34 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



and, generally, the wiser plan was adopted, 



of covering the head and face with a linen 



cloth dipped in water; some saddled their 



horses and mules, thinking to escape, hut 



they would only have heen going to certain 



death. The poor hrutes were gasping for 



hreath, but those who had the care and 



humanity to throw a wet poncho or cloth 



over the animals' heads, saved their beasts, 



but many died. To add to the terror of the 



day, at intervals smart shocks of earthquake 



made themselves felt, and a distant roaring, 



like thunder afar off, was heard during most 



part of the day ; still the ashes fell ; and so 



passed that day, the very birds entering into 



the rooms were candles were burning, but 



scarcely visible ; and the sun went down, and 



the only perceptible difference between day 



and night was, that total darkness succeeded 



to a darkness visibky like that which we may 



fancy was spread over the land of Pharaoh. 



Night came on, and the lamp placed on a 



table looked like the street lights in a dense 



London fog, scarcely beaconing the way from 



one lamp-post to another ; and the night 



passed, and the morning ought to have 



broken, for the sun must have risen ; but no ! 



the change was only from black darkness to 



