were contracted between persons who had neglected for many years to sanction their union by the sacerdotal benediction. Children found parents by whom they had never till then been acknowledged; restitutions were promised by persons, who had never been accused of fraud; and families, who had long been enemies, were drawn together by the tie of common calamity. It this feeling seemed to calm the passions of some, and open the heart to pity, it had a contrary effect on others, rendering them more rigid and inhuman.

Shocks as violent as those which, in the space of one minute, overthrew the city of Caraccas, could not be confined to a small portion of the continent. Their fatal effects extended as far as the provinces of Venezuela, Verinas, and Maracaybo, along the coast; and still more to the inland mountains. La Guayra, Mayquetia, Artimano, Baruta, La Vega, San Felipe, and Merida, were almost entirely destroyed. The number of the dead exceeded four or five thousand at La Guayra and the town of San Felipe, near the copper-mines of Aroa. It appears, that it was on a line running east north-east, and west south-west, from La Guayra and and Carraccas to the lofty mountains of Niquitao and Merida, that the violence of the earthquake was principally directed. It was felt in the kingdom of New Granada from the branches of the high Sierra de Santa Martha as far as Santa Fe de Bogota and Honda, on the banks of Magdelena, 180 leagues from Carraccas. It was every where more violent in the Cordilleras of gneiss and mica-slate, or immediately at their foot, than in the plains: and this difference was particularly striking in the savannahs of Varinas and Casanara. In the valleys of Aragua, situate between Carraccas and the town of San Felipe, the commotions were very weak and La Victori, a Maracay, and Valentia, scarce

• The duration of the earthquake, that is to say, the whole of the movements of undulation and rising which occasioned the horrible catastrophe of the 26th of March, 1812, was estimated by some at fifty seconds, by others at one minute and twelve seconds.

ly suffered at all, notwithstanding their proximity to the capital. At Valecillo, a few leagues from Valencia, the earth, opening, threw out such an immense quantity of water, that it formed a new torrent. The same phenomenon took place near Porto-Cabello. On the other hand, the lake Maracaybo diminished sensibly. At Coro no commotion was felt, though the town is situated upon the coast, between other towns which suffered from the earthquake.

Fifteen or eighteen hours after the great catastrophe, the ground remained tranquil. The night, as we have already observed, was fine and calm; and the commotions did not recommence till after the 27th. They then were attended with a very loud and long continued subterranean noise. The inhabitants of Caraccas wandered into the country; but the villages and farms having suffered as much as the town, they could find no shelter till they were beyond the mountains of Los Teques, in the valleys of Aragua, and in the Llanos or savannahs. No less than fifteen oscillations were often felt in one day. On the fifth of April there were almost as violent an earthquake, as that which overthrew the capital. During several hours, the ground was in a state perpetual undulation. Large masses of earth fell in the mountains; and enormous rocks were detached from the Silla of Caraccas. It was even asserted and believed that the two domes of the Silla sunk fifty or sixty toises; but this assertion is founded on no measurement whatever."

On the 7th day of June, 1692, the town of Port Royal in Jamaica, was in two minutes totally destroyed by an earthquake: Various instances of the destructive effects of this terrible phenomenon might be adduced, but the preceding have exceeded the limits assigned for this portion of our Museum.

HURRICANE AT MONTSERRAT.
(Smith's Wonders of Nature & Art.)

WE find nothing more remarkable relating to Mont

serrat, than the dreadful hurricane which happened there on the 29th and 30th of June, 1733, and blew down three fifths of the houses in the island. On

the 29th there were thirty-four wind-mills going, many of which were entirely destroyed. A large copper, that held two hundred and forty gallons, was carried over a high wall, and beat close together by the fall. An empty sugar hogshead was lifted off the ground by the wind, and carried thirty or forty yards over a dwelling-house. But, what is most surprising of all, a cattle-mill-house, weighing at least twenty thousand pounds, was carried some distance from its situation, and by the force of the fall was broken into innumerable pieces. Such havock was made among the sugar-canes, that some planters, who had a prospect of making two or three hundred hogsheads the next year, would gladly have compounded for sixty or eighty. In a word, the whole damage, exclusive of the shipping, was reckoned not less than fifty thousand pounds of their currency.

STORM IN NEW ENGLAND.
(Dwight's Travels.)

IN September 1815, at the equinox, a storin began, which lasted several days, and, in its ravages in several parts of New-England, was more violent and destructive than any other which is upon record.

It blew a fresh breeze from the north-east on Wednesday. On Thursday the wind increased to a hard gale, and, in the following night, became a furious tempest. Throughout New-England, and all the eastern parts of the state of New York, the rain fell in a deluge.

On Friday and Saturday, the storm blew with the greatest violence, particularly on the latter of these days, when, shifting to the south-east, and thence to the south. west, it became literally a hurricane. Its greatest fury was felt on the eastern coast from Portsmouth, and thence round on the southern to New London. Within these limits many buildings were blown down, and many tracts of forest levelled. Several churches were either wholly or partially destroyed. That at Plainfield, in Connecticut, particularly, was entirely ruined. At Andover, in Massachusetts, and various other places from twelve to sixteen miles from the coast, the rain was so brackish as to leave a thin covering of salt upon the windows; unless

this fact is to be attributed to the spray, forced from the surface of the ocean by the blast, and driven over the land in form of mist.

On Saturday, after the wind shifted to the south-east, the ravages on the southern coast exceeded every thing heretofore known in this country. Particularly from New Bedford to New London. At this time the waters of the ocean had been raised to a singular height, by the long continued violence of the north eastern blast, and, when it shifted to a southern direction, were driven upon the shore in a deluge. At Providence, where they were swollen to a still greater height by the narrowing of the river, and the consequent increased confinement of the shores, the shipping was almost entirely destroyed, or carried in upon the land. Several large ships were carried directly through the second story of the brick stores, standing on the margin of the harbour, and one was lodged in this situation. Others were left high up on the dry ground. Many buildings were destroyed; many more were greatly injured; an immense quantity of goods of various kinds was floated over the lower part of the town, and the scene of ruin was such as to beggar all description. Few lives were lost; yet many were in so much hazard, that their escape seemed miraculous.

The damage done to property was estimated at a million and a half of dollars."

Hurricanes are far more frequent on the southern than the northern Continent. The West India Islands are extremely liable to the visitation of storms, &c.

DEVASTATION OCCASIONED BY THE YELLOW FEVER, IN PHILADELPHIA, IN 1793. (Hardie's Philadelphia Directory.)

THIS disorder occasioned great devastation in the year 1793, a short account of it may be acceptable to several of our readers, who, perhaps, have not had an opportunity of perusing the volumes which have been written on the subject.

This disorder made its first appearance towards the latter end of July, in a lodging house in North Water Street: and for a few weeks seemed entirely con

fined to that vicinity Hence it was generally supposed to have been imported and not generated in the city. This was the opinion of Doctors Currie, Cathrall and many others It was however combated by Dr. Benjamin Rush, who asserts that the contagion was generated from the stench of a cargo of damaged coffee, which had been landed near the same place, where it first made its appearance, on a supposition that vegetable putrifaction might produce such a disorder.

But from whatever fountain we trace this poisoned stream, it has destroyed the lives of many thousandsand many of those of distinguished worth. Its characteristic or leading symptoms, were sudden debility in the voluntary powers, oppressive pain, giddiness, sense of fullness and distention in the vessels of the fore part of the head, and an oppressive weight about the heart and lungs, accompanied with great anguish, and restlessness. During the month of August the funerals amounted to upwards of three hundred. The disease had then reached the central streets of the city, and began to spread on all sides with the greatest rapidity. In September its malignance increased amazingly. Fear pervaded the stoutest heart: flight became general, and terror was depicted on every countenance. In this month 1400 more were added to the list of mortality. The contagion was still progressive, and towards the end of the month 90 and 100 died daily. Until the middle of October the mighty destroyer went on with increasing havoc. From the 1st to the 17th, upwards of 1400 fell as victims to the tremendous malady. From the 17th to the 30th, the mortality gradually decreased. In the whole month, however, the dead amounted to upwards of 2000-a dreadful number, if we consider that at this time near one half of the inhabitants had fled. Before the disorder became to terrible, the appearance of Philadelphia, must to a stranger have seemed very extraordinary. The garlic, which many chewed as a preventative, could be smelled at several yards distance, whilst others hoped to avoid infection by a recourse to smelling bottles, handkerchiefs dipped in vinegar, camphor bags, &c. so that few individuals could be seen in the streets without one or other of these applied to his nostrils.