them through the Plains, and likewise that sometimes Rivers suffer very great increase and inundations in the Plains, whereas no Rain fell in the places where such inundations appear.
Earthquakes as they are too frequent in Hispaniola, where they have formerly thrown down the Town of Santo Domingo, so they are too common here also; The Inhabitants expect one every year, and some of them think they follow their great Rains. One happen'd on Sunday the 19. of February, 1688, about eight in the morning. I found in a Chamber one Story high the Cabinets, and several other Moveables on the Floor to reel, as if People had rased the Foundations of the House. I look'd out at a Window to see what was the matter, and found that the Pigeons and other Birds in an Aviary hard by were on the Wing in as great Astonishment, keeping themselves in that Posture, not knowing where to alight. Wherefore concluding what it was, and the Danger in being in an high Brick-House, I made what hast I could to get out; but before I had passed through two Rooms, and got to the Stair-case, it was over. It came by Shocks; there were three of them, with a little Pause between. It lasted about a Minute of Time in all; and there was a small Noise accompanied it. A pair of Stairs higher it threw down most Things off the Shelves, and had much more visible Effects than below. This was generally felt all over the Island at the same time, or near it; some Houses therein being crack'd and very near ruin'd, others being uncovered of their Tiles, very few escaped some Injury, and the People in them were generally in a great Consternation, seeing them dance. The Ships in the Harbour at Port-Royal felt it; and one who was Eastward of the Island coming thither from Europe, met with, as he said, at the same time, an Hurricane. One riding on Horseback was not sensible of it. A Gentleman being at that time abroad in his Plantation, told me, he saw the Ground rise like the Sea in a Wave, as the Earthquake passed along, and that it went Northward; for that some small time after he had felt it he saw by the Motion of the Tops of the Trees on Hills some Miles distant, that it had then reach'd no farther than that place. The Spaniards who inhabited this Island, and those neighbouring, built their Houses very low; and they consisted only of Ground-Rooms, their Walls being made of Posts, which were as much buried under-ground as they stood above, on purpose to avoid the Danger which attended other manner of Building from Earthquakes. And I have seen in the Mountains afar off bare Spots, which the Inhabitants told me, were the Effects of Earthquakes throwing down part of the Hills, which continued bare and steep. But I will not here enlarge on this, there being several Accounts at large publishedby
