DOCUMENTS.
From Abraham Castres Esq.: his Majesty’s
Envoy Extraordinary to the King of Portugal, to the
Secretary of State, Whitehall, London. LISBON,
November 6th, 1755.
“SIR,—You will in all likelihood
have heard before this of the inexpressible Calamity
befallen the whole Maritime Coast, and in particular
this opulent City, now reduced to a heap of Rubbish
and Ruin, by a most tremendous Earthquake on the first
of this Month, followed by a Conflagration which has
done ten times more Mischief than the Earthquake itself.
I gave a short account of our Misfortune to Sir
Benjamin Keene, by a Spaniard, who promised
(as all intercourse by Post was at a stand) to carry
my Letter as far as Badajoz and see it safe
put into the Post House. It was merely to acquaint
His Excellency that, God be praised, my House stood
out the Shocks, though greatly damaged; and that,
happening to be out of the reach of the Flames, several
of my Friends, burnt out of their Houses, had taken
refuge with me, where I have accommodated them as
well as I could, under Tents in my large Garden; no
Body but Lord Charles Dowglass, who is actually
on board the Packet, besides my Chaplain and myself
having dared hitherto to sleep in my House since the
Day of our Disaster. The Consul and his Family
have been saved, and are all well, in a Country House
near this City. Those with me at present are
the Dutch Minister, his Lady, and their three
Children, with seven or eight of their Servants.
The rest of my Company of the better Sort consists
of several Merchants of this Factory, who, for the
most part have lost all they had; though some indeed,
as Messrs. Parry and Mellish’s
House, and Mr. Raymond, and Burrell,
have had the good Fortune to save their Cash, either
in whole or in part. The number of the Dead and
Wounded I can give no certain Account of as yet; in
that respect our Poor Factory has escaped pretty well,
considering the number of Houses we have here.
I have lost my Good and Worthy Friend the Spanish
Ambassador, who was crushed under the Door, as he
attempted to make his Escape into the Street.
This with the Anguish I have been in for these five
Days past, occasioned by the dismal Accounts brought
to us every instant of the Accidents befallen to one
or other of our Acquaintance among the Nobility, who
for the most part are quite Undone, has greatly affected
me; but in particular the miserable Objects among the
lower sort of His Majesty’s Subjects, who fly
also to me for Bread, and lie scattered up and down
in my Garden, with their Wives and Children.
I have helped them all hitherto, and shall continue
to do so, as long as Provisions do not fail Us, which
I hope will not be the Case, by the Orders which M.
de Carvalho has issued in that respect. One
