prevalent Disorder s, Sfc, *with Volcanic Emanations, 293 



thick black clouds extended to the zenith ; at 4 p.m., loud 

 thunder was heard ; and, a few minutes after, in the midst of 

 the loudest thunder, two shocks of earthquake occurred ; the 

 direction of which, from north to south, was unusual for that 

 country. Add to this, also, the occurrences of 1 766, and those 

 of 1753 or 1754, in Quito, and a connexion is apparent 

 between the meteors and the earth.* It is somewhat singular, 

 that, on Nov. 14. 1832, a phenomenon of like character with 

 that of 1833 was witnessed in this country. A short time 

 after midnight, on that occasion, a similar display of meteors, 

 resembling the most brilliant fireworks, was seen all over the 

 south of England, and in many parts of the Continent ; and 

 much alarm was occasioned in this neighbourhood in con- 

 sequence. At that time occurred the earthquake at Bermuda, 

 the eruption of Etna, and, closely afterwards, that of Vesuvius. 

 (VI. 302, 303.) At Brunck, in the Tyrol, the meteors were 

 preceded by the appearance of an intense light in the sky, 

 which, about 6 a.m., descended from the sky, and was then 

 drawn up into a globular mass ; it then expanded, and from 

 it issued numerous meteoric stones. The sky was clear, 

 not ruddy. (Austrian Journal.) A letter from Brunn, in 

 Moravia, dated at the beginning of Jan. 1834, states that, 

 just before, an extraordinary meteor was seen there. Imme- 

 diately after nightfall, a very vivid streak of light was suddenly 

 seen, giving the idea of houses on fire. A noise as loud as 

 thunder was heard, and the heavens appeared in a blaze. A 

 round body of fire was seen at Poscowitsch, Austerlitz, 

 Raitz, and many other places. Gradually it attained the size 

 and appearance of the moon, increasing till it was as big as a 

 house : it created great alarm. Rays of light, as bright as the 

 sun, came from it ; so that the naked eye could not endure it. 

 There were no meteoric stones seen there ; but Dr. Reichen- 

 bach found some, a few days after, near Blansko. {French 

 Journal.) There was an earthquake in Baden about this time; 



* Hecker has recorded the occurrence of extraordinary meteors in 

 many places, as at Avignon, Paris, and in the East ; where, Mezeray states, 

 a globe of fire destroyed the vegetation [like that, I suppose, which, in the 

 year 1737, fell on the Guaytecas Islands] : and these meteors were con- 

 temporary with the frightful earthquakes and universal fogs which carried 

 such terror all over Europe and the East. {Black Deaths p. 35. 40.) 



During the earthquakes in Scotland, on Aug. 13. 1816, at the time of 

 the shock at Dunkeid, a meteor was seen from east to west ; contrary to 

 the shock, which was from south-west to north-east. At Aberdeen, also, 

 after the second shock, a thin white vapour settled on the mountains, 

 though the air was clear. 



The year 1764 offers several grounds for conjecture respecting this con- 

 nexion : its phenomena were, frequent meteors, thunder storms, inunda- 

 tions, hurricanes, and earthquakes. 



u 3 



