METEORIC RIVERS OR WATERFALLS. 407 



drops of rain ; however, the thunder was not heard, and 

 this calm in the midst of the tempest was alarming. An 

 hour had passed ere I arrived at the coast. The wind 

 blew with violence all the morning; the sea, already rough, 

 became more and more so in the afternoon ; each surf shook 

 the pier of St. Croix, and undermined "the foundations. 

 The wind went to the east, and there soon came a furious 

 storm, accompanied with rain. 



At three o'clock, two big ships broke cables, and were 

 thrown on the shore; at nine o'clock, it was difficult to 

 stand on the wharf, as the hurricane had so much increased 

 in violence. A three-masted vessel from America, which 

 had not had time to set sail, was thrown up against the end 

 of the pier, and disappeared immediately. I passed part of 

 the night on the sea shore, ready to help the vessels in dis- 

 tress ; my mind was a prey to different impressions, in this 

 continual agitation, wishing to see all for myself, and to 

 judge of all, so as to lose nothing of this magnificent spec- 

 tacle, and incapable withal, of any observation. Towards 

 the middle of the night, the wind passed from the north 

 east to the north west, the wind continued till the next day, 

 and light broke upon new misfortunes. Accounts which 

 reached us from all parts of the island, were distressing, 

 and those which we had from the valley of the Orotava, 

 where my habitation was, were still more alarming. I was 

 tormented by a thousand fears ; I knew not my friend's 

 fate, I was told that my home was in ruins, and I trembled 

 for my collections, my library, and rny manuscripts. At 

 the end of three days, I learned that nothing had suffered. 

 Below is a fragment of a letter, from Mr. Auter, Professor 

 of Mathematics, in the College of Orotava. 



OROTAVA, November 10th, 1826. 



The 6th of November, during part of the day, the heav- 

 ens were covered with clouds, and the atmosphere was so 



