Account of the Earthquake that happened in Jamaica, in 1692.
IN 1692, an Earthquake happened in Jamaica—In two minutes, it destroyed the town of Port Royal, at that time the capital of the island; and sunk the houses in a gulph 40 fathoms deep. It was attended with an hollow rumbling noise like that of thunder: the streets rose like the waves of the sea: first lifting up the houses, and then immediately throwing them down into deep pits. All the wells discharged their waters with the most violent agitation. The sea burst over its bounds, and deluged all that stood in its way. The fissures of the earth were in some places so great, that one of the streets appeared twice as broad as formerly, in many places it opened and closed again, and continued this agitation for some time. Of these openings, great numbers might be seen at once, in some of them, the people were swallowed up at once; in others, the earth caught them by the middle, and crushed them to death; while others more fortunate, were swallowed up in one chasm, and thrown out alive by another. Other chasms were large enough to swallow up the whole streets; and others, still more formidable, spouted up immense quantities of water drowning such as the earthquake has spared. The whole was attended with stenches and offensive smells, the noise of falling mountains at a distance, &c.; and the sky, in a minute's time, was turned dull and ⟨reddish⟩, like a glowing oven. Yet as great a ⟨sufferer⟩ as Port-Royal was, more houses were left ⟨standing⟩ therein than on the whole island besides. ⟨Scarce⟩ a planting-house, or sugar-house, was left ⟨standing⟩ in all Jamaica. A great part of them
