BOOK 111. C II A P. VII. 633 



to perfons flnnfllng near the moutli of a cannon, when fired off; and im- 

 mediately fucceeding this (hock, I heard thunder at fome diftance. I was 

 at a lofs to account for it, efpecially a';, upon enquiry, I learnt that tlie 

 whole hoiifc h:id been (hook, and thnt the windows rattled as if nn earth- 

 quake had happened ; but as 1 felt no tremor in the floor, I could not 

 afcribe it to thru caufe. Some Negroes, walkin.; in tlic ftreets, faw n ball 

 of fire defcend towards Port Royal harbour, and prefently after a colunm 

 of bhieidi fmoke arifc, to which fuccecded the (hock of the explofion, for 

 fuch it proved to be, of the powder magazine at Mofquito Point, dil- 

 tant from Spanidi Town in a dirccl line fomcwhat more than fevcn mile^:. 

 This magazine was built entirely of flone, bomb proof, and flood on 

 fwampy, fandy ground, clofe by a lagoon, and ju(l within the N. E. 

 ballion of the fort, next the harbour. As the nature of the foundation, 

 from the near approach of water to the furface, would not admit the fink- 

 ing of the floor, all the powder was ranged feveral inches above it, to be 

 the more fecure from damp exhalations. 



On that day the whole fea-flore of powder belonging to the Valiant 

 man of war had been landed at the fort, and laid up in the magazine, and 

 there were in it befides, about 2500 barrels; in all abol!it 2900. The 

 gunner, who attended the fi^owing it, had juft finished his work; and 

 having locked the door of the magazine, ran to the inlet of water which 

 flows up along the North flank of the fort, where he haftily ftripped off 

 his cloaths, and plunged in, to wa(h away the fmut and dull of the pow- 

 der, with which he was plentifully befmeared. This probably faved his 

 life; for, whilft he was diving under water, a ball of fire darted from the 

 clouds, and the tremendous explofion immediately fucceeded. A Negroe, 

 paffing in a boat between Kingfton and Paflage Fort, faw the lightning- 

 fall, and prefently afcer the magazine blew up, caufing fuch an agitation 

 in the water round him (for he was at that time but a little way to wind- 

 ward of the fort) that he gave himfelf up for loft. A centinel, who w'as 

 potted on the N. E. ballion of the fort, clofe by the magazine, on the 

 firft appearance of the ball of fire, had the prefence of mind to jump 

 through an embrazure, to the foot of the curtain next the harbour, and 

 by this means was preferved. But another centinel, who fl:ood at the 

 entrance of the area, leading to the magazine, was inftantly dcflroyed, 

 together with almoft every loldier and Negroe upon the efplanade of the 

 fort, and two loldiers, who were walking on the beach of Saltpan Bay, 

 near a mile diftance, by the fragments of (lone. 



The magazine itlelf was torn up from below the foundation; even the 



very pil-s on which the firft courles of mafonry had been laid, were drawn 



out, as it were by the root, and thrown different waysj leaving a ipa- 



cious hollow of 15 feet deep, and 50 feet over, which was foon converted 



Vol. II. 4 M into 



