and dangerous as the vortex comes on.  Then comes the indescribable tempest, dealing destruction, impressing the imagination with the wild exhibition of the forces of nature, the flashes of lightning, the torrents of rain, the cold air, all the elements in an uproar, which indicate the close approach of the center.  In the midst of this turmoil there is a sudden pause, the winds almost cease, the sky clears, the waves, however, rage in great turbulence.  This is the eye of the storm, the core of the vortex, and it is, perhaps, 20 miles in diameter, or one-thirtieth of the whole hurricane.  The respite is brief, and is soon followed by the abrupt renewal of the violent wind and rain, but now coming from the opposite direction, and the storm passes off with the several features following each other in the reverse order.” [87]

The distribution over the months of the year of the 355 West Indian hurricanes which occurred during the four hundred and six years elapsed since the discovery, to the last on the list, is as follows: 

          Months.  No of hurricanes.

January           5
February          7
March            11
April             6
May               5
June             10
July             42
August           96
September        80
October          69
November         17
December          7

355

Puerto Rico has been devastated by hurricanes more than 20 times since its occupation by the Spaniards.  But the records, beyond the mere statement of the facts, are very incomplete.  Four stand out prominently as having committed terrible ravages.  These are the hurricanes of Santa Ana, on July 26, 1825; Los Angeles, on August 2,1837; San Narciso, on October 29, 1867, and San Ciriaco, on August 8, 1899.

The first mention of the occurrence of a hurricane in this island we find in a letter from the crown officers to the king, dated August 8, 1515, wherein they explain:  " ...  In these last smeltings there was little gold, because many Indians died in consequence of sickness caused by the tempest as well as from want of food ...”

The next we read of was October 8, 1526, and is thus described by licentiate Juan de Vadillo: 

“On the night of the 4th of October last there broke over this island such a violent storm of wind and rain, which the natives call ’ou-ra-can’ that it destroyed the greater part of this city (San Juan) with the church.  In the country it caused such damage by the overflow of rivers that many rich men have been made poor.”

On September 8, 1530, Governor Francisco Manuel de Lando reported to the king:  “During the last six weeks there have been three storms of wind and rain in this island (July 26, August 23 and 31).  They have destroyed all the plantations, drowned many cattle, and caused much hunger and misery in the land.  In this city the half of the houses were entirely destroyed, and of the other half the least injured is without a roof.  In the country and in the mines nothing has remained standing.  Everybody is ruined and thinking of going away.”