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roof, forces open the doors, bursts through the windows, and having gained an entrance on every side, with an awful crash, which strikes horror into the terrified inhabitants, mixes into one confused mass, the roof, rafters, walls, floors, and furniture. The rain, meanwhile, pours down in torrents; and the unhappy sufferers, escaped from being buried alive, are menaced with a new, and a not less alarming, species of destruction. Afraid of trusting themselves in any habitation, which may yet be left standing, they are glad to repair to the shelter of large trees, from which last resource they are often driven, by the whirlwinds levelling them to the ground. The wretched sufferers, driven from their habitations, bereft of their property, exposed to a deluge, terrified by the awful howlings of the wind, and dreading the bolt of the loudly rolling thunder, are in a state, nearly bordering on despair. Night approaching, renders these horrors yet more awful. Dreadful must be the situation of these ill-fated colonists, when surrounded by gloom, and half annihilated with terror, they put up, in silence, frequent ejaculations to Heaven, for more constant flashes of lightning, that the darkness may be dissolved, and for more awful claps of thunder, that the howlings of the tempest may be deafened! Yet even these horrid comforts are almost denied them. The long, long night is passed in awful terror, death, with angry menaces, often shaking his spear, in the faces of the affrighted inhabitants.

And when the blessed light of morning again returns, instead of dispelling their fears, it only renders the horrors of their situation more visible. The green verdure which yesterday gladdened the sight, the yellow crops which waved on the plains, the rich dwellings which smiled on the landscape, the stately trees which covered and adorned the mountains, have all disappeared, while nothing on every side can be seen, but.

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á scene of universal desolation. The order of nature appears, for a season, to have been reversed. Even inanimate nature seems to complain. The rational and brute creation, being equally sufferers, mix their complaints. The cow, with many a wishful look, lows mournfully, but in vain, inviting the calf, which had been snatched from her side, to return; the ewe often tenderly bleats, recalling her innocent lamb, which by the merciless hand of the tempest, had been torn from her sight, and doomed to destruction; the affectionate Negress, tearing her woolly hair, and smiting her sable breast, franticly calls on her infant once more to breathe, and again to gladden an indulgent parent with smiles; while the ruined planter, motionless and dumb with despair, in silent, but expressive anguish, yields despondingly to his fate.

The feathered tribe, timorous and defenceless, having unresistingly yielded to the fury of the hurricane, now lye scattered among the ruins, awful monuments of its fury; while the fish, having been driven from the waters, of which they had been the peaceful inhabitants, are now left to perish miserably on the earth. New streams have now arisen, and extensive lakes are spread, where rills had scarcely been observed to trickle; and ferry-boats are obliged to ply, where, but the day before, carriages used to travel in safety and convenience. The roads in the mountains become, for a long time, literally impassable; the low-lands are overflowed; whole flocks of cattle are carried away by the impetuosity of the torrents, while the boundaries of the different plantations are sunk beneath the accumulated stores of the inundation.

In the towns, the desolation is no less complete. Churches, houses, wharves, store-houses and sheds for the shelter of goods, are either overturned by the impetuous hurricane, or swept away by the roaring billows of the ocean. This faint

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description, instead of being a fictitious narrative, is only an imperfect sketch of the disasters, to which the inhabitants of the new world are subject, when they are afflicted with these awful visitations. It would be difficult to conceive, and impossible to express, the distress occasioned in the colony, by this tremendous hurricane. Such was the sense of the members of assembly of the horrors attending it, that they immediately met, and resolved, that the 28th day of August should be, for ever after, solemnly set apart, as a day of fasting and humiliation.

To Sir Nicholas Lawes, succeeded his Grace the Duke of Portland, who, arriving in Jamaica in the year 1725, was received with all imaginable splendour. It was during his administration, that the compromise between the crown of England, and the house of assembly, formerly mentioned, took place; an event, which has been productive of the most important consequences to the interests of the colonists. The duke, falling a victim to the climate, was succeeded by General Hunter, who dying in the year 1734, was succeeded by the Honourable John Ascough.

CHAPTER VI.

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Incursions of the Maroon Negroes.-Cudjoe appointed their Leader. -Joined by the Cottawoods and Madagascars.-Peace concluded with Cudjoe.

A NEW species of misfortune now menaced the happiness of the colonists. The Negroes, who, on the conquest of the island by the English, either refused to embark with their Spanish masters, or were left in order to

annoy the conquerors, had retired to the mountainous and uncultivated parts of the island. Here they cultivated a few vegetables, necessary to the preservation of their existence; constructed huts to shelter themselves from the inclemencies of the weather, and wandering through the woods, lived almost in a state of nature. Their females, living in a climate congenial to their constitutions, and from the richness of the soil, and the fewness of their wants, being exempted from hard labour, were remarkably prolific. Being from time to time joined by run-away slaves, they soon became numerous, and consequently, formidable. Conscious of their strength, and emboldened by a long state of security, they often descended from their haunts, and laid waste the neighbouring plantations. Planters were afraid to settle in their neighbourhood, and those who had the hardihood to attempt it, were frequently ruined, and sometimes destroyed. These Negroes were called Maroons, or Hog-hunters, and lived chiefly on those mountains in the north-east quarter of the island, called the Blue Mountains.

Here they built, in a situation strongly fortified by nature, a town, called Nanny-town. From hence they frequently descended to the plains, and became at length so formidable, that the government was necessitated to take measures, for the defence of the peaceable and industrious inhabitants.

But a separate body of Negroes, unconnected with the Maroons, had after the rebellion already mentioned, which took place in the year 1690, retired to the fastnesses of the parish of Clarendon. Their depredations had, for a considerable time, been carried on by small, wandering parties, and were chiefly confined to the destruction, and the stealing, of cattle; but their excesses had now risen to such a height, that it was necessary effectually to repress them. An armed force was provided by the government, in order to penetrate the woods, and, if possible, to discover the places of their retreat. By some parties, they were, at first, surprised, dispersed,. and many of them destroyed. Before this period, they had no chief, and had wandered in gangs, under the direction of different leaders; but finding, that the colonists were determined no longer to be annoyed by them, and that parties were sent out to attack them, wherever they could be found, they concentered their force, and elected a chief, whose name was Cudjoe;-a bold, skilful, and enterprising man, who, on assuming the command, appointed his brothers, Accompong and Johnny, to be leaders under him, and Cuffee and Quao to be subordinate captains. While these rebels in Clarendon were carrying on their depredations on the south side of the island, the Maroons in the east were pursuing a similar conduct, and for many years, rendered every attempt to settle near them impracticable. Great, but ineffectual efforts were made to destroy them; and, though they suffered severely in some well-projected attacks, yet they remained a rallying point for

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