GENERAL HISTORY. 



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regulations, the purpose of which 

 is, to confer on every port in the 

 island the same commercial privi- 

 leges as were given to the capital; 

 to allow free commerce to all Spa- 

 nish, friendly, or neutral vessels in 

 all the ports, and free communica- 

 tion from one port to another ; to 

 permit the exportation of all na- 

 tive and manufactured produce of 

 the island, including uncoined gold 

 and silver; to assign fixed duties 

 on certain articles of export, with 

 the promise of moderating all ex- 

 isting duties that shall appear ex- 

 cessive ; and to facilitate the dis- 

 patch of business at tlie custom- 

 houses. Don Ramirez immediate- 

 ly after addressed a letter to the 

 duke of Manchester, governor of 

 Jamaica, informing him of the 

 grant of a free trade for all English 

 vessels to every harbour in Porto 

 Rico, without requiring particular 

 licences, and relieved from all 

 former shackles upon importation 

 and exportation. 



Some severe, though partial in- 

 jury from hurricanes, has been sus- 

 tained this year in the West-India 

 islands. At Dominica, on July 23d, 

 after a series of rather calm wea- 

 ther, attended with great heat, a 

 violent storm began soon after 

 day-light, which presently raged 

 with an uncommon degree of fury. 

 The barracks and quarters of the 

 troops stationed at Morne Bruce, 

 early began to give way to the 

 tempest, and almost the whole 

 buildings were levelled to the 

 ground, among which was a hos- 

 pital then containing above fifty 

 patients. Besides the great loss of 

 property incurred, both public and 

 private, a considerable number of 

 persons were killed and wounded 



from the fall of buildings, or the 

 force of wind impelling them over 

 the cliffs. At Prince Rupert's Head, 

 the barracks and other edifices were 

 unroofed, and two ranges of offi- 

 cers' rooms were entirely blown 

 over the hill, with the loss of some 

 lives, and various casualties. In 

 the towns of Roseau and Charlotte 

 ViiJe much serious injury was in- 

 flicted both on persons and pro- 

 perty, the latter almost beyond 

 calculation. Thegovernment-house, 

 with all its out-buildings, was laid 

 prostrate, and the governor, with 

 his family, was driven to take 

 shelter in the fort ; and the greater 

 part of the public edifices were 

 either destroyed, or left in a ruin- 

 ous condition. In the country, the 

 devastation was equally extensive; 

 works and mills were destroyed, 

 canes torn up or lodged, coffee 

 plantations, gardens, and plantain 

 walks levelled. The sea in the 

 meantime rose suddenly, and rolled 

 enormous waves to the shore, shak- 

 ing to their foundations all the 

 erections on the beach. In some 

 places the surge ascended 150 feet 

 beyond high-water mark, demo- 

 lishing every boat, launch, and 

 canoe. The vessels at anchor pro- 

 vidently cut their cables, and stood 

 out to sea. On the same day a 

 violent gale was experienced at 

 St. Christopher's, which drove all 

 the shipping on shore, where many 

 vessels were entirely destroyed. 



Bermuda had the misfortune to 

 experience, on July 26th, a hurri- 

 cane more dreadful in its effects 

 than had been known for a long 

 period. A pleasant breeze at day- 

 break gave a welcome relief from 

 the sultry heat which had for some 

 time prevailed ; but it soon aug- 



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