113 



ceedmg thus along, we at length ended our distressful 

 voyage, by arriving at Naples/' 



15. Of the great earthquake at Port-Royal, in Jamaica, 

 an eye-witness writes thus. " It happened on July, 7, 

 1692, just before noon ; and, in the space of two minutes, 

 shook down and drowned nine tenths of the town. The 

 houses sunk outright thirty or forty fathom. The earth 

 opened and swallowed up the people in one street, and 

 threw them, up in another : some rose in the middle of 

 the harbour. While the houses on one side of a street 

 were swallowed up, those on the other side were 

 thrown on heaps. The sand in the street, rising like 

 waves in the sea, lifted up every one that stood upon 

 it. Then suddenly sinking into pits, the water broke out, 

 and rolled them over and over. Sloops and ships in the 

 harbour were overset, and lost : the Swan frigate was 

 driven over the tops of many houses. All this was at- 

 tended with a hollow rumbling noise. In less than a 

 minute, three quarters of the houses, with their inhabit- 

 ants, were all sunk under water : and the little part 

 whicii remained was no better than a heap of rubbish. 

 The shock threw people down on their knees, or their 

 faces, as they ran about to look for shelter. Several 

 houses which were left standing, were removed some 

 yards out of their places. One whole street was made 

 twice as broad as before. In many places the earth 

 cracked, opened and shut, with a motion quick and fast ; 

 and two or three hundred of these openings might be 

 seen at a time. In some of these people were swallowed 

 up, in others caught by the middle and pressed to death. 

 In others the heads of men only appeared, in whicii con- 

 dition dogs came and ate them. Out of some of these 

 openings, whole rivers of water spouted up a prodigious 

 height ; and out of all the wells the water flew, with a 

 surprising violence. The whole was attended with j* 

 noisome stench, and the noise of falling mountains at a 

 distance ; while the sky in a minute's time turned dull 

 and reddish, like a glowing oven. And yet more houses 

 were left sanding at Port-Royal, than in all the island 

 beside. Scarce a planter's house, or sugar work was left 



