EAETHQUAKE OF 1812. 15 



destroyed the town in 1812, and buried in its ruins over 

 ten thousand persons. Walls of buildings, overgrown 

 with vines and parasitic plants, still stand as silent wit- 

 nesses of that dreadful catastrophe. It is sad to reflect 

 that this beautiful valley should ever have been the scene 

 of such a fearful visitation, and a living sepulchre to thou- 

 sands of its inhabitants. The frequent threatenings of 

 these convulsions of Nature tend to keep the people in a 

 constant state of alarm for their safety. Happy, indeed, 

 is the man who is not distrustful of the soil upon which 

 he lives. Among the few buildings which survived the 

 general destruction of the city, were the government- 

 house, the old cathedral, and the church of Altagracia, 

 which is not far from the Grand Plaza. The last men- 

 tioned, however, bears evidence of the powerful agency 

 which desolated the place. Its massive walls withstood 

 vminjured the violence of the shock, but its enormous 

 tower, about one third of the distance from the top, was 

 twisted and jutted over the lower part, where it will 

 probably remain until another earthquake shall complete 

 its downfall. 



The destruction of Caracas occurred upon the 26th of 

 March, 1812, Ascension Day, or Holy Thursday of the 

 Church. The country was engaged in a desperate strug- 

 gle for its independence, and the ignorant and supersti- 

 tious people, with their fears augmented by the priests, 

 whose sympathies were with the mother-country, were 

 led to regard the calamity as the vengeance of Heaven 

 for their attempts to sever themselves from tlie crown of 

 Spain. The day is represented as perfectly calm, with 

 not a cloud in the heavens. Although at long intervals 

 quite severe shocks had been felt at Caracas, an almost 

 entire immunity from any of destructive force had in- 

 spired a feeling of security, and led the people to believe 

 that, in their elevated valley, they were safe from such 



