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a plan of the Iron sand I encloze a small specimen of the fructification of the lemon grass, w[hich] is now in full blossom. Nevis .4 November 1812,
Sir
It gave me great satisfaction to have from my friend Mr.Francis that my imperfect, & I fear very confused detail of the Eruption at St,Vincent has been so favourably receivd by you; & I again the liberty of trespassing upon your attention with a correction of one or two errors which have I apprehend found their way into that account, & originated in reports currently believed here at the period of my writing. These errors are, the account of the Diamond Rock off Martinique having been split to smithery flame from several fissures, & the island of Buenayre & others on the coast of the Spanish Main having suffered very materially. These statements I have since ascertained to be perfectly devoid of foundation. every other part of my narrative will I believe be found correct. I noticed if I mistake not, the singular agitation of the sea in this quarter shortly after the noises proceeding from the Souffriere had been heard; at the instant & for some four hours after no particular agitation was observable, yet I have since learned that the Master of a Dregher who was passing thro' the Narrows (between this island & St. Kitts) at this period was alarmed at the shocks his little vessel received as tho' striking against a rock, at a time when the depth of water was sufficient for the passage of a first rate ships of the line. This I know is a phonomenon universally attending shocks of an Earthquake felt at sea, & I have myself more then once repeated ye experiment Dr. Priestly allows in explanation of its cause; nor should I have [indecipherable] it in this place, were it not that I conceived it possible to derive some, at least conjectural light, as to the mysterious manner wherein the reports were so widely. & instantaneously propagated, from this circumstance. An eruption of boiling mud took place on the night of the 20th of last June from the old Crater of the Souffreire, succeeded by a most tremendous. Earthquake, exceeding in violence as well as duration any other within the memory of man....