72 The late FhcBnomenon at Barhadoes. 



*' Early in the morning, as ue imagined from its dark- 

 ness, my wife requested me to view the sky, which had a 

 very odd appearance. Upon looking at my watch, we were 

 very much surprised to find it was so late as half-past six 

 o'clock A. M. which neither of us could credit, until, on 

 comparing it with hers, they were found to agree. 



" In the north-east, in which the sun ought to have been 

 seen, as it had been up three-quarters of an hour, a very 

 larjre and dense cloud of ferruginous colour, and at no great 

 height above ihe surface, obscured the firmament, but in 

 such a manner that the trees and shrubs in the garden, and 

 the country to the north and east of our house, presented the 

 same lights and shadows as ihev usually do when the moon 

 is sometimes bright and sometimes dark in alternation. 



" Another cloud, not quite so dense, of a dusky blue co- 

 lour, and about the same hciiilu, hung over the edges of the 

 whole southern horizon, under which the skv appeared of a 

 silvery colour, from which issued a verv shining hght, by 

 which objects to the northward, vvhen our backs were turned 

 to the light, were seen as distinctly, if not more so, as at 

 noon-day; while objects between us and the light were 

 scarcely perceptible. 



" Above these clouds, and in every other part of the sky 

 vihich was not occupied by the ferruginous clouds, were 

 other, clouds of a whitish gray colour, wliich were carried 

 over the islands with great velocity from the north-east, in 

 which direction the wind blevv the whole dav with verv little 

 variation; although under them there was not a leaf stirring, 

 or breath of air moving. 



" A solemn and unusual stillness pervaded every place, 

 now and then interrupted by the sound of negroes at work 

 with their hoes, which the surrounding silence seemed to 

 augment. 



" Forcibly struck with all these appearances, I could not 

 help expressing to Mrs. D. my apprehensions that this island 

 was about to be visited with some dreadful commotion ; and 

 as our house was on the acclivity of a hdl, about sixty feet 

 above the level of the works, at which our friends Mr. and 

 Mrs. H., resided, 1 thought it advisable we should join them ; 

 which we did without delay. 



" By the time we reached the works it was seven o'clock; 

 and as the darkness began to increase considerably, all the 

 negroes were recalled from the fields, and ordered to their 

 houses, where most of them went to bed with niuch indif- 

 ference, considering the darkness only as an early night. 

 " At half-past seven o'clock it was so dark that candles 



were 



