Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

St. CHRISTOPHER, July 6.

Extract of a letter from Dominica, dated at Roseau, July 2, 1785.

There has been more rain here these four weeks last past, than you have had in St. Christopher for twenty years. On Thursday morning last, about eight o'clock, the river came down with greater force than was ever known before, it overflowed the whole town except the market place, filled the cellars, and carried away several houses, and did considerable damage to many of those that resisted the flood;—damaged vast quantities of dry goods and sugars, the river was several feet higher than it was in the flood of the year 1768; it could not have risen less than from fifteen to twenty feet;—no lives were lost, and it was a happy circumstance that we had day light for it."

We are informed that the above flood was occasioned by a water-spout breaking on a mountain above the town; the water of which poured down in a vast sheet on all sides: a vessel that arrived here from Europe, and was then under the island of Dominica, informs, that the torrent of water, upon the opposite side of the island to Roseau, was immense, and poured down the mountain with astonishing rapidity—The Latona frigate, within 3 miles of Roseau, perceived the water-spout to break on the mountain; and the amazing body of water making directly for the town, lowered and hoisted his top-sails several times, and fired alarm guns to give the inhabitants notice of the approaching danger.