m the
town, which we could perceive had received considerable damage and the
beach below it was strewed with wrecks and fragments. I told the men
that we might as well walk into the town, and deliver ourselves up as
prisoners; to which they agreed, and we set forward, promising to send
for the poor fellows who were too much hurt to accompany us.

As soon as we climbed up the rocks, and gained the inland, what a sight
presented itself to us! Trees torn up by the roots in every direction--
cattle lying dead--here and there the remains of a house, of which the
other parts had been swept away for miles. Everything not built of
solid masonry had disappeared. We passed what had been a range of negro
huts, but they were levelled to the ground. The negroes were busily
searching for their property among the ruins, while the women held their
infants in their arms, and the other children by their sides. Here and
there was the mother wailing over the dead body of some poor little
thing which had been crushed to death. They took no notice of us.

About half a mile further on, to our great delight, we fell in with the
crews of the other boats, who were sitting by the side of the road.
They had all escaped unhurt: their boats being so much more buoyant than
ours, had been thrown up high and dry. They joined us, and we proceeded
on our way.

On our road we fell in with a cart blown over, under the wheel of which
was the leg of the negro who conducted it. We released the poor fellow:
his leg was fractured. We laid him by the side of the road in the
shade, and continued our march. Our whole route was one scene of
desolation and distress; but when we arrived at the town, we found that
there it was indeed accumulated. There was not one house in three
standing entire--the beach was covered with the remnants of bodies and
fragments of vessels, whose masts lay forced several feet into the sand,
and broken into four or five pieces. Parties of soldiers were busy
taking away the bodies, and removing what few valuables had been saved.
We turned up into the town, for no one accosted or even noticed us; and
here the scene was even more dreadful. In some streets they were
digging out those who were still alive, and whose cries were heard among
the ruins; in others, they were carrying away the dead bodies. The
lamentations of the relatives--the howling of the negroes--the cries of
the wounded--the cursing and swearing of the French s