MITCHILL ON THE EARTHQUAKES, &C. AT ST. VINCENTS. 323 



tionally heavy to their size, not a living creature could have escaped 

 without death. These having undergone a thorough fusion, they were 

 devested of their natural gravity, and fell almost as light as pumice, 

 though, in some places, as large as a man's head. The dreadful rain 

 of stones and fire lasted upwards of an hour, and was again succeeded 

 by cinders, from three till six o'clock in the morning. Earthquake fol- 

 lowed earthquake almost momentarily; or, rather, the whole of the 

 island was in a state of oscillation ; not agitated by shocks, vertical or 

 horizontal, but undulated like water shaken in a bowl. 



" The break of day, if such it could be called, was truly terrific. 

 Darkness was only visible at eight o'clock, and the birth of May dawned 

 like the day of judgment; a chaotic gloom enveloped the mountain, 

 and an impenetrable haze hung over the sea, with black sluggish clouds 

 of a sulphureous cast. The island was covered with favilla, cinders, 

 scoria, and broken masses of volcanic matter. It was not until the 

 afternoon, the muttering noise of the mountain sunk gradually into a 

 solemn yet suspicious silence. Such were the particulars of this sub- 

 lime and tremendous scene, from commencement to catastrophe. To 

 describe the effects is, if possible, a more difficult and truly most dis- 

 tressing task." 



