in the West Indies. 475 



tifelled against their sovereign, returned to their allegiance. 

 " Ail the villages." says the General, " belonging to this 

 district and ihc city of Jouyo, with the greater part of the 

 villages belonging thereto, have come and offered sub- - 

 mission under the banners of Ferdinand VII." and sub- 

 sequently adds, " By the panic and terror with which 

 the inhabitants are struck- since the earthquake, I have no 

 doubt that the army of Coro will eventually conquer 

 the province of Venezuela." 



During this terrible commotion of the earth, which 

 appears to have brolten out at intervals between the 

 L'6th and 28th, the following cities were destroyed in the 

 province of Coro: Barquislmcto, totally destroyed; Ari- 

 s iaqua, sunk ; Santa Rosa, also sunk ; Caudare and Phelipe, 

 destroyed ; and St. Charles and Caramaoate greatly in- 

 jured. In the province of Caraccas, the same calamity has. 

 been equally tremendous. The cities of Caraccas, Victoria, 

 Valencia, Porto Cavello, Laguira, New Barcelona, Mai- 

 quetia and Cumana have been almost entirely ruined. 



The same or similar subterranean causes, which have so 

 severely desolated the continent, about the end of April 

 manifested their influence among the West Indian islands : 

 and the following letters furnish several interesting and af- 

 fecting circumstances. 



Extract of a Letter from Barladoes, May 2. 

 " As far as I can relate, I will give you a true account of 

 a most awful event, as witnessed and txperienced by myself. 

 " 1 was lying in bed about six o'clock in the morning, 

 when I observed my chamber more dark than usual. Some 

 time after f arose and opened one of my windows, when I 

 observed lo the north a dark thick cloud, similar to the 

 usual indication of a great deal of rain (which would have 

 been very acceptable) ; but at the same time I perceived a 

 most remarkable bright cloud to the southward ; so much 

 so, as to reflect lighl'on the houses. We bad had wUat we 

 conceived to be several rolling claps of thunder during the 

 night, and the last v/as a quarter past seven, wlien an in- 

 stantaneous total darkness ensued, and from that time till 

 one o'clock I never saw so dreadful a ph:£m)menon. I 

 never beheld ^o dark a night in the gloomy nioiitli of No- 

 vember : in shoit, every thing appeared like chaos, and the 

 lamps, handed about the streets in hundreds, were scarcely 

 sufficient lo give light to the persons who held them, 

 much less to~any one else. To paint the horror of the 

 scene is utterly impossible. During the time of the dark- 

 ness we were as-,a';!eil by inmicnse falls of caLareous matter 

 (as I thin!;) lo such a degree that it was dangerous to go 

 f I h 2 out 



