58 AKTS. 



zled with its light, nor tormented with the 

 too great heat of its beams. By night, when 

 the clouds thickened, and streamed down in 

 little rivers, our covering was only made the 

 more smooth by it ; and none of its moisture 

 ever penetrated into our houses or granaries. 

 Our people always went out cheerfully to 

 work ; and if they found the heats too vio- 

 lent, or saw a shower drawing together in the 

 clouds, had each his grotto to retire to under 

 this red piece of rock, that extended itself 

 over all our habitations. There was not 

 then any people so happy as we were ; and 

 now, alas ! there is scarcely so miserable a 

 people on the face of the whole earth, as we 

 are become at one blow. 



On the first day of the last full moon, on 

 a sudden I thought I saw all that part of 

 the red rock which was over my apartment, 

 trembling, and in agitation; when, in an 

 instant, other parts of it appeared over my 

 head, and then others, till at last it left my 

 apartments, and the whole city quite ex- 

 posed to the air. All this was done almost 

 in an instant : m much less time than I 

 have been writing. The king, my father, 

 was then in council with the chiefs of the 



