With their destruction by the earthquake in 1907 Kingston lost two important old-time houses in Blundell Hall and Date Tree Hall, at the lower end of East street. Both had been in former days boarding-houses. Latterly the former had served as the home of a part of the Post Office, the latter as that of the Institute of Jamaica, founded in 1879. =Blundell Hall= was for some years under the proprietorship of Mary Seacole, a native of Jamaica, well known in connection with her kindness to the sick and wounded of the British soldiers in the Crimea, where she filled the position of sutler, having failed to obtain that of nurse. Sir William Russell wrote a preface to her “Adventures,” published in 1857. Seacole Cottage in Duke street was named after her. The reconstructed =Institute of Jamaica= possesses several objects of considerable historic interest. Besides the Arawâk pottery and implements and the slave branding-iron alluded to in the Introduction, there is a cage in which criminals were hung to die of starvation, as late as the early days of the nineteenth century. There is also the Chancellor’s purse for holding the official seal of the colony, recalling the days when the governor sat as chancellor, which lasted up to the passing of the judicature law of 1879. The following—taken from “The State of Jamaica under Sir Thomas Lynch, 1683,” printed in “The Laws of Jamaica” (London, 1684)—is the earliest reference to the Seal of the Island: The King has been pleased to honour this Island with a large guilt Mace, as a signal Mark of his Favour, and to make the Government appear more great and formal: It’s carried before the Governour and Chancellour on Solemn Occasions. The King has likewise honoured this Island with Arms, and with a publick Broad Seal; and on one side of it his Majesty is seated on his Throne, with two _Indians_ on their knees, presenting him _Fruits_, and two Cherubins aloft, supporting a Canopy; underneath his Feet, this _Motto_: _Duro de Cortice fructus quam Dulces?_[5] Footnote 5: How sweet the fruit the hard rind yields. The Inscription about it is, _Carolus Secundus Dei gratia, &c. Dominus Jamaicæ_; On the other side is an Escutcheon, bearing a Cross charged with five Pines; two _Indians_ for the Supporters and for the _Crest_ an _Alligator_. The Inscription in the Orle, Inclosing all, is _Ecce alium Ramos porrexit in orbem Nec sterilis crux est_[6] Footnote 6: Behold! the Cross hath spread its arms into another world, and beareth fruit. The _Motto_ underneath the Escutcheon is, _Indus Uterq: serviet uni_[7] Footnote 7: The Indians twain shall serve one Lord.