THE WEATHER. 219 



How such sudden and violent gusts of wind are to 

 be accounted for is not satisfactorily ascertained. They 

 are much more frequent in mountainous and in tropical 

 countries, than in other parts of the earth. 



The following statement may be relied upon as fact. 

 The account was furnished for this treatise by an eye 

 witness. 



Hurricane in the West Indies. 



' In the fall of the year 1780, a very severe hurricane 

 visited the westerly part of the island of Jamaica. In 

 the morning of the day which was so destructive, the 

 sky was cloudy, and the clouds wild in their appearance; , 

 the wind from the north and east. About one o'clock, 

 while at dinner, the wind was so violent as to blow down 

 one of the negro houses, and in a short time the rest of 

 them in succession. After this, a building, containing 

 the cane after the juice is taken from it, was blown down 

 in like manner. Aware of our own danger, every 

 measure was taken to secure the doors and windows, 

 knowing that our own security depended upon prevent- 

 ing the wind entering the house. For a few hours we 

 succeeded ; but at last a door or window was blown in ; 

 and in a very short time the whole of the house, except- 

 ing the southwest room, was blown away from the ground 

 floor. Before this, however, we had made our escape 

 out of the southerly door, and sought our protection be- 

 hind another building, to the southwest of the house, 

 where we remained till about midnight. The wind then 

 subsided, and there was an appearance of entire calm ; 

 we availed ourselves of this to return to the southwest 

 room, and to put on what dry clothes we could collect, 

 buf before we had completed this, the storm was renewed, 

 and blew with equal violence as before from the south 

 and west, and carried off the remaining room, and ex- 

 posed us, without protection, to its fury; our only resource 

 was the cellar, which, with great difficulty, we reached; 

 every building on the estate was destroyed, and the roads 

 rendered impassable for ten days. A remarkable circum- 

 stance occurred on an adjoining estate : the buildings on 

 this estate were placed at the foot of two hills, with a 



