The Hurricane of 1830 in St Vincent; by an 
Eye-witness. 
Edited by Mary Browne.* 
* * * * * 
HE month of August is considered one of the 
hurricane months, and although this island had 
not for half a century experienced anything of 
the kind (for whilst other islands have suffered materially, 
St. Vincent has invariably escaped) yet it is usual for all 
the merchant vessels to leave on or before the ist of 
August, otherwise the insurance is doubled. On^ Monday, 
the ist of August, I left Kingston and at 12 o'clock 
wheeled my horse's head homewards. Passing the Bay of 
Calliaqua, and which is 3 miles from Kingston, I ob- 
served several of the merchant vessels getting under weigh 
for England. During the preceding week and up to 
within a short period of its occurrence, we had nothing to 
indicate the approaching hurricane. On the Wednes- 
day evening it was perfectly still, calm, and serene, and 
we had taken a drive to Langley Park, as if to take a 
last look at the beautiful scenery — the luxuriant fields of 
canes promising an abundant harvest. We remarked 
on our return that the weather was close and sultry. 
After midnight the wind began to rise, and with the 
earliest dawn of the morning, about 5 o'clock, I looked 
* This paper consists of a letter, dated St. Vincent, W.I., Nov. 
13th, 1831, from a clergyman who was then the owner of "Grand 
Sable" in that island. It has been placed at my disposal, and edited, 
by Miss Browne, the granddaughter of the writer— Ed. 
