Ch.VIÍ. SOUTH AMERICA, 8S 



12 On the 2d of December, 1732, was another 

 earthquake at one in the mornins;. 



13, 14, 15. In the years 1690, 1734, and 1745, 

 three others happened, but neither \iolent nor last- 

 in*!^. But all these were less terrible than the last, as 

 will appear from the following- account of it, 



16 On the 28th of October, 1746, at half «n 

 hour after ten at night, five hours and three quarters 

 before the fall of the moon, the concussions be 

 gan with such violence, that in little more than three 

 minutes, the greatest part, if not ail the buildings, 

 great and small, in the whole city, were destroyed; 

 burying under their ruins those inhabitants who 

 had not made siiííicient haste into the streets and 

 squares ; the only places of safety in these terrible 

 convulsions of nature. At length the horrible ef- 

 fects of this short shock ceased : but the tranquillity 

 was of short duration ; concussions returning with 

 such frequent repetitions, that the inhabitants, ac- 

 cording to the account sent of it, computed two 

 hundred in the first twenty-four hours : and to the 

 24th of February of the following year, 1747, -when 

 the narrative was dated, no less than four hundred 

 and fifty shocks were observed, some of v.hich, if less 

 lasting, were equal to the first in violence. 



The fort of Callao, at the very same hour, sunk into* 

 the like ruins ; but what it siilfered from the earth- 

 quake in its buildings, was inconsiderable, when com- 

 pared with the terrible catastrophe which followed'; 

 for the sea, as is usual on such occasions, receding to 

 a considerable distance, returned in mountainous vvaves 

 foaming with the violence of the agitation, and sud- 

 denly turned Callao, and the neighbouring country, 

 into a sea. This was not, however, totally per- 

 formed by the first swell of the waves ; for the sea 

 retiring further, returned with still more impetuosity ; 

 the stupendous water covering both the walls and 

 G ^ ©ther 



