and especially in Scotland. 377 



visits two or three times to the open air at short intervals, and 

 always distinctly perceived it, though gradually getting less. 

 It was also distinctly perceived about twelve miles farther up 

 the river, by persons who describe it as having the smell of the 

 washings of guns." 



In regard to this smell, Mr Shepherd wrote to the author 

 as follows: — " The sulphureous smell was distinctly perceived 

 by Mrs Shepherd and myself here about five minutes after the 

 earthquake occurred. The smell, like the washings of gun- 

 barrels, was perceived at Dalchally, in the parish of Laggan, 

 on the banks of the Spey, by some of the inmates of that fa- 

 mily. They happened to be here a few days after the earth- 

 quake and mentioned the circumstance. The smell was per- 

 ceived a few minutes after the awful occurrence.'* 



The undulations referred to by Mr Rutherfurd appeared to 

 the author a phenomenon so curious, and indeed so anoma- 

 lous and inexplicable, that he obtained both from Mr Ruther- 

 furd and from Mr Shepherd (of whose glebe the field said to 

 b3 affected formed part), a very minute account of them, as 

 well as of the previous condition of the field. He procured 

 likewise a plan, made from actual survey, shewing the extent 

 and depth of the undulations ; and at the same time a sort 

 of precognition of the persons who had been employed in the 

 cultivation of the field previously. The author also visited and 

 examined the place in April 1842, at which time some of the 

 undulations were still visible. 



The field in question is situated on the north side of the 

 Spey, and forms part of a haugh or alluvial flat ground, the 

 surface of which is on an average about five feet above the 

 ordinary level of the river. It is surrounded on three sides 

 by the river ; and, on the remaining, or land side, there is a hill 

 fifty or sixty feet high. The field is about 300 yards long, and 

 140 wide on an average. 



About two or three days after the earthquake, Mr Shep- 

 herd, happening to take his usual afternoon walk along the 

 ridge of the hill just mentioned, overlooking the field on the 

 north, was struck with the appearance of undulations in it, 

 which he had never observed before. The field was then 

 in grass, and had been so for several years ; so that the 



VOL. XXSin. NO. LXVI. OCTOBER 1812. B b 



