448 Supposed Connection of Meteoric Phenomena, 



or at 29 c F.) The weather continued very hot for the season, the 

 last week of Feb. and till March 12. 

 June 7. Shocks at Neufchatel. On March 3. at Berne, in the 

 Pays de Vaud, in Basle, and elsewhere, a fiery meteor between s. 

 and w. At Vevay it was as big as the moon ; it resembled a 

 rocket with a globe at the end ; it lasted a short time, but had an 

 extensive course. (M. Muratori, &c.) The same meteor was 

 seen at Aigle, the same day, and another on March 5. On 3. 5. 

 and 7. the earth trembled at Brieg. (M. de Coppet.) On Oct. 

 23. 1755, meteors were seen in Sweden ; Dec. 9. at Como; 23d, 

 foot of the Pyrenees ; March 3. and 5. at Avignon ; all during the 

 shocks of that year, &c. (M. de Coppet). More rain fell in 1756 

 than was ever remembered. Padua and its environs were visited 

 by a most extraordinary storm on Aug. 17. that year. On Oct. 6. 

 1756, there happened a more violent hurricane than ever remem- 

 bered in England. (Polekampton, iv. 246.) And on Sept. 29. there 

 were violent inundations in the Neva, occasioned by gales in the 

 North Sea. (Tooke.) 



No, II. 



From Muratori. 



990. Aurora borealis twice ; then earthquakes, which overthrew the houses 



in Beneventum and Capua. Authorities given by Muratori, torn. 



v. 487. 

 1117. Beginning of year all Italy shaken for forty days. Clouds of smoke 



and blood (?) near the earth, and strange sounds. (M., vi. 385.) 

 1456. Aug. 22. Frightful tempest and wind in Tuscany, destroying life 



and vegetation, &c. 

 Dec. 5. Earthquakes for several days, destroying buildings. (M., 



ix. 462.) Bertrand mentions that these earthquakes were felt in 



the Pays de Vaud, producing great floods, and also at Ancona, 



raising the sea. (p. 39.) 

 1693. Jan. 9. Earthquakes in Calabria and Malta. Etna in eruption. 



The lightning at this time burnt the powder magazine at Syracuse. 



See No. I. the same day. (M., xi. 412.) 

 1698. June. Vesuvius in eruption. (M., xi. 436.) 



June 20. Powder magazine at Turin destroyed by fire j Muratori 



says, " fulmine figlio delta terre o delle nuvoli." (xi. 437.) 



1726. Palermo destroyed; shocks preceded by murmuring in the air for a 



quarter of an hour, at the beginning of the night, when there was 

 no wind. Two beams of fire were seen to arise or descend, mingling 

 with the sea ; then, at the fourth hour of night, the shock. (M., 

 xii. 145.) 

 Feb. 7. and July 7. There were shocks of earthquake at Eglisau, 

 Hiltenberg, Berne, and in the Pays de Vaud, Froutigue, and Si- 

 benthal especially. Springs became turbid. (Bertrand, p. 94.) 



1727. Nov. 5 — 7. Vesuvius in dreadful eruption ; much lightning and 



thunder, and so much rain, that Naples was overflowed, (M., xii. 

 152.) 



1731. Feb. Great earthquake at Basilicata. Waters rose 9 ft. and over- 

 flowed vineyards. (M.,xii. 176.) 



1729. Oct. 12. Dreadful tornado and hurricane from Ferrara to the Po. 

 Clouds hurled along by two opposite winds in thick darkness, with 

 flashings of fire and hail. (M., xii. 160.) See Bertrand, No. I. 

 1729, above. 



1702. Beginning of great inundations of the Tiber, preceded by earthquakes 



