CHAP. IV. EFFECTS OF THE GALE. lO.') 



cross piece attached to the signal post was lowered, and every 

 precaution for security adopted. 



The wind, blowing from the northward and eastward, con- 

 tinued to increase with violent and fearful gusts until about 

 two o'clock in the morning, when it changed and blew from an 

 opposite direction, but with less violence, until daylight. The 

 rain then ceased, and by eight or nine o'clock we had the 

 pleasure of beholding the sun break through the clouds. Our 

 yard was strewn with branches of trees, and on the sides of 

 the trees exposed to the Avind the long pendant boughs not 

 absolutely broken off were bent inwards or upwards by the 

 force of the gale. In walking down to the port office, al- 

 though I did not see any houses unroofed, I was struck with 

 the devastation amongst the trees. Almost every tree was 

 bent towards the south west, and one banyan tree in the 

 Place d'Armes was torn up by the roots and lay prostrate on 

 the ground. There was a heavy swell rolling into the har- 

 bour but no damage amongst the ships, which, with their 

 yards and masts on deck, looked more like hulks than the tall 

 vessels they had appeared a few days before. Some of them 

 had four anchors out. Scarcely a boat was seen stirring in 

 the bay during the whole day, and the attendance of seamen 

 on the usual religious service at the port office was exceed- 

 ingly small. 



In the afternoon, when I accompanied Mr. Kelsey and his 

 family to their residence, I was surprised as we passed through 

 the streets to see bars and boards nailed across so many of 

 the doors and windows of the different buildings, while others 

 were buttressed or propped up with strong pieces of timber. 

 It is said that if the wind during a hurricane loosens a door 

 or shutter, and finds entrance to a building, it tears off the 

 roof altogether, and scatters it in fragments around. On 

 visiting the ships afterwards, I learned that the sailors on 



H 4 



