difference is in the class of plants. This phase is a comparatively new one on the plantations of Yucatan fiber and has only recently been taken into serious consideration.

The scion when planted ("anchored" would perhaps be the better word, as it is more often held by heavy stones than by the earth around it), needs no special care or irrigation. Once or twice a season the fields are roughly weeded. The plant thrives, and generally in about five years the earlier leaves commence to extend themselves laterally at right angles to the trunk of the plant. This is nature's signal that the fiber has reached its highest point of tensile strength and that the leaves are ready to be cut. The native cutters then throng the field, and with their corbas deftly cut the leaves close to the trunk, trim off each line of side thorns at a single stroke, snip off the horny end, and bind up the leaves in bundles. Tram cars take these bundles and carry them to the cleaning machine.

Hot sea

THE ENEMIES OF THE PLANT Fire is its greatest enemy. sons do not affect it. In fact, the heat of the sun, especially when accompanied by dampness, seems to act as a tonic. It is then, if ever, that the plant recovers from its injuries. The greatest heat experienced in Yucatan for the last ten years was in July, 1900, when the thermometer reached 119° F. in the half shade of a veranda; 147° F. has been experienced in the sun on the principal street of Merida. Long droughts may delay its development, and by wilting the mature leaves cause them to double and injure the fiber, but it cannot stop the ultimate growth of the healthy plant, once it is well rooted. Rainy seasons do not seriously affect the plants, except those in stagnant. water. This weakens the plant, but this condition is not common. Cold seasons of the kind that Yucatan ex

periences do not seriously affect the plant. The coldest known period was in February, 1899, when the thermometer registered 47° F.

But fire conquers it. Let a spark from a locomotive, the lighted end of a cigarette, or the embers of a fire made. to heat the bread of the native workers start the flames in an ill-cleaned field, and nothing but a miracle can save the crop from total loss. It is said that some planters in the past have taken advantage of the susceptibility of the plant to artificial heat, and when young plants were desired for export, they were doctored before delivery by having their roots heated over heated embers or dipped into boiling water. The effects of this treatment are not perceptible for a time, and possibly this fact may make clear to some enthusiastic foreign planter why his scions, purchased with so much care and expense, never grew and prospered. Naturally, the Mexicans do not desire to have the plant that is such a valuable product of their country made

common.

Next to fire, a large, long-nosed black beetle is the greatest enemy of the cultivated sisal. It is known to the natives as the "max." Dr Gaumer, an American physician residing in Yucatan, whose studies and writings upon the fauna and flora of Yucatan have made his name familiar to naturalists everywhere, at my request writes of the insect:

"The female insect lays its eggs on the trunk of the henequen plant a few inches above the ground. When batched the larva burrows into and through the outer bark to the harder fiber of the interior, when it generally takes an upward direction and burrows from 6 to 12 inches during its larval existence. When full grown it works its way to the bark, where it changes to a pupa and so remains for some months, when it hatches into the adult beetle and emerges from the plant, which it leaves

injured and weakened, but rarely kills. Three or more larvæ in the same plant will surely destroy it, but that number is of very rare occurrence."

The life of the plant can be greatly prolonged. I have seen fields old at 10 years, and others vigorous and hearty at 19 years. The plants should be originally healthy scions, the leaves must be cut at just the right time, and the long pole must be nipped off before it has become more than a mere protuberance. Once the pole has grown, the plant ages rapidly.

VALUE OF HENEQUEN

The export of henequen is making Yucatan one of the richest states of Mexico. In 1902 the state sent out nearly

six hundred thousand bales, or ninety thousand tons, worth $14,000,000. Most of it went to the United States, where it is used for sacking, cordage, and binders' twine.

There will be a falling off in the supply for the season of 1903. The causes of this diminishing output, despite the high prices that prevail, will be the decreasing acreage of new fields. Laborers are scarce, and the great majority of planters dislike to stop cleaning fiber long enough to plant new fields or replant old ones. *

*For the illustrations that accompany this article the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE is indebted to Hon. Frederic Emory, Chief of the Bureau of Foreign Commerce, State Department.

T

HE Soufrière mountain, the most northerly of the lofty chain running through the center of this island, and the highest of the whole, as computed by the most accurate survey that has yet been taken, had for some time past indicated much disquietude; and from the extraordinary frequency and violence of earthquakes, which are calculated to have exceeded 200 within the last year, portended some great movement or eruption. The apprehension, however, was not so immediate as to restrain curiosity, or to prevent frequent visits to the crater, which of late had been more numerous than at any former period,

even up to Sunday last, the 26th of April, when some gentlemen ascended it, and remained there for some time. Nothing unusual was then remarked, or any external difference observed, except rather a stronger emission of smoke from the interstices of the conical hill at the bottom of the crater. To those who have not visited this romantic and wonderful spot, a slight description, as it lately stood, is previously necessary and indispensable to form any conception of it and to the better understanding the account which follows, for no one living can expect to see it again in the perfection and beauty in which it was on Sunday, the 26th instant. About

2,000 feet from the level of the sea (calculating from conjecture on the south side of the mountain) and rather more than two-thirds of its height, opens a circular chasm, somewhat exceeling half a mile in diameter and between 400 or 500 feet in depth. Exactly in the center of this capacious bowl rose a conical hill about 260 or 300 feet in height, and about 200 in diameter, richly covered and variegated with shrubs, brushwood, and vines about half way up, and for the remainder powdered over with virgin sulphur at the top. From the fissure in the cone and interstices of the rocks, a thin white smoke was constantly emitted, occasionally tinged with a slight bluish flame. The precipitous sides of this magnificent amphitheater were fringed with various evergreens and aromatic shrubs, flowers, and many Alpine plants. On the north and south sides of the base of the cone were two pieces of water, one perfectly pure and tasteless, the other strongly impregnated with sulphur and alum. This lonely and beautiful spot was rendered more enchanting by the singularly melodious notes of a bird, an inhabitant of those upper solitudes, and altogether unknown to the other parts of the island; hence principally called or supposed to be invisible, though it certainly has been seen, and is a species of the merle. A century had now elapsed since the last convulsion of the mountain, or since any other elements had disturbed the serenity of this wilderness, than those which are common to the tropical tempest. It apparently slumbered in primeval solitude and tranquillity, and from the luxuriant vegetation and growth of the forest which covered its sides from the base nearly to the summit, seemed to discountenance the face and falsify the records of the ancient volcano. Such was the majestic, peaceful Soufrière of April 27th; but we trod on ignes suppositos cineri doloso, and our imaginary

safety was soon to be confounded by the sudden danger of devastation.

Just as the plantation bells rang twelve at noon, on Monday, the 27th, an abrupt and dreadful crash from the mountain, with a severe concussion of the earth and tremulous noise in the air, alarmed all around it. The resurrection of this fiery furnace was proclaimed in a moment by a vast column of thick, black, ropy smoke, like that of an immense glass house, bursting forth at once, and mounting to the sky, showering down sand with gritty, calcined particles of earth and favilla mixed, on all below. This, driven before the wind towards Wallibou and Morne Ronde, darkened the air like a cataract of rain, and covered the ridges, woods, and canepieces with light, gray-colored ashes, resembled snow when slightly covered by dust. As the eruption increased, this continued shower expanded, destroying every appearance of vegetation. At night a very considerable degree of ignition was observed on the lips of the crater, but it is not asserted that there was as yet any visible ascension of flame. The same awful scene presented itself on Tuesday, the fall of favilla and calcined pebbles still increasing, and the compact, pitchy column from the crater rising perpendicularly to an immense height with a noise at intervals like the muttering of distant thunder. Wednesday, the 29th, all these menacing symptoms of horror and combustion still gathered more thick and terrific for miles around the dismal and half-obscured mountain. The prodigious column shot up with quicker motion, dilating as it rose like a balloon. The sun appeared in total eclipse, and shed a meridian twilight over us that aggravated the wintry gloom of the scene now completely powdered over with falling. particles. It was evident that the crisis was yet to come; that the burning fluid was struggling for a vent, and laboring to throw off the superincumbent strata

On

and obstructions which suppressed the ignivomous torrent. At night it was manifest that it had greatly disengaged itself from its burden by the appearance of fire flashing now and then, flaking above the mouth of the crater.

On Thursday, the memorable 30th of April, the reflection of the rising sun on this majestic body of curling vapor was sublime beyond imagination. Any comparison of the glaciers of the Andes or Cordilleras with it can but feebly convey an idea of the fleecy whiteness and brilliancy of this awful column of intermingled and wreathed smoke and clouds. It afterwards assumed a more sulphureous cast, like what we call thunder clouds, and in the course of the day a ferruginous and sanguine appearance with much livelier action in the ascent, a more extensive dilation, as if almost freed from every obstruction. After noon the noise was incessant and resembled the approach of thunder, still nearer and nearer, with a vibration that affected the feelings and hearing; as yet there was no convulsive motion or sensible earthquake. Terror and consternation now seized all beholders. The Caribs, settled at Morne Ronde at the foot of the Soufrière, abandoned their homes with their live stock and everything they possessed, and fled precipitately towards the town. The negroes became confused, forsook their work, looked up to the mountain, and, as it shook, trembled with dread of what they could neither understand nor describe; the birds fell to the ground, overpowered with the showers of favilla, unable to keep themselves on the wing; the cattle were starving for want of food, as not a blade of grass or a leaf was now to be found; the sea was much discolored, but in nowise uncommonly agitated, and it is remarkable that throughout the whole of the violent disturbance of the earth it continued quite passive, and did not at any time sympathize

with the agitation of the land. About 4 o'clock p. m. the noise became more alarming, and just before sunset the clouds reflected a bright copper color, suffused with fire. Scarcely had the day closed when the flame burst at length. pyramidically from the crater through the mass of smoke; the rolling of the thunder became more awful and deafening; electric flashes quickly succeeded, attended with loud claps, and now indeed the hurly-burly began. Those only who have witnessed such a sight can formany idea of the magnificence and variety of the lightning and electric flashes; some forked zigzag playing across the perpendicular column from the crater, others. shooting upwards from the mouth-like rockets of the most dazzling luster, others like shells with their trailing fuses flying in different parabolas, with most vivid scintillations from the dark, sanguine column which now seemed inflexible and immovable by the wind.

Shortly after 7 o'clock p. m. the mighty cauldron was seen to simmer, and the ebullition of lava to break out on the northwest side. This, immediately after boiling over the orifice. and flowing a short way, was opposed by the activity of a higher point of land, over which it was impelled by the immense tide of liquefied fire, that drove it on forming the figure V in grand illumination. Sometimes when the ebullition slackened, or was insufficient to urge it over the obstructing hill, it recoiled back, like a refluent billow from the rock, and then again rushed forward, impelled by fresh surprise, and scaling every obstacle, carrying rocks and woods together in its course down the slope of the mountain, until it precipitated itself down some vast ravine concealed from our sight by the intervening ridges of Morne Ronde. Vast globular bodies of fire were seen projected from the fiery furnace, and bursting, fell back into it, or over it, on the surrounding bushes, which were instantly

set in flames. About four hours from the lava boiling over the crater it reached the sea, as we could observe from the reflection of the fire and the electric flashes which attended it.

About half-past one another stream of lava was seen descending to the eastward towards Rabacca. The thundering noise of the mountain and the vibration of sound that had been so formidable hitherto now mingled in the sullen monotonous roar of the rolling lava, became so terrible that dismay was almost turned into despair. At this time the first earthquake was felt. This was followed by showers of cinders that fell with the hissing noise of hail during two hours. At three o'clock a rolling on the roofs of the houses indicated a fall of stones, which soon thickened and at length descended in a rain of intermingled fire that threatened at once the fate of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The crackling and coruscations from the crater at this period exceeded all that had yet passed. The eyes were struck with momentary blindness, and the ears stunned with the glomeration of sounds. People sought shelter in cellars, under rocks, or anywhere, for everywhere was nearly the same, and the miserable negroes, flying from their huts, were knocked down or wounded and many killed in the open air. Sev

eral houses were set on fire. The estates situated in the immediate vicinity seemed doomed to destruction. Had the stones that fell been proportionally heavy to the size, not a living creature could have escaped without death. These having undergone a thorough fusion, they were divested of their natural gravity, and fell almost as light as pumex, though in some places as large as a man's head. This dreadful rain of stones and fire lasted upwards of an hour, and was again succeeded by cinders from three till six o'clock in the morning. Earthquake followed earthquake almost momentarily, or rather the whole of this part of this island was in a state of continued oscillation, not agitated by shocks vertical or horizontal, but undulated like water shaken in a bowl. The break of day, if such it would be called, was truly terrific. Darkness was only visible at eight o'clock, and the birth of May dawned like the day of judgment. A chaotic gloom enveloped the mountain and an impenetrable haze hung over the sea, with black sluggish clouds of a sulphureous cast. The whole island was covered with favilla, cinders, scoria, and broken masses of volcanic matter. It was not until the afternoon the muttering noise of the mountain sunk gradually into a solemn yet suspicious silence.

EXPLORATIONS AMONG THE WRAN

GELL MOUNTAINS, ALASKA

Μ MESSRS T. G. Gerdine and D. C.

Witherspoon, of the U. S. Geological Survey, as one of the results of their topographic work in the Copper River basin, Alaska, during the seasons of 1900 and 1902, have developed some most interesting facts concerning a great group of peaks called the Wrangell

Mountains, whose slopes are drained by tributaries of the Copper, the Tanana, and the White rivers. The western end of this group was located roughly by Lieut. Allen in 1885, in connection with his reconnaissance through central Alaska, and his descriptions gave the first conception of the altitude and importance of the group.

Messrs Gerdine and Witherspoon, however, have mapped accurately and in