A cheery, brilliant picture as man could wish to see: but marred by two ugly elements.

A mile away on the low northern cliff, marked with many a cross, was the lonely cholera cemetery, a remembrance of the fearful pestilence which a few years since swept away thousands of the people: and above frowned that black giant, now asleep; but for how long?
In 1797 an eruption hurled out pumice, ashes, and sulphureous vapours.

In the great crisis of 1812, indeed, the volcano was quiet, leaving the Souffriere of St.Vincent to do the work; but since then he has shown an ugly and uncertain humour.

Smoke by day, and flame by night--or probably that light reflected from below which is often mistaken for flame in volcanic eruptions--have been seen again and again above the crater; and the awful earthquake of 1843 proves that his capacity for mischief is unabated.

The whole island, indeed, is somewhat unsafe; for the hapless town of Point-a- Pitre, destroyed by that earthquake, stands not on the volcanic Basse Terre, but on the edge of the marine Grande Terre, near the southern mouth of the salt-water river.