The Hurricane in St. Vincent. 63 
slightest injury, nay more, all the cattle, horses, mules, 
sheep, though in several instances the buildings fell upon 
them, escaped. Even the little dove, which had been 
presented to the children a few days before, and whose 
cage was hanging in the gallery when the house fell, and 
which we concluded had perished in the ruins, thrust its 
little head from amidst the thatch where it had remained 
covered up unhurt for some hours, though its cage was 
dashed to pieces. Many providential escapes were re- 
lated to me by the people. One man proceeding up the 
mountains, was overtaken by the storm, and as he stood 
by the canal (a narrow cut which leads water to turn 
the sugar-mill) meditating a return, he observed to 
his horror and dismay, a tree, torn up by the roots, 
darting towards him through the air. At that instant he 
instinctively threw myself into the bed of the canal, and 
the tree fell across him, just leaving room for him to 
creep out. A poor crippled woman unable to walk, was 
seated in her little cottage, when a huge bread fruit tree 
torn up by the violence of the wind was thrown upon 
the cottage, but at the same instant the same gust lifted 
her completely from the ground, carried her out into the 
adjoining field, where she fell unhurt, and a humane 
young man who was passing caught her up in his arms 
and conveyed her to the works in safety. Many 
parents had their children repeatedly torn from their 
arms as they were descending, and carried down the 
hills, where falling or rolling amongst the long grass, 
canes, and small bushes, they were saved. Others again 
who had resided in the Bahamas, where they had experi- 
enced several hurricanes but none so violent nor des- 
tructive, tied their younger children upon their backs, 
