Natural History. 417 



writer was at that time a very young man, but the circumstances 

 are full in his recollection ; and the attendant phenomena were 

 nearly as I have described above. None of the officers were 

 previously acquainted with the coast ; the ship, bound to the 

 Plate, was running down before the wind, going between nine 

 and ten knots through the water, with a steady, moderate breeze 

 between the north and east ; studding sails on both sides, and, 

 with the exception of the threatening cloud above-mentioned, 

 which none on board then suspected indicated danger, a perfectly 

 clear atmosphere. In one instant the gale burst upon the ship ; 

 she was taken a- back; the studding-sail-booms snapt in pieces, 

 and she was forced with such velocity a-stern, that, notwith- 

 standing her previous head-way, the sea came half-way up the 

 ward-room windows. Fortunately, she paid sound off, the sails 

 filled, the sheets and halyards which had been let go, rendered; 

 the sails were quickly taken in; and no injury, save the loss of 

 studding-sail booms, was sustained. This occurred in the middle 

 watch, — the whole was but the work of a minute; and in course 

 there was only the regular watch on deck: but the Agamemnon 

 possessed at that time one of the very best ship's companies in 

 the service. 



Sunderland, Nov. 19th, 1S25. J. C. W. 



14. Remarkable Phenomena observed in the Island of Melida, 

 Province of Ragusa. — The phenomena referred to were described 

 by Dr. Stulli to the Editors of the Bibliothkque Unixerselle, under 

 the date of June 4, 1S25. 



The Isle of Melida is situated in the Adriatic Sea, opposite 

 Ragusa, in the latitude of 42° 30' N. Its length is 7 leagues, its 

 greatest breadth about 1 league. Towards the middle of it is the 

 Valley of Babino-poglie, about half a league in extent, and sur- 

 rounded by mountains of considerable elevation. A village of 

 the same name is situated in the centre of the valley. 



At break of day on the 20th of March, 1822, there was heard 

 for the first time at Babino-poglie, a noise resembling the sound 

 of a cannon ; though it appeared to be the result of distant explo- 

 sions, still it occasioned a degree of vibration in the doors and 

 windows of the houses. From that time the noise was heard 

 daily. For the first three months, it was supposed by some to be 

 produced by a vessel practising in the open sea, or in one of 

 the Dalmatian ports ; others thought it the noise of Turkish ar- 

 tillery practising at some frontier village : a proof that no local 

 movement of the earth or atmosphere accompanied the sound. 

 After a time, persons were posted on the neighbouring heights, 

 but they could not make out the direction of the sound ; it seemed 

 to come from all points. The effect, however, was found to be 

 most sensible at Babino-poglie, and almost null at the extremities 



