L E T T E R II. 63 



minute, before it opened once more to vomit 

 fome of them up again. I afked her what might 

 be her thoughts of the matter juft the moment 

 before the Earth fwallowed her down ; and fhe 

 anfwered, that imagining herfelf upon the brink 

 of a boundlefs Eternity, (he put up a fliort ejacu- 

 lation to Almighty God, begging him to pardon 

 her Sins, and to receive her Soul. The Hiatus fhe 

 fell into was all Water, fo that being very wet 

 jfhe received no other harm, excepting in one of 

 her Cheeks, which grated a little againft fome- 

 thing that did but juft draw blood. This watery 

 Hiatus clofed again the next moment, catching 

 hold of fome people by a Leg, of others by the 

 middle of the Body, and of others fome by the 

 Arm, &Cy detaining them in difmal torture, but 

 immovably fixed in the ground, till they, with 

 almoft the whole Town befides, funk under Wa- 

 ter ; which happened within three minutes after 

 file had got fafe on board a Ship then riding at 

 anchor in the Harbour. She told me too, how 

 that great Earthquake fplit one of the vaft Blue 

 Mountains, rendering a Road that lay over it un- 

 pafTable. But you will meet with a better and 

 more particular Narrative of this affair among the 

 Philojbphical T'rajifaBtons of the Royal Society. 



42. Let us return to Nevis, About twenty 

 years before my arrival, there was fo violent a 

 fhock, that the Sea retired a good Furlong from 



Charles 



