EXAMINATION OF REID'S STORMS. 267 



ling of its particles on meeting the earth, gave it the resem- 

 blance of a body of quicksilver of equal bulk. A few- 

 minutes after the appearance of this phenomenon, the deaf- 

 ening noise of the wind sank to a solemn murmur, or, more 

 correctly expressed, a distant roar, and the lightning, which, 

 from midnight, had flashed and darted forkedly, with few 

 and but momentary intermissions, now, for the space of 

 nearly half a minute, played frightfully between the clouds 

 and the earth, with novel and surprising action ; the vast 

 body of vapor appeared to touch the houses, and issued 

 downward flaming blazes, which were nimbly returned 

 from the earth upward. The corruscations, for the short 

 space of time they continued, instantly succeeding each 

 other. This strange quivering, or darting, of flashes down 

 arid up, may be compared to the miniature blazing pro- 

 duced by the rapid and irregular discharge of opposing ar- 

 tillery closely engaged. Whilst this remarkable phenome- 

 non proceeded, the earth vibrated in a manner, and in time, 

 answering with the action of the lightning. Twice, or 

 more, when the corruscations were more brilliant and se- 

 vere, but less rapid in succession, the earth received cor- 

 responding shocks. The moment after these singular alter- 

 nations of lightning, the hurricane again burst from the 

 western points with violence prodigious beyond conception, 

 hurling before it thousands of missiles, the fragments of 

 every unsheltered structure of human art. The strongest 

 houses were caused to vibrate to their foundations, and 

 the surface of the very earth trembled as the destroyer 

 raged over it. No thunder was at any time distinctly 

 heard; had the cannon .of a hundred contending armies 

 been discharged, or the fulmination of the most tremendous 

 thunderclaps rattled through the air, the sounds could not 

 have been distinguished. The horrible roar arid yelling of 

 the wind, the noise of the tumultuous ocean, whose fright- 

 ful waves threatened the town with the destruction of all 



