Page:Account of a dreadful hurricane which happened in the island of Jamaica, in the month of October, 1780.pdf/11

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ſuſpended; and inſtead of Nature and her works, the mind was petrified by the ſeeming approach of fate and chaos. The country looked as if it had been lately viſited by fire and the ſword, as if the Tornado had rifled Africa of its ſands, to deposſt their contents upon the denuded boſom of the hilis; as if Æina had ſcorched the mountains, and a volcano had taken poſſeſſion of every height. The trees were up rooted, the dwellings deſtroyed; and in ſome places, not a ſtone was left to indicate the uſe to which it was once applied. Thoſe who had houſes, could hardly diſtinguiſh their ruins and the proprietor knew not where to fix the ſituation of his former poſſeſſions. The very beaſts of all deſcriptions, were conſcious of the calamity: the birds, particularly the domeſtic pigeons, were moſt of them deſtroyed; and the fiſh were driven from thoſe rivers, and thoſe ſeas, of which they had before been the peaceful inhabitants. New ſtreams aroſe, and extenſive lakes were ſpread, where rills were ſcarcely feen to trickle before; and ferry-boats were obliged to ply, where carriges were uſed to travel with ſafety and convenience. The roads were for a long time impaſſible among the mountains, the low lands were overflowed, and numbers of cattle were carried away by the depth and impetuoſity of the torrents; while the boundries of the different plantations were ſunk beneath the accumulated preſſure of the innundation.

To give you at once a more general idea of this tremendous hurricane, I ſhall obſerve, that not a ſingle houſe was left undamaged in the pariſh; not a ſingle ſet of works, traſh-houſe, or other ſubordinat building, that was not greatly injured, or entirely deſtroyed. Not a ſingle wharf, ftore houſe, or ſhed, for the depoſit of goods, was left ſanding: they were all fwept away at once by the billows