TWO NIGHTS IN SOUTHERN MEXICO. 87 



an effort to bear up against the storm ; but it was in 

 vain : the next instant, with a report like that of ten 

 thousand cannon, whole acres of mighty trees were 

 snapped off, their branches shivered, their roots torn 

 up ; it was no longer a forest but a chaos, an ocean 

 of boughs and tree-trunks, that were tossed about 

 like the waves of the sea, or thrown into the air like 

 straws. The atmosphere was darkened Avith dust, 

 and leaves, and branches. 



" God be merciful to us ! Eowley, where are ye ? 

 Xo answer. What has become of them all ] " 



A second blast more furious that the first. Can 

 the mountains resist it 1 will they stand ? By the 

 Almighty ! they do not. The earth trembles ; the 

 hillock, on the leeside of which we are, rocks and 

 shakes ; and the air grows thick and suffocating 

 full of dust and saltpetre and sulphur. We are like 

 to choke. All around is dark as night. We can 

 see nothing, hear nothing but the howling of the 

 hurricane, and the thunder and rattle of falling trees 

 and shivered branches. 



Suddenly the hurricane ceases, and all is hushed ; 

 but so suddenly that the change is startling and un- 

 natural. No sound is audible save the creaking and 

 moaning of the trees with which the ground is cum- 

 bered. It is like a sudden pause in a battle, when 

 the roar of the cannon and clang of charging squadrons 

 cease, and naught is heard but the groaning of the 

 wounded, the agonised sobs and gasps of the dying. 



