HERTFORDSHIRE EARTHQUAKES. 169 



of Kghtning, but of longer continuance." Many persons at Derby 

 " felt something Kke an electrical shock." At Nottingham two 

 shocks were felt and there were " luminous electric appearances 

 in the slvy." (Milne, op. cit., pp. 21-22.) The passage of the 

 meteorite may have caused some of the effects described, but 

 when we read that there was a " motion of the earth, accompanied 

 by a subterranean rolling noise," it would appear that Mallet, 

 who states this, and Milne, correctly gave the occurrence a place 

 in their catalogues as a true earthquake. 



Comrie in Perthshire is more subject to seismic disturbances 

 than any other place in the British Isles. Earthquakes occur 

 there frequently, and earth-tremors almost daily, and sometimes 

 several times a day. A great shock, " with a very loud noise, 

 perhaps more so than any before," occurred on Sunday the 

 6th of September, 1801. On Saturday evening "the air was 

 troubled, and apparently charged with electricity. . . . The 

 electric fluid seemed to be waving between every cloud all over 

 the horizon, and the whole atmosphere seemed to annoimce an 

 earthquake." On the following morning there were other 

 shocks, with " much electricity in atmosphere," and a very 

 terrible noise. This earthquake extended much beyond the 

 Comrie centre of seismic disturbance, structui-al damage being 

 done so far away as Edinburgh. (Milne, op. cit., p. 24.) 



The Inverness earthquake of the 13th of August, 1816, 

 affected almost the whole of Scotland. " At Montrose a vivid 

 flash of lightning was observed to follow after the shock. At 

 Dunkeld a small meteor was seen to pass from E. to W. just 

 about the time of the earthquake." (Milne, op. cit., p. 27.) 



In 1833 and 1834 there were several earthquakes at Chichester 

 and along the Hants and Dorset coast. The following notes as 

 to them are taken from Milne's Catalogue, op. cit., pp. 30-31 : — 



1833, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m.: " On pi-evious evening a brilliant 

 aui'ora with meteors falling. A rushing wind heard before the 

 shock." 1834, Jan. 23, at 2.46 a.m. : " At time of shock air 

 was calm, but instantly after, wind rose and blew strong from 

 S.W., with rain and lightning." 1834, Aug. 27, at 10.25 p.m. : 

 " A whirlwind at W. of Chichester three hours previously. 

 Appearance of sunset extraordinary, and a West India gentleman 

 predicted an earthquake." 



An earthquake, described as "the severest, unquestionably, of 

 any which, within the memory of the oldest inhabitant, had been 

 felt " at Comrie, occurred on the 23rd of October, 1839, at a few 

 minutes past 10 p.m. Auroral displays were "uncommonly 

 brilliant " about the time, at simset on the evening of the earth- 

 quake the sky presented a most unusual appearance, the air felt 

 warm and oppressive, and several persons who had experienced 

 earthquakes (at Lisbon and elsewhere) remarked that the state 

 of the atmosphere was similar to what it had been preceding 

 those earthquakes. A remarkable sensation was felt, even by 

 some who did not feel any shock. Immediately before the shock 



