and especially in Scotland, 141 



*' hollow sugh in the air, resembling the draught of a furnace, 

 *' — this continued about 20'' after the concussion." 



In most of the accounts from the immediate neighbourhood 

 of Comrie, it is not expressly stated, whether the noise or ex- 

 plosion was in the earth or in the air. But in the accounts 

 from places more distant, it will be seen, that notice is taken 

 of a sound in the air as well as in the earth. The Rev. Mr 

 Coventry compares the former to " a rushing wind (though 

 the air was perfectly still at the time), accompanied by a noise 

 as if of cattle or horses running rapidly past the windows." 

 *' Besides these, and following them, there was heard a rum- 

 bling noise, as if of carts on a pavement, but more hollow in 

 the sound. This latter sound was in the earth,^'' So also, Mr 

 Syme, the Sheriff-substitute of Kinross, says, that " the shock 

 was preceded by a hoarse rushing noise, something like the 

 wind among trees. It continued for 15" or 20". It was not 

 as loud as thunder in general, though not unlike distant 

 thunder." A correspondent at Alloa states, — " The first cir- 

 cumstance that attracted my attention was a sudden and vio- 

 lent gust of wind, accompanied with a more than ordinary 

 rushing noise. The gust of wind and rushing noise preceded 

 the shock.'*' 



This aerial sound was perceived to accompany most of the 

 other shocks in October 1839. Thus, on the 9th October, 

 Mr Buchan speaks of the " sound, which, as formerly, some- 

 what preceded the shaking;'' and he describes it as "some- 

 what resembling one of those winds called harkening winds." 

 On the 12th October, the two shocks felt at Comrie on that day 

 " were accompanied with a noise resembling a mixture pro- 

 duced by the rush of the strong wind and the peal of distant 

 thunder." On the same afternoon, a third shock — the most 

 severe of the three — *' was accompanied with a noise which at 

 first resembled the murmurings of distant waters. This con- 

 tinued increasing in intensity for about 2" ; and then followed 

 a very loud and terrific sound, resembling that of a double 

 shot for blasting rock, immensely charged." A person on the 

 hills north of Blairgowrie, just before feeling this last-men- 

 tioned shock, *' heard a noise, as if of a large covey of muir- 



