The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Description of the Earthquake at Port Royal, in Jamaica, June 7, 1692.

"The sky which was clear and serene, at once grew torpid and red; a rumbling noise was heard under ground, spreading from the mountains to the plain; the rocks split; hills that were at a great distance came together; infectious lakes appeared on the spots where mountains had been swallowed up; whole plantations were removed several miles from the place where they stood: enormous chasms were opened, from whence gushed out huge columns of water that corrupted the air; many habitations either sunk into the caverns of the earth or were overturned. The sea was soon covered with trees, which the earth had thrown up or the winds blown away--Thirteen thousand lives were lost by this dreadful earthquake, and three thousand by a contagious distemper that broke out soon after. It is said, that since this catastrophe, which happened on the 7th of June, 1692, the climate of Jamaica is not so fine, nor the sky so clear, nor the soil so fruitful, as before. The mountains are not so high, and the island is lower than it was formerly. It is affirmed, that most of the wells can be reached with ropes shorter by two or three feet than were required before this terrible event: A monument of the fragility of conquest, which should have taught the Europeans not to trust to the possession of a world that trembles under their feet, and seems to slip out of their rapacious hands!"

In this general overthrow, Port Royal was washed away and destroyed; all the ships in the road were shattered to pieces, or thrown to a considerable distance upon dry land. But the situation of this city was too advantageous to be given up. The people had scarce recovered from their consternation, when they set about rebuilding it. But their labors were fruitless. The rising walls were again blown down by a hurricane.--Port Royal, like Jerusalem of old, could never be rebuilt. The earth seemed only digged to swallow it up. By a singularity which baffles all human efforts and reasonings, the only houses that were left standing after this subversion, are upon a narrow slip of land which advances several miles into the sea. Thus the land overturns edifices to which the inconstant ocean furnishes, as it were, a solid foundation.