Zent junction, the line crosses in suc-
cession the Matina and the Pacuare and at La Junta
(the Junction) the Rio Reventazon. Crossing to the
left bank of that brawling river, on the rocks of which
cormorants may be seen watching for their prey, the
railway winds its way up the mountain-side, now almost
level with the river, now high above it, through scenery
of sublime grandeur. On entering the mountainous
region one is reminded of the Highlands; but the
illusion is broken when one looks more closely at the
tropical vegetation and foliage. Tall Roseau or wild
canes and balisiers abound. From giant forest trees...”
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