The Hurricane in St. Vincent. 57 
eye a wave of unusual size rolling on majestically 
towards the wharf and crane on its extreme point — they 
were then both perfect and uninjured — onwards it rolled, 
mounting higher and higher — it towered far above both 
crane and wharf — it fell with tremendous violence upon 
them, and when it subsided the next instant, not one 
vestige was to be seen. The poor overseer had reached the 
spot just before, he led the way and had attained the 
middle of the wharf, when a shriek from the negroes who 
earnestly besought him to return, as it was giving way, 
caused him to turn round and speedily retrace his steps, 
and he did so most providentially, for a foot beyond 
where he stood the wharf separated, and was in an 
instant swept into the ocean. The remainder imme- 
diately after, with the two storehouses on the beach, 
following it into the troubled abyss of waters. 
But there was no time for reflection. I heard that no 
lives were lost, and my attention was drawn back to 
things nearer home. The cloth had already been laid on 
the table in our large dining-room, and every preparation 
had been made for our family prayers and breakfast, but 
the wind blowing in such gusts as to threaten to burst 
the windows and doors open, we thought it safest to 
remove all the crockery ware, glass, and other frail 
materials into the back rooms. We had scarcely done 
so before our attention was called to one of the north 
windows which shook violently and appeared as if it 
were every instant about to burst in. My wife, myself, 
and two eldest sons in vain exerted our utmost efforts to 
retain it in its place, but found it overpowering our 
comparatively puny strength and deemed it wise to 
make a timely retreat, when the whole frame, window 
H 
