As I was busy in the inside of it, just at the entrance into my cave, I was terribly frightened with a most dreadful surprising thing indeed. All on a sudden I found the earth come crumbling down from the roof of my cave and from the edge of the hill over my head. Two of the posts I had set up in the cave cracked in a frightful manner. I was scared, but thought nothing of what was the cause, only thinking that the top of my cave was falling in as some of it had done before. For fear I should be buried in it, I ran forward to my ladder, and not thinking myself safe there neither, I got over my wall for fear of the pieces of the hill which I expected might roll down upon me.
I had no sooner stepped down upon the firm ground than I saw it was a terrible earthquake. The ground I stood on shook three times at about eight minutes' distance, with three such shocks as would have overturned the strongest building that could be supposed to have stood on the earth. A great piece of the top of a rock, which stood about half a mile from me, fell down, with such a terrible noise as I never heard in all my life. I perceived also the very sea was put into a violent motion by it. I believe the shocks were stronger 'neath the water than on the island, and for reasons I could not give a name to, I was struck with the thought of some great creature turning and stretching in its sleep, as does a man or e'en a dog.
I was so much amaz’d with the thing itself (having never felt the like, nor discours’d with any one that had) I was like one dead or stupify’d. The motion of the earth made my stomach sick, like one that was toss’d at sea, or so I first thought. I did soon recognize this as the beast, growling and snarling within me tho’ it was still more than a week from the first night of the moon, for some element of this earthquake disturbed it greatly, and I did try to examine the beast within my skin to learn why. But the noise of the falling of the rock awak’d me, as it were, and rousing me from the stupify'd condition I was in, fill’d me with horror. I thought of nothing but the hill falling upon my tent and my household goods, and burying all at once. This sunk my very soul within me a second time.
After the third shock was over and I felt no more for some time, I began to take courage and the beast grew quiet within me. Yet I had not heart enough to go over my wall again for fear of being buried alive, but sat still upon the ground cast down and disconsolate, not knowing what to do. All this while, I had not the least serious religious thought. Nothing but the very common Lord, have mercy upon me! and when it was over, that went away too.
While I sat thus I found the air overcast, and grow cloudy, as if it would rain. Soon after the wind rose by little and little, so in less than half an hour it blew a most dreadful hurricane. The sea 'round the black rocks was, all on a sudden, covered with foam and froth. The shore was covered with a breach of the water, the trees were torn up by the roots, and a terrible storm it was. This held about three hours, and then began to abate. In two hours more it was quite calm, and began to rain very hard.
All this while I sat upon the ground, very much terrify’d and dejected, when on a sudden it came into my thoughts that these winds and rain being the consequence of the earthquake, the earthquake itself was spent and over. I might venture into my cave again. With this thought my spirits began to revive, and the rain also helping to persuade me, I went in and sat down in my tent. But the rain was so violent my tent was ready to be beaten down with it. I was forced to get into my cave, tho’ very much afraid and uneasy for fear it should fall on my head.
This violent rain forced me to a new work, viz. to cut a hole through my new fortification like a sink, to let the water go out, which would else have drown’d my cave. After I had been in my cave for some time and found no more shocks of the earthquake follow, I began to be more composed. And now to support my spirits, which indeed wanted it very much, I went to my little store and took a small sup of rum, which I did then, and always, very sparingly, knowing I could have no more when that was gone.
It continued raining all night, and a great part of the next day, so I could not stir abroad. My mind being more composed, I began to think of what I had best do, concluding if the island was subject to these earthquakes, there would be no living for me in a cave. I must consider of building me some little hut in an open place which I might surround with a wall, as I had done here. If I staid where I was I should be buried alive.
With these thoughts, I resolv’d to remove my tent from the place where it now stood, being just under the hanging precipice of the hill, and which if it should be shaken again would certainly fall upon my tent. I spent the two next days, being the 19th and 20th of April, in contriving where and how to remove my habitation.