A few descriptions of the earthquake by eye-witnesses are still extant. We take the two following, which may be of interest, from the Philosophical Transactions, vols, xvii, xviii, 1694:
1. "This part of Port Royal which is now standing, is said to stand upon a rock.... It seems strange that the force of the earthquake did not dissipate and dissolve the very foundation of it, and that it did not fall to pieces and scatter under the water, as the rest of the place did; for the shock was so violent that it threw people down on their knees, and sometimes on their face, as they run along the street to provide for their safety; and it was a very difficult matter to keep one's legs. The ground heaved and swelled like a rolling, swelling sea ('tis a strange comparison, but everybody here using it, I venture to do so likewise), by which means several houses now standing were shuffled and moved some
An Exact Plan of the Town of Port Royal before the Earthquake in 1692; the past within the dotted line being all that was left after the shock.
A, Fort James; B, Fort Carlisle; C, Fort Rupert; D, Fort Charles: E, Walker's Lines; F, Morgan's Lines; G, White's Lines; H, Church Lines; I, King's House; K, School; L, New Dockyard; M. Storehouse. 1, Thames Street; 2, Queen's Street; 3, High Street; 4, Broad Street; 5, New Street; 6, Cannon Street; 7, York Street; 8, Tower Street; 9, Church Street; 10, Parade; 11, Lime Street; 12, Fisher's Street.
yards from their places. One whole street (a great many houses whereof are now standing) is said to be twice as broad now as before the earthquake; and in many places the ground would crackle and open, and shut quick and fast: of which small openings I have heard Major Kelly and. others say they have seen two or three hundred at one time, in some whereof many people were swallowed up; some the earth caught by the middle and squeezed to death; the heads of others only appeared above ground; some were swallowed quite down, and cast up again by great quantities of water; others went down and were never more seen. These were the smallest openings; others that were more large, swallowed up great houses; and out of some gapings would issue whole rivers of water, spouted up a great height into the air,
