It pleased God about this time to bless the country with such an influx of people that it was much enriched, and cattle of all kinds stood at high prices for many years. Cows were sold at £20, some at £25 apiece, sometimes even at £28. A cow-calf usually fetched £10; a milch-goat £3, and sometimes £4; and she-kids thirty shillings and often £2 apiece. By this means the original settlers who had stock began to increase in wealth. Corn also commanded a high price, viz., six shillings a bushel. So other trading began to be neglected, and the old partners, having forbidden Mr. Sherley to send them any more goods, abandoned their trade at Kennebec, and, as things stood, decided to follow it no longer. But a few of them were loth that it should all be lost by closing it entirely, so they joined with some others and agreed to give the colony about one-sixth of the profits from it; and with the first fruits of this the colony built a house for a prison. The trade at Kennebec has since been continued to the great benefit of the place; for, as some well foresaw, such high prices for corn and cattle could not long continue, and the revenue got by trade would be much missed. This year, about the 1st or 2nd of June, there was a fearful earthquake. Here it was heard before it was felt. It began with a rumbling noise, or low murmur, like remote thunder; it came from the northward and passed southward. As the noise approached, the earth began to shake, and at length with such violence that platters, dishes, and other things standing on shelves came clattering down, and people were afraid for the houses themselves. It happened that at the time several of the chief citizens of the town were holding a meeting in a house, conferring with some of their friends who were about to move from the place—as if the Lord would hereby show His displeasure at their thus shaking apart and removing from one another. It was very terrible for a while, and as the men sat talking in the house, some women and others were just out of doors, and the earth shook with such violence that they could not stand without catching hold of the posts and palings near by. But the violence did not last long. About half an hour after, or less, came another noise and shaking, but not so severe as before, and not lasting long. Some ships along the coast were shaken by it; but it was not only felt near the sea, for the Indians noticed it inland. So powerful is the mighty hand of the Lord as to make both the earth and the sea to shake, and the mountains to tremble before Him when He pleases; and who can stay His hand? It was observed that the summers for several years after this earthquake were not so hot and seasonable for the ripening of corn and other fruits as formerly, but were colder and more moist and subject to early and untimely frosts, so that often much Indian corn failed. Whether this was the cause, I leave it to naturalists to judge. CHAPTER XX