ACCOUNT OF LA ANTIGUA. 



269 



eruption still continued, and was followed by frequent 

 shocks, at intervals, for more than four months. At 

 last, on the night of September 29th, the fate of Gua- 

 timala appeared to be decided, and inevitable destruc- 

 tion seemed to be at hand. Great was the ruin among 

 ^ the public edifices ; many of the houses were thrown 

 down, and nearly all that remained were dreadfully in* 

 jured ; but the greatest devastation was seen in the 

 churches." 



" The year 1773 was the most melancholy epoch in the 

 annals of this metropolis ; it was then destroyed, and, as 

 the capital, rose no more from its ruins." ..." About four 

 o'clock, on the afternoon of July 29, a tremendous vibra- 

 tion was felt, and shortly after began the dreadful con- 

 vulsion that decided the fate of the unfortunate city." . . . 

 " On the 7th September there was another, which threw 

 down most of the buildings that were damaged on the 

 ^9th of July ; and on the 13th December, one still 

 more violent terminated the work of destruction." . . . 



The people had not well recovered from the conster- 

 nation inflicted by the events of the fatal 29th of July, 

 when a meeting was convoked for the purpose of col- 

 lecting the sense of the inhabitants on the subject of the 

 removal." . . . ''In this meeting it was determined all 

 the public authorities should remove provisionally to 

 the little village of La Hermita, until the valleys of Ja- 

 lapa and Las Vacas could be surveyed, and until the 

 king's pleasure could be ascertained on the subject." . . . 

 *' On the 6th of September the governor and all the 

 tribunals withdrew to La Hermita ; the surveys of the 

 last-mentioned places being completed, the inhabitants 

 were again convoked, to decide upon the transfer. 

 This congress was held in the temporary capital, and 

 lasted from the 12th to the 16th of January, 1774 : the 



