476 Earthqrinkes and Volcanic Vhcenomena 



out of the house: indeed it was imnracticable to do so 

 without 3. hood or umbrella; and these were only tempo- 

 rary screens, for by the time you had proceeded one vard 

 you were completely covered by this stuff. 



**At ten o'clock the rev. Mr. Garnett had the church 

 bells rung, and gave prayers: but such a scene of horror, 

 dismay, terror, and consternation, cannot be imagined by 

 one who did not see it. Thousands of people of all descrip-, 

 tions flocking to church, without rank or distinction, mis- 

 tress and servant kneeling and praying by the side of each 

 other, all fearing soi>ie dreadful catastroj^the would hurry 

 them out of the world before they could make their peace, 

 and firmly believing they should never see the li^ht agaiti. 

 I must confess to you I gave myself up, for the lava was 

 gathering very fast on us, and no prospect but of starving 

 or perishing under it. At first what fell was a large black 

 substance, very coarse, but it gradually became as fine as 

 Scotch snuff, and in a few hours the streets and the tops 

 of the housei were many inches thick in this matter. 



" About half past one o'clock a small glimmering of 

 light began to appear, and by half past two o'clock we could 

 make out people in the streets. It then gradually got lighter, 

 so that we cuuld see volumes of this matter floating in the 

 air, but so ihick as still to obscure the sun, nor have we 

 yet seen the sun clearly. About half past six last night we 

 saw like rays of {irt in the southern quarter again. From 

 all these circumstances 1 am led to think theie must have 

 been an explosion of some volcano very near us. To-day 

 we have been busy in endeavouring to remove the lava, but 

 I much fear, without we have a heavy faM of water to assist 

 us, we shall be very long about it, and God only knows 

 how it will end. The whole island is in one complete sheet 

 of lava; the canes are all weighed down with it, and the 

 poor cattle and horses must die for want if we are not im- 

 mediately relieved. We cannot see twenty yards before us 

 for the immense volumes of this stufl' continually falling 

 from off the tops of the houses; for so soon as it is dry, it 

 is exactly like flour. I am inclined to think now, the thun- 

 der I thought I heard in the night was the explosion of some 

 volcano. I herewith have sent you some of tliis dust, 

 which 1 hope you will receive safe." 



To this we suhj )in the account that has reached us from 

 St. Vincent's, where a volcano v/hich had long been quies- 

 cent has broken out with extraordinary violence. 



Extract of a Letter from St. Vincent, May G. — " Having 

 been inlormed that you had not sailed from Grenada by the 

 April fleet, I hasten to give you some account of a most 

 alarming circumstance which took place here last night 



