Improvement in writing and printing Numbers, 397 



To Mr. Tilloch. 

 Sir, — Should the following idea be considered by you 

 as an 'improvement in writing and printing numbers con- 

 sisting of many digits, its insertion in your publication will 

 confer an honour on, Sir, 



Your very humble servant, 



Spitalfields, 19th Nov. 1810. A ReIRTALP. 



When a number such as 69,470,600,078,406,300,097 

 presents itself, though pointed in periods of three figures, 

 the manner of expressing it in words does not immediately 

 occur to the mind. The mode I would beg leave to offer 

 as an improvement is, besides pointing it in periods of 

 three figures, to place one accent over the seventh figure, 

 or millions; two accents over the 13th figure, or billions ; 

 and so on, increasing the accents at every myriad, thus : — 



69,470,600,078,406,300,097, — by which we can perceive 

 at once that the two first figures denote trillions, without 

 the usual mode of reckoning according to the Numeration 

 Table. 



EARTHQUAKE. 



Extract of a letter, dated St. Michael (Azores), August 

 24. — " One of those dreadful phenomena never witnessed 

 in your country has plunged many here in unspeakable 

 wretchedness and affliction, and continues to occasion great 

 terror to all the inhabitants of this island. On the I lth of 

 August, at ten P. M. slight shocks of an earthquake were 

 felt at intervals of a few minutes for four hours. During 

 this time the inhabitants, under the influence of alarm for 

 their personal safety as well as property, were running to 

 and fro in the greatest distress. Between two and three a 

 dreadful rocking was experienced throughout the whole 

 island; several houses, unable to resist its violence, were 

 thrown down, and many others were greatly damaged ; 

 and such persons as sought safety in the open air were 

 dashed to the ground. Hitherto che calamity had been 

 confined in its effects, and though great injury had been 

 sustained, we had to congratulate ourselves on the loss of 

 few lives ; but we were yet to witness a most dreadful spec- 

 tacle. On the 12th at mid-day, a hollow-rumbling sound 

 was heard, the clouds gathered, and the wind was hushed 

 into silence ; therocking returned, and in a few minutes 

 after the village of Gozas, situated on a plain, comprising 

 22 houses, was swallowed up, and in the spot where it stood 

 a lake of boiling water gushed forth. Many of the un- 

 fortunate inhabitants, who had previously retired to the 

 elevated ground,^ beheld the sight with a degree of horror 



and 



