80 A VOYAGE TO Book VII. 



at o5 minutes after tliree in the evening, 4. The 

 I2th of June at three quarters past five in the morn- 

 ing. 5. The 1 4t]i of October at nine at night ; all 

 which I carefully noted. And it must be observed 

 that these coiicussions were the most considerable, 

 and lasied near a minute; particularly that of the 

 ^Ith of May, which continued near two minutes, 

 beginning with one violent shock, and gradually 

 terminating in tremulous motions. Between these 

 above noted were several others, which I omitted, as 

 heing neither so lasting nor violent. 



These earthquakes, though so sudden, have their 

 presages, one of the principal of which iS;, a rum- 

 bling noise in the bowels of the earth, about a minute 

 before the shocks are felt ; and this noise does not 

 continue in the place where it was first produced, 

 but seems to pervade all the adjacent subterraneous 

 parts. This is followed by dismal hovvlings of the 

 dogs, which seem to have the first perception of the 

 approaching danger. The beasts of burden passing 

 the streets, stop, and, by a natural instinct, spread 

 op(?n their legs, the better to secure themselves from 

 falling. On these portents the terrified inhabitants 

 fly from their houses into the streets with such preci- 

 pitation, that if it happens in the night, they appear 

 tpiite naked ; fear and the urgency of the danger, ba- 

 nishisig at once all sense of decency. Thus the streets 

 exihibit such odd and singular figures, that might 

 even afiord matter for diversion, were it possible 

 in so terrible a nu>ment. The sudden concourse is 

 accompanied with the cries of children waked out of 

 their sleep, biendcd with the lamentations of the wo- 

 men, whose agonizing prayers to the saints increase 

 the common fe.ir mid confusion : the men also are too 

 much aíi'ecíed to refrain from giving vent to their 

 terror; so that the whole city exhibits one dreadful 

 scene of conslernalion and horror. Nor does this 

 end ^>:ith the shock, none venturing to return to 



their 



