The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-08 00:00:00

XAGAZIN.ES, - COI7I i UED.)

NE IV MO 2%. 771 L
The New Monthly for MAreh of more than
Usual fixcelience. It opens with a ch,pter of
Soupy Sponge's Sporting Tour," which brings us
to the eve of the monien-ous fox-hunt. It is appro-
priately left for Apiil Fools'-dly to tell the result of
the expected trial or !kill. The second paper of this
number of the New Monthly is the most interesting,
.11 brief. but most wraphic :ketch of " A hurricane
M Antigua," by Captain Mack;nnon. The narrator
Was on a visit to a friend at Dry Hill-house, in tle
,vicinity of St. John's, the capital of Antigua. The
nay, thencetorwsrd " memorable in the annals of that
unfortunate island," broke with unusual splendour,
and the stranger could hardly cre-lit the prediction of
11li host, rendered wi,e by thirty years' re-
indence in the West ladies, that " a terrible
day was before them. There was a hurri-
cane in the air." The whole household was im-
mediately in violent commotion, one negro woman
almost turned pale with fiar. A huge trap-
door was opened leading cliwn ti a spacious
cellar, contrived as a place of refuge during
hurricanes, into which all portable articles were at
once transported. The barometer continued steadily
falling throughout the triwning. After noon a light
breezy sprang up—by three o'clock a furious gale wee
raging, which rapidly increased in violence. We
quote Captain Mackinnon's vivid description of what
followed :

" Darkness now closed upon us. The violence of the
tempest waxed strong, r and stronger; the noise in-
creased to such an overwhelming roar, that the strongest
()tints of the human voice in elutes! proximity, became
totally ust hss ; they ware a, a whisper in the ears of
death, unheard,' Loud cracks now gave notice that the
house b( gen to complain. The women and children
Were immediately roused from their sitting position, and
by signs, desired to go below. Ttlis movement was
speedily effected, and the ground floor was left in pos-
session of the manager and myself. Our attention was
note divided between the barometer, which fortunately
hung near the open trap-door (our last retreat.), and the
perilous vibration of the building. The walls appeared
to bend and give before the raging blast.
" Suddenly, a violent shock was felt, sending a thrill
to our hearts. This was afterwards ascertained to be
caused by the demolition of the kitchen, stable, and out-
houses adjoining the dwelling, which, with all their
contents, had Hewn away on the wings of the wind. Net
a vestige was ever recovered or seen. Numerous smaller
shocks succeeded, like reports of cannon. Huge stones
hurtled through the air, battering and tearing away the
verandahs that surrounded the house.*
"At this time, the barometer had fallen to 2.8.50. We
felt, or fancied we felt, the house giving way. 'faking a
farewell look at our faithful monitor, we prepared to de-
scend into the cellar. To my intense astuniahment, the
mercury suddenly fell a quarter of an inch. In the ,
tzcitement of the moment, I seized hold of the manager,
roaring the information in his ear; but, as before, the
human voice was of no avail in such a turmoil. B)
dumb show, I succeeded.
" On a sudden, we were aware of a marvellous change
in the state of things. Great heaven!' I ejaculated,
what can this mean?'
"There was a dead calm—a profound silence, disturbed
only by the low wailing sobs and incoherent prayers of
the women and children in the cellar. We were in the
Vortex of the hurricane! It is impossible to describe
the horror of this period. A door was unbarred and
..OPened, and, with a lighted candle, I stepped out. The.
"arcle took its upward course steadily. All around was
black, and calm, and silent.
= "But the stillness was of brief duration. In a short
time, a distant rumbling noise was heard, when I quickly
re-entered the house, drawing bolt and bar. A slight
• tremor shook the ground: au earthquake was added to
our ills. Again came the hurricane from the opposite
quarter, overwhelming our senses with its fierce impetu
4.°'itY• The house, already shaken, now rocked to and
're, threatening instant destruction. We immediately
descended into the cellar, fastening down the trap-door
With a strong lashing. During several dreary hours, we
remained in suspense, stunned by the hellish disturbance
over head, our b clings being occasionally varied by the
horrible and aiekeraug sensation of the earthquake.
Some bottles were thrown down by the agitation of the
ground, and the long rows of rum-casks heaved and fed.
" At four, A .M., there was a sensible diminution of the
gale- We proceeded carefully to unfasten the trap-
floort. On its falling back, the moon was plainly visible,
Grovina light on groups of dense, black clouds, driving
!furiously': across the heavens. Nothing was above us but
the sky! The upper part of the house was gone!"
A well-deserved eulogium of "King Arthur" is
followed by the adventures of " Sir %Vigolais of the
Wheel," one of the Knights of the Round Table,
Whose marvellous exploits are worthy of a stanza in
the epic. 'The first chapter has a somewhat unro-
nznantic heading—" How Sir \Vigolais set out for
"rotin, accompanied by a Sulky Damsel!" The
11101'4 important contributions to the New Monthly
are a continuation of " Men and Things in the New
World of Australia ;" " A Walk in the Landes of
atrotieie..
Bordeaux," by Francis Ainsworth ; a well-written
on " Colonies and Colonists," by W. H. G.
Kingston ; and " Beggars and Almsgivers," in which
the so-called charity of giving alma to street-beggars
!s severely, almost too severely, reprobated. There
Is, nevertlielc SS, a great deal of truth in the writer's
stricture.