634 JAMAICA. 



into a pond by the influx of water that drained into it. It was thought 

 that the yielding of the fand in this part, proved the caufe of the explo- 

 lion's not committing fo much havock, as otherwife would have happen- 

 ed if the foil had been rocky, and capable of refiftance. The fiUing up 

 this cavity took afterwards near 9000 ton of rubbifli, and coll the coun- 

 try 1925/. fterling. 



Within the fort, moft of the guns (24 pounders) on the adjacent baf- 

 tion were difmounted; and one gun thrown clear over the rampart into 

 the harbour, from the N. E. flank, which was damaged for near 140 

 feet of the wall. A new building near the magazine, fitted up for the 

 officers barrack, was tumbled into a heapof rubbifh. The commandant's 

 hoLife was only in part demolifhed; and here lieut. Monfel, of the 74th 

 regiment, was driven through a chafm made in a partition wall behind 

 him, and fo terribly wounded, that he died not many days after; the 

 guard room, gunner's apartment, warehoufe, and other offices, were 

 very much fliattered. The explolion, having vented its fury chiefly on 

 thefe buildings, took very little etTeft on the foldiers barrack j this is a 

 ftrong ftone building, and at that time contained a great number of men, 

 with their vt'ives and children, none of whom providentially received any 

 hurt, although a part of the roof at the N. E. hip was torn away, and 

 many large ftones fell like bomb-fhells through the roof and floorings. 



In (hort, what with the mangled carcafes of the unhappy fufterers, the 

 ruin and devaftation of the buildings, and the dilperfion of their materials 

 over every part of the fort, the whole exhibited as fhocking a fcene, as if 

 it had juft undergone a furious bombardment. 

 There were killed in and near it, 4 officers, 



I officer's lady, 

 about 25 private men, 

 II Negroes, 



— Total 41 



Wounded (privates and Negroes) about 50 



Total killed and wounded, about 9 i 



The damage occafioned to the fort and buildings, with the lois of 

 powder, furniture, utenliis, &cc. cannot be eftimated at lei's than 43,000/. 

 fterling. 



The powder marked the courfe it took towards Paflage Fort N. W. 

 to a confiderable diftancc, fcorching the leaves and fmallcr branches of 

 the mangrove trees the whole way ; but that the whole of it was 

 not enkindled, appeared from the black fliower of unconfumed grains^ 

 which fell all about the houfes at that place, near two miles diftant from 

 the magazine. 



The 



