Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/78

68 On the other hand the too low decompoition of ome of thee volcanic tones, and the extreme drynes of ome of the mountains, render many parts of the iland unfit for cultivation. The action of the fire to which they have been expoed at different periods after long intervals, as is atteted by hitorical records, together with the helter which they receive from the plants peculiar to thoe ituations, retarding in many places that gradual decompoition which would otherwie have taken place, had they been left entirely bare.

No volcanic eruption had been known in this iland, ince that which broke out ninety-two years ago, till in the month of May, 1796, a new eruption took place on the outh-eat ide of the peak, as I was informed by Citizen Gicquel, officer of marines, who pent ome time at St. Croix on his return in the frigate La Régénérée from the Ile de France.

I hall inert the account which I received of this event from Citizen le Gros, Conul of the French Republic.

"On the 21t day of May, 1706, the inhabitants of St. Croix heard ome hollow reiterated ounds, very like the ditant report of cannon; in the night-time they felt a light trembling of the earth,