88 TlMEHRI. 
but sometimes, fortunately not very frequently, they de- 
velop into serious calamities. The principal earthquake 
on record is that which destroyed the city of Port Royal, 
Jamaica, in 1692. About the same time Jamestown, the 
then capital of Nevis, was also destroyed by an earth- 
quake. As we have already said, in 181 2, the island of 
St. Vincent was the scene of an extensive volcanic erup- 
tion. Coming down to our own time, in the year 1867, 
the Virgin Islands were convulsed by a terrific earth- 
quake, or more properly speaking, series of earthquakes, 
and nearly submerged by a tidal wave. The latest dis- 
turbance is that we have already mentioned as having 
taken place in Dominica in 1880. 
In some of the islands is to be found evidence of 
their being connected with others by submarine channels. 
Thus, any commotion in the Souffrihre at St. Vincent 
produces a corresponding a6tion in that of Grenada. 
Again, during the earthquake in the Virgin Islands in 
1867, the sea was thrown up along the western shores 
of Dominica, whilst, as far as we can ascertain, nothing 
of the sort occurred in any of the islands between. But 
besides these inter-insular connections, we are of opinion 
that the waters of the Caribbean are in like manner con- 
nected with those of the Pacific. About the same time as 
the tidal wave swept the shores of the Virgin Islands, a 
remarkable phenomenon was witnessed by the officers 
of a British man-of-war in the Pacific ocean. This 
consisted of a solid column of water, which rose to a 
considerable height and sank again. Being unable to put 
our hands on the newspaper report, we quote this occur- 
rence from memory, and are therefore unable to give 
the exa6t details. The fact, however, is as we state. 
