m 



The Bjlory of 



Book I. 



tains 3 and cafts them into the Valleys , overthrows Houles, 

 carries away the Plants it hath fore d out of the Earth into the 

 Sea, makes a general wafte of all it meets with in the Fields 3 

 and in a word, leaves famine all over the Country, which 

 groans a long time after that difafter, and will be a long time 

 ere it recovers the ruines occafion'd thereby. 



Nor does the Hurricane all this mifchief only by Land, but 

 itraifes withall fuch a tempeft on the Sea, that it feems to be 

 mixt and confounded with the Air and the Sky : It breaks to 

 pieces the Ships that happen to be on the Coafts; at that time, 

 cafting lome upon the ftiores, and fwallowing others into the 

 Abyfles of the Deep : So that thofe which efcape ftiipwrack at 

 fuch a time, are extreamly oblig'd to acknowledg the great 

 mercy of God towards them. 



Thofe who obferve the figns preceding this Tempeft, have 

 particularly noted thefe } That a little before it happens the 

 Sea becomes of a fudden fo calm and even, that there appears 

 not the leaft wrinkle on her face 5 That the Birds by a natural 

 inftindt come down in multitudes from the Mountains, where 

 they make their ordinary abode, to retire into the Plains and 

 Valleys, where they keep on the ground to fecure themfelves 

 againft the injuries of the cruel weather which they forefee 

 coming 5 And that the Rain which falls a little before is bitter 

 and fait, as the Sea- water. 



It is not many years lince that there happen'd a memorable 

 example of this Tempeft upon feveral Ships lying in the Road 

 of S. Chriftfyhert loaden with Tobacco, and ready to fet fail 3 

 For they were all broken to pieces and caft away, and the 

 Commodities wholly loft .* Whereof there folio w'd another 

 ftrange and'unexpedted accident, which was, that moft of the 

 fifti upon the Coaft was poyfoned by the Tobacco .* The Sea 

 feem'd in a manner cover'd with thofe poor creatures, which 

 turn'd uptide-down and languishing floated on the face of the 

 water, and came to dye on the more. 



Nor are thefe difafters particular only to the New- World, 

 but there have been feen in France , and other places fuch 

 dreadful Tempefts as might well be accounted Hurricanes. 

 In the year M.D.XCIX. there rofe neer Bourdeaux fuch a vio- 

 lent wind, that it broke and unrooted moft of the great Trees 

 which were able to refift, efpecially the Wall-nut-trees, whofe 

 boughs are commonly very large, and tranfported lome of 

 them above five hundred paces from the place where they 

 grew : But the weaker Trees which gave way were fpared : 

 The Palace of Foi&iers receiv'd much hurt 5 divers Steeples 

 were batter J d, and that of Cangres neer Saumur quite blown 

 down : Some perfons on horfe-back in the fields were carried 

 above fixty paces out of their way .• For the fpace of fix or fc- 

 ven leagues, as far as it blew, there was nothing but mine and 



£onfufion. 



