“What a soaking rain!” said Aaron Bang; “why, the drops are as small as pin points, and so thick!--a Scotch mist is a joke to them. Unusual all this, Captain. You know our rain in Jamaica usually descends in bucketfuls, unless it be regularly set in for a week, and them, but then only, it becomes what in England we are in the habit of calling a soaking rain. One good thing, however,--while it descends so quietly, the earth will absorb it all, and that furious river will not continue swollen.” “Probably not,” said I. “Mr Cringle,” said the skipper, “do you mark that tree on the ridge of the mountain, that large tree in such conspicuous relief against the eastern sky?” “I do, Captain. But--heaven help us!--what necromancy is this! It seems to sink into the mountain-top--why, I only see the uppermost branches now. It has disappeared, and yet the outline of the hill is as distinct and well defined as ever; I can even see the cattle on the ridge, although, they are running about in a very incomprehensible way certainly.” “Hush!” said Don Ricardo, “hush!--the Padre is reading the funeral service in the chapel, preparatory to the body being brought out.” And so he was. But a low grumbling noise, gradually increasing was now distinctly audible. The monk hurried on with the prescribed form--he finished it--and we were about moving the body to carry it forth--Bang and I being in the very act of stooping down to lift the bier, when the Captain sung out sharp and quick,--“Here, Tom!” the urgency of the appeal abolishing the Mister--“Here!--zounds, the whole hill-side is in motion!” And as he spoke I beheld the negro village, that hung on the opposite bank, gradually fetch way, houses, trees, and all, with a loud, harsh, grating sound. “God defend us!” I involuntarily exclaimed. “Stand clear,” shouted the skipper; “the whole hill-side opposite is under weigh, and we shall be bothered here presently.” He was right--the entire face of the hill over against us was by this time in motion, sliding over the substratum of rock like a first rate gliding along the well-greased ways at launching--an earthy avalanche. Presently the rough, rattling, and crashing sound, from the disrupture of the soil, and the breaking of the branches, and tearing up by the roots of the largest trees, gave warning of some tremendous incident. The lights in the huts still burned, but houses and all continued to slide down the declivity; and anon a loud startled exclamation was heard here and there, and then a pause, but the low mysterious hurtling sound never ceased.