246 SEVERE HURRICANE. 



I was now in hopes that Mr. Lander would 

 not be long absent, as almost all our stock of 

 saleable commodities was exhausted. We were 

 without red cloth and beads, our cottons were 

 almost all sold, and we had no cowries, which 

 are the best means of exchange. I purposed 

 sending Mr. Brown, the clerk, to Iccory market 

 (the Bocqua of Lander), with small wares to 

 barter for cowries, and gave directions for the 

 long-boat to be prepared for his journey. At 5 

 p. M. I gave Mr. Brown six hands and ammuni- 

 tion, and despatched him with goods, &c. to Ic- 

 cory and Addacoodah. 



In the course of the night we had one of the 

 most severe hurricanes I ever witnessed. About 

 7. 30 p. M. I observed, for the first time this sea- 

 son, a great deal of lightning to the northward 

 and eastward. At 10. 30 p. m. it began to blow 

 and rain ; and the latter, in a short time, came 

 down in torrents; the awnings of the vessel 

 were considerably rent by it ; the vane from 

 the foretop-mast head was carried away, and 

 part of the roof of the house forward. So sudden 

 and unexpected was this hurricane, that every- 

 thing was completely drenched from the leakage 

 of the quarter-deck. My books sustained consi- 



