258 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. CHAP. xvi. 



seven, a severe earthquake was felt; the whole night was 

 disturbed by small ones repeated at intervals, and by a 

 sudden shaking running towards the east. The shocks were 

 felt for forty- one days, from two (shocks) to five a day. 

 On Monday, December 5th, the shocks were fully one-third 

 weaker than those of the 3rd ; the others were only 

 small ones, or rumbling noises, the weather being always 

 gloomy. Before the night of the 26th, 27th, I had not 

 yet remarked any eruption or thick smoke, at tunes 

 curling into a flame. The temperature at a quarter after 

 seven in the evening was 11 above zero by the 

 thermometer of Eeaumur (plus 56 '7 of Fahrenheit) ; 

 the next morning the heat had risen to 21 (plus 79^ of 

 Fahrenheit). Two mountains near my dwelling at some 

 40 north-west have a valley between them, so that you 

 may see beyond them. It is by this valley or passage 

 that I saw a continual eruption, mixed with smoke and 

 flame, which appeared very plain on the horizon, at other 

 times struggling among themselves, as if too oppressed in 

 their issue. I have remarked several times that this 

 eruption is always followed by shocks of earthquakes the 

 same day, and when it fails a dark and yellowish day 

 follows. When the earthquake arises, you can predict 

 that it is going to be so much the nearer as this agitated 

 smoke struggles to get out. Some persons to whom I 

 had shown these preparations of the earthquake, warned 

 me in their turn that in a moment the earth would 

 shake. And the effect confirms it. Finally, on this night 

 of the 26th, 27th, a most beautiful spectacle was produced. 

 The whole atmosphere was in flames and agitated, one's 

 face suffered from the heat, the weather was very calm, 



