Meteorological Tables, 181 



Captain Haste's Letter is as follows — 



Sir, — I lament to inform you that we have experienced several terrific 

 shocks of earthquake. The effect on all hands was indescribable, all came 

 running up from below, not a man was left in the engine-room, except 

 Mr Casey, the chief engineer, who insisted that something had gone 

 wrong with the boilers. 



On looking at the island an awful scene presented itself, clouds of dust 

 rising in every direction, &c. Montserrat, although thirty miles distant, 

 we could see was enveloped in dust ; some severe shocks were felt in this 

 island at the same time. The weather during the earthquake was beau- 

 tiful. 



Moderate breeze east ; barometer, 30.15 ; thermometer, 81.® 



Falmouth, 7th March. — From a passenger who returned, in 

 the Actaeon from the West Indies, we have the following : — 



No language which I could employ, would be adequate to convey to 

 the minds of others the idea of the nature of the catastrophe, or of the 

 destruction, desolation, and misery which have followed in its wake. 

 On the morning of the 8th February, the greatest consternation and 

 terror prevailed amongst the inhabitants. St Eustatius, in St Kitts, 

 suffered severely. 



Letter from a Gentleman who was in the island at the time. 



There was nothing very remarkable in the atmosphere on the morning 

 of the 8th. The sky was clear, and the wind fresh and rather cold. 

 There was, however, a deep purple haze in the air, rather uncommon at 

 this time of year. About twenty-three minutes past eleven, I went to 

 the quarter-deck of her Majesty's steamer " Dee ;" every one was busily 

 employed, when suddenly I saw the cliff" behind the coal-yard undulate. 

 On turning my eyes up the harbour, I saw a hill, called Monk's Hill, 

 toppling from its summit, and enveloped in dust. The water in the har- 

 bour foamed and bubbled, and in many places a white substance rose, as 

 if thrown up from the bottom. After the shock had passed, to my dying 

 day I shall never forget the horror that was depicted in every counte- 

 nance. Men gazed at each other in blank and terrible dismay, &c. 



Besides the immense destruction of buildings, it has been ascertained 

 that the lives of two thousand persons have been sacrificed, and from 

 one thousand two hundred to one thousand five hundred individuals 

 mciimed and mutilated. 



