34 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



and, generally, the wiser plan was adopted, 

 of covering the head and face with a linen 

 cloth dipped in water; some saddled their 

 horses and mules, thinking to escape, but 

 they would only have been going to certain 

 death. The poor brutes were gasping for 

 breath, but those who had the care and 

 humanity to throw a wet poncho or cloth 

 over the animals' heads, saved their beasts, 

 but many died. To add to the terror of the 

 day, at intervals smart shocks of earthquake 

 made themselves felt, and a distant roaring, 

 like thunder afar oiF, was heard during most 

 part of the day ; still the ashes fell ; and so 

 passed that day, the very birds entering into 

 the rooms were candles were burning, but 

 scarcely visible ; and the sun went down, and 

 the only perceptible difference between day 

 and night was, that total darkness succeeded 

 to a darkness visible^ like that which we may 

 fancy was spread over the land of Pharaoh. 

 Night came on, and the lamp placed on a 

 table looked like the street lights in a dense 

 London fog, scarcely beaconing the way from 

 one lamp-post to another ; and the night 

 passed, and the morning ought to have 

 broken', for the sun must have risen ; but no ! 

 the change was only from black darkness to 



