The shock was felt severely at sea. “The brig British Queen, Capt. Kennedy, from Whitehaven, lat. 17° 3′ north, long. 58° 45′, ship going six knots, felt a severe shock of earthquake, which stopped her way when 160 miles due east of the island, on the 8th, which lasted about four minutes.” A French brig coming to St. Thomas’s, “off Tortola, felt the shock so severely, he (the captain) thought that the vessel had struck on a rock.”
Soon after the earthquake. Admiral Sir Charles Adams arrived at Antigua, in order to inspect the dock-yard. Before the earthquake, the barometer was noticed to vary from 30° to one-tenth higher; and on the 8th of February it stood at 30·2 in.
The next event of importance was the appearance in the heavens of a most beautiful comet. The first time this beauteous stranger was observed in Antigua, was on the 3rd of March, 1843. Its first appearance was like a scarf of clear white, shooting up from the horizon, and forming an arch of about 30°. The nucleus not being above the horizon, this phenomenon was supposed to be similar to the aurora-borealis; but as it gradually ascended the heavens, this idea was dissipated, and it was clearly seen to be a comet. Upon the evening it was first observed, a very splendid meteor passed over the town. Admiral Sir Charles Adams, on his way from Port Henderson to Spanish Town, Jamaica, observed this wondrous traveller, and made the following observations upon it, on board her Majesty’s ship “Illustrious:”—
“March 4th, 1843. About fifty minutes after sunset, observed a strong ray of light in the west-by-south quarter, supposed to be a zodiacal light.
“March 5th. The same seen.
“March 6th. It proved to be a comet, the tail subtending an angle of 37° 14″.
“March 7th. At forty minutes past seven, p. m., angular distance from Sirius 83° 50″, length of tail 34° 28″
“March 8th, At forty-seven minutes past seven p. m., angular distance from Sirius 80° 19′; length of tail 29° 54″
“March 9th. Cloudy.
“March 10th. At fifty-four minutes past seven, p. m., angular distance from Sirius, 74° 48′ 20″; length of tail, 24° 16′.