CHRONICLE. 



133 



readily occur to many what was 

 the real cause of the motion they 

 felt. Nor was the terror confined 

 alone to the human species : a bird 

 in a cage was so alarmed that 

 it burst through it, and flew to- 

 wards the light. 



" The shock lasted for about 

 three or four seconds, and I un- 

 derstand was felt for a consider- 

 able distance round, as far as 

 John's-haven. In this neigh- 

 bourhoodj two excise-men, who 

 were on the watch for smugglers, 

 whom they expected in a certain 

 direction, had lain down on the 

 ground, and, when the shock took 

 place, one of them leaped up call- 

 ing to his companion, ' There 

 they are ! for I feel the giound 

 shaking under their horses feet.' 

 Fortunately, we have heard of no 

 serious injury having been occa- 

 sioned by the event. The wea- 

 ther heie had been cold and rainy 

 for about six Aveeks, but cleaied 

 about mid-day on Sunday, when 

 we had a fine dry westerly breeze. 

 The two following days warm, 

 and last nigrit was (juiet and 

 moonlight. It continued clear 

 till late this morning, when it 

 became dull, and we have had 

 some rain. It is now one o'clock, 

 rather sultry, with no sun- 

 shine, and some drops of rain 

 falling." 



" Dornoch. — The arches of the 

 Mound fell yesterday, about three 

 o'clock, by the shock of an earth- 

 quake ; which never happened in 

 this country Ijefore." (TheMound 

 above alluded to, was lately throw n 

 across the Little Ferry the bound- 

 ary betwixt the pari.^hes of Dor- 

 noch and Golspie, in the county 

 of Sutherland, about three miles 

 from tlie mouth of the Frith. 



This Mound consisted of three 

 arches at the north end, and was 

 rather more than half a mile in 

 length.) 



Similar accounts have been I'e- 

 ceived from Perth, Dunkeld, the 

 Carse of Gowrie, Strathearn, and 

 Dingwall. — Persons in bed felt 

 the concussion, in an u})ward di- 

 rection, and if the bed happened 

 to be in contact with the wall, a 

 lateial shock was felt; chairs and 

 tables were moved backwards and 

 forwards, bells set ringing, the 

 windows shaken, the dogs howled, 

 birds in cages Avere thrown down 

 from tiie .sticks on which they 

 perched, and shewed evident 

 marks of fear. A hollow rum- 

 bling noise was heard, which 

 seemed to die away in the west. 



" Forres. — A most extraordi- 

 nary thing happened to us in this 

 quarter about ten minutes before 

 eleven o'clock last night ; nothing 

 more nor less than a shock of an 

 earthquake, which might have 

 lasted about the third of a minute. 

 The houses shook, and the inha- 

 bitants were dreadfully alarmed, 

 as nothing of that kind ever hap- 

 ]5ened before. No damage was 

 done, farther than a great fright. 

 We had hapjjened not to be in 

 bed, and we had an opportunity 

 of perceiving the whole effects of 

 the shock. The glasses on the 

 table shook, as well as the tables 

 and chairs ; the doors also made 

 a noise, and a few things in the 

 garret rattled about. I believe 

 in one house the shock was so 

 great that tiie liells in it were set 

 ringing. In short, to-day there 

 is no other conversation in town 

 but the earthquake." 



" Inverness. — About a quarter 

 of an iu)ur before eleven o'clock 



last 



