Chap, ii.] an Hurricane. 461 



in fhort, with every circumftance which the elements 

 can affemble, that is terrible and deftruclive. Firft, 

 they fee, as a prelude to the enfuing havock, whole 

 fields of fugar canes whirled into the air, and fcattered 

 over the face of the country. The ftrongeft trees of 

 the foreft are torn up by the roots, and driven about 

 like ilubble ; their wind-mills are fwept away in a 

 moment j their works, the fixtures, the ponderous 

 copper boilers, and ftills of feveral hundred weight, 

 are wrenched from the ground and battered to pieces ; 

 their houfes are no protection ; their roofs are torn off 

 at one blaft, whilft the rain rulhes in upon them with 

 irrefiftible violence. 



f There are figns by which the Indians of thefe iflands 

 taught our planters to prognofticate the approach of 

 an hurricane. The hurricane comes on either in the 

 quarter or at the full change of the moon. If it comes 

 on at the full, then, at the preceding change, the fky is 

 troubled, the fun more red than ufual , there is a dead 

 calm below, and the mountain tops are free from thofe 

 mifts which ufually hover about them. In the caverns 

 of the earth, and in wells, you hear a hollow rumbling 

 found, like the ruihing of a great wind. At night the 

 flars feem much larger than ufual, and furrounded with, 

 a fort of burs ; the north- weft Iky has a black and me- 

 nacing appearance ; the fca emits a ftrong fmell, and 

 rifes into vail waves often without any wind. The 

 wind itfelf now forfakes its ufual fteady eafterly ftream,. 

 and fhifts about to the weft ; whenctr it fometimes, 

 with intermifilons, blows violently and irregularly 

 about two hours at a time. You have the fame figns 

 at the full moon : the moon herfelf is furrounded. with 

 a great bur, and fometimes the fun has the fame ap- 

 pearance*.' 



* Adams's Leftures, vol. iv. p. 540. 



The 



