flashes of fire driven by the winds. It raged
with great violence for eight days, and this
in the principal and most thronged parts of
the city. The people being fled into the fields
half naked, the fire consumed all sorts of
merchandise, household goods, and wearing
apparel, so that hardly anything is left to cover
people's nakedness, and they live in tents in
the fields. If the fire had not happened,
people would have recovered their effects out of
the ruins; but this has made such a scene of
misery and desolation as words cannot
describe. The king's palaces in the city are
totally destroyed; the tobacco and other
warehouses, with the cargoes of three Brazil fleets,
shared the same fate; in short, there are few
goods left in the whole city. I believe few
outstanding debts will be recovered, for those
who have lost all cannot pay; and it is much
to be feared others who have saved any effects
will appear as poor as they can, to avoid
parting with anything. All lawsuits are ended,
for the records and papers are destroyed."

The scenes in every street were agonising to
the heart, whether the survivors showed
remorseless selfishness or heroic love. Some were
exulting at having saved their money, and,
indifferent to all else, merchants were digging,
surrounded by the bodies of their children, for
the altars of their idolatry—their iron chests.
Here you saw a man weeping over the charred
and crushed body of his wife; while others
were trying to save some relic of their wealth.
Many who had dragged their treasure into the
centre of the squares were deserted by their
servants and workmen, as the air got more heated,
and the flakes of fire and the blinding smoke
began to fall nearer and more threatening. Some,
exerting strength hitherto dormant, dragged
chests and valuables to the water-side, and there
hired boats, at an enormous price, to take them
on board vessels in the harbour that were
returning from time to time to search for and
save more, or to rescue and bring away friends.
About fifty thousand persons perished in this
earthquake, which also devastated the kingdom
as far as Porto.

To add to the general misery, thieves and
murderers, escaping from the shattered prisons,
plundered and robbed indiscriminately. These
men were chiefly Moors from the galleys,
runaway English sailors, and French and
Spanish deserters; one of these villains
confessed to setting the India House on fire, and
another to burning the ruins in seven places.
The earthquake continued with gentle
intermitting tremors, felt even on the river, for
eighteen days.

Another observer says: "The king's palace,
new opera-house, custom-house, India House,
treasury, with all the public offices in general,
fell a sacrifice to this dreadful conflagration.
The fire burnt as it listed, for upon the second
shock of the earthquake all the inhabitants
endeavoured to fly, though many thousands
perished in that attempt, having their brains
knocked out, and being buried under those
houses which fell as they passed by them, so
that when the fire began there were no inhabitants
in the city to put out the fire. It raged
nine days and nine nights with incredible fury.
Yesterday I was over the city to view it: there
are no signs of streets, lanes, squares, &c., but
only hills and mountains of rubbish still smoking.
His majesty, queen, and children are still
encamped in the field at Belem, and all the
inhabitants left alive are encamped in little tents
on the hills about the city. Our apprehensions
are not yet over, for yesterday morning, about
ten minutes before one, we had such a shock
as extremely alarmed us, so that we heard
screams, and soon everybody were on their
knees at prayer."

The losses to the merchants of Lisbon were
enormous. The very records of their debtors
were destroyed. Two houses alone lost fifty
thousand pounds each. In one hour rich men
had been turned iuto hopeless half-starved
beggars.

An English captain, who had just taken his
vessel from the custom-house, and anchored off
Terceras, describes his feeling the motion of
the water, and, looking back, saw the city
tremble and fall to pieces. His account gives
the terrible catastrophe in a fresh point of view.
He says: "I beheld the tall and stately buildings
come tumbling down with great cracks
and noise, and particularly that part of the city
from St. Paulo in a direct line to Boirroalto, as
also at the same time that part from the said
church along the river-side eastward as far as
the gallows, and so in a curve line northwards
again; and as far as St. José and the Roscio were
laid prostrate in three following and subsequent
shocks, which were so violent, as I heard many
say, that they could with difficulty stand on their
legs. Almost all the palaces and large churches
were rent down or partly fallen, and scarce one
house of this vast city is left habitable. Everybody
that was not crushed to death ran out into
the large places; and those near the river ran
down to save themselves by boats, or any other
floating conveniency, running, crying, and calling
to the ships for assistance. But while the
multitude were gathered near the river-side,
the water rose to such a height, that it overcame
and overflowed the lower part of the city,
which so terrified the miserable and already
dismayed inhabitants, who ran to and fro with
dreadful cries, which we heard plainly on board,
that it made them believe the dissolution of the
world was at hand; every one falling on his
knees, and entreating the Almighty for his
assistance. The boatmen in the boats, as they
were tossed on land by the sudden rise of the
water, jumped on shore to save themselves, and
immediately their boats were carried away by
the retiring sea, which ebbed and flowed in four
or five minutes."

Large ships lying high and dry at Bona Vista
were floated off violently and carried unresistingly
down the river, which was covered with
boats, timber, and household goods from the
quays. The timber in the royal arsenal was
washed into the adjacent streets, which it
rendered impassable. The sea at the bar broke