desolating fire, which in November following broke out in the capital,
and laid the half of it in ruins. This fire began about two o'clock in
the afternoon, and burnt with unquenchable violence until eight at night.
The houses being built of wood, and the wind blowing hard at north-west,
the flames spread with astonishing rapidity. From Broad-street, where the
fire kindled, to Granville's Bastion, almost every house was at one time
in flames, and exhibited an awful and striking scene. The vast quantities
of deerskins, rum, pitch, tar, turpentine and powder, in the different
stores, served to increase the horror, and the more speedily to spread
the desolation. Amidst the cries and shrieks of women and children, and
the bursting forth of flames in different quarters, occasioned by the
violent wind, which carried the burning shingles to a great distance, the
men were put into confusion, and so anxious were they about the safety of
their families, that they could not be prevailed upon to unite their
efforts for extinguishing the fire. The sailors from the men of war, and
ships in the harbour were the most active and adventurous hands engaged
in the service. But such was the violence of the flames, that it baffled
all the art and power of man, and burnt until the calmness of the evening
closed the dreadful scene. Three hundred of the best and most convenient
buildings in the town were consumed, which, together with lots of goods,
and provincial commodities, amounted to a prodigious sum. Happily few
lives were lost, but the lamentations of ruined families were heard in
every quarter. In short, from a flourishing condition the town was
reduced in the space of six hours to the lowest and most deplorable
state. All those inhabitants whose houses escaped the flames, went around
and kindly invited their unfortunate neighbours to them, so that two and
three families were lodged in places built only for the accommodation of
one. After the legislature met, to take the miserable state of the people
under consideration, they agreed to make application to the British
parliament for relief. The British parliament voted twenty thousand