Earthquake in Peru. jyy 



traces of mercury in fea-falt, m the writings of Tachenius, Clavens, Beguin, in the treatife 

 de Tribus Principiis of Glauber, &c. 



If any traveller after reading this (hould take the trouble to obferve whether the fhecting 

 of a veflel newly failing out of port Ihould become filvered on certain places, particularly 

 when the flieeting is new ; or if he fhould take the trouble to fufpend a plate of gold in the 

 water, and*obferve its changes ; he rnight perhaps flatter himfelf with affording at his return 

 a new article to natural hiftory, refpefting the marine acid. Who can affirm whether the 

 deftru6lion of (copper) (heeling, which is fometimes fo rapid, and ftill unknown as to its 

 caufe, may not depend upon mercury in greater abundance in fome feas than in others ? 



Note concerning the Earthquake in Peru, ijgj. By M. CafanILLES.* 



A HERE are more than fixteen volcanos, of which the internal parts are in a ftate of 

 inceflant agitation, and from which denfe vapours, and often flames, are emitted, either by 

 the crater or by lateral openings. In the moft profound calms, noifes and dreadful roarings 

 are often heard, announcing the approach of earthquakes, to which this country is particu- 

 larly fubjedl. Since the year 1791, this noife was frequently heard in the neighbourhood 

 of the mountain, called Tunguraqua. Antonia Pineda, and Nee, naturalifts in the expe- 

 dition round the world, examined the fides of this volcano, the lava of which was hardened 

 by the internal heat of the mountain, as well as by the rays of the fun, and were much alarm- 

 ed at the horrid noifes and extreme heat of the place. Pineda, that excellent phllofopher, 

 whofe premature death is ftill a fubje6t of bitter regret to the fcientific world, predi(3ted that 

 a terrible eruption was preparing in the mountain of Tunguraqua, and the event confirmed 

 his fufpicions. On the fourth of February, 1797, at three quarters after feven in the morn- 

 ing, the fummit of the'.mountain being uncommonly free from vapours, the bowels of the, 

 volcano were agitated by frequent fhocks, and the adjacent chains, or ridges, were dilacerateij 

 or burft in fuch a manner, that in the fpace of four minutes an immenfe country was over- 

 thrown by an undulatory motion. Hiftory has never related the effects of an earthquake fo 

 extraordinary ; nor did ever a phenomenon of this kind produce greater mifchiefs, or deftroy 

 a greater number of the human race ! A number of towns and villages were deftroved in 

 an inftant. Some, aniong which were Riobamba, Quero, Pelileo, Patate, and Pillaro, were 

 buried under the ruins of the neighbouring mountains: others, in the jurifdiction of Harn- 

 bata, Latacunga, Guaranda, Riobamba, and Alaufi, were totally deftroyed. Others fuf- 

 iered prodigioufly by the gulphs which were formed, and the reflux of rivers intercepted in 



• J. dePhyf. VI. 2 31. 



their 



