64 TlMEHRI. 
and taking hold of the elder by the hands, and occasion- 
ally cowering down to avoid the greatest fury of the 
gusts, thus escaped. It was a subject of mutual con- 
gratulation to meet again unhurt, and to be spared the 
misery of witnessing any lacerated or maimed object, or 
of hearing of the death of some beloved and dear 
relative. I endeavoured to impress upon their minds 
how much cause we had for thankfulness and gratitude 
to Almighty God, for having so spared us, and during 
the raging of the hurricane, I made all those who were 
with me in the cave fall upon their knees to deprecate 
the Divine wrath. 
The other estates further north, where the hurricane 
raged with greatest fury, suffered more both in property 
and lives, than we did. This I attribute to the peculiar 
conformation of the mountainous chain through the 
centre of the island, which at this part attains its highest 
elevation in the peaks of the Souffriere and the Morne 
Garou mountains. Between these two mountains there 
is a considerable opening, down which the wind rushed 
as through a funnel, or as the bursting of waters through 
a breach in the side of a canal. The stately and elegant 
mansion at Waterloo, though all the lower part was 
built of stone, could not resist its fury. The instant 
before it fell, Mrs. S. assisted by her brother (for her 
husband was in town) fled with one little child down the 
hill ; the other being crushed to death in its nurse's ai\ns 
by a falling beam. In her flight she was followed by the 
rafters, beams and broken roof, which flew piece-meal in 
every direction even to the inconceivable distance of half 
a mile ; whilst the child was torn several times from her 
brother's arms and carried to a great distance ; and re- 
