94 ANNUAL' HURRICANES. [169T. 



Name of Tourlourouo-^ in the Antilles, and are very like the 

 first Crabs I spoke of, but somewhat less. They dwell 

 between the Sea and the Land like true Amphibious Creatures, 

 as they are ; insomuch that the Sea twice a Day fills their 

 Holes with Water, and they are continually at work to keep 

 'em clean. 



The Hurricanes^ which we were terrify'd with every year, 

 in the Montli of January or February, as I have already 

 noted, is also a dreadful Enemy. We felt its rude Attacks 

 twice. This furious Wind rises commonly after fair Weather, 

 and even after a great Calm ; and its greatest Violence lasts 

 at least an Hour. We then saw several huge Trees torn up 

 by the Eoots in a Moment, and our Cabbins utterly over- 

 whelm'd. The Sea Eaging and Foaming roar'd so, that it 

 frighted us ; and lifting up its foaming Waves like Mountains, 

 dashed 'em against the Coasts with so much Impetuosity, 

 that it seem'd as if Nature was in such Convulsions, as wou'd 

 soon reduce her to her Original Chaos. Heaven and Earth 

 mingled, a thick Darkness involv'd the Sky, and the Clouds 

 breaking discharg'd a Deluge of Eain, like that which 

 immerg'd the first World. Our fair and fruitful Valleys 

 Avere immediately drown'd, and look'd like a new Ocean. 

 The Torrent overwhelm'd every thing that lay in its way ; 

 and I believe if this Violence had lasted three Hours, 



1 De Rochfort, in his work on the Antilles (p. 253), mentions three 

 kinds of crabs under this name, applying it in particular to the smallest 

 of the three. These crabs have a red shell with a black spot on it, are 

 agreeable to the taste, but, being small and producing dysentery, are 

 not in much request. 



2 In original : " ouragan ' (cf. p. 36, svpra). Eodriguez lies right in 

 the paths of the cyclones which traverse the southern Indian Ocean. 

 There is no positive law for their tracks, but, from the averages 

 observed, it seems that they nearly all pass from E.N.E. to W.S.W., 

 but, from longitude 80° E. westward and when approaching the Masca- 

 rene group, they have a tendency to curve southward, frequently backing 

 to E.S.E. wlien they reach the southern tropic. 



Dr. Meldrum has noticed that Avhen the Mascarene Islands suffer from 

 drought the Indian Ocean is almost free from hurricanes. 



