NATURAL HISTORY. 



573 



ing towards the country, where 

 many of them remained all night 

 in the fields. Partly from fear, 

 and partly from curiosity, few 1 

 believe occupied their homes or 

 their beds until day-break, and 

 many did not return to them till 

 next evening. By fortunate ac- 

 cident, the streets had been almost 

 deserted on the night of the earth- 

 quake, and before the shock, at an 

 unusually early hour ; and it was 

 equally lucky tliat the violence of 

 the concussion was in a great 

 measure over before the people 

 had time to crowd into them 

 again ; for so very thick was the 

 shower of large stones whicli 

 were precipitated from the chim- 

 ney tops, as well as of slates and 

 tiles, which were shaken in great 

 numbers from the roofs of the 

 houses, that, if the streets had 

 not been empty, many deaths and 

 dreadful accidents must have oc- 

 curred. The thundering noise 

 made by the stones in falling ad- 

 ded to the other horrors of the 

 night ; many of them were pro- 

 jected completely across to the 

 oppositesideofthe way. Itisrather 

 remarkable, that it was chiefly 

 from the newer houses that tlie 

 itones were thus thrown ; many 

 of the older ones having entirely 

 escaped this dilapidation. It was 

 not, however, until the mornings 

 light that the most decisive proof 

 of the violence of tiie shock was 

 displayed. No sooner liad day 

 dawned than the beautilul spire 

 which is attaclied to the comity 

 jail was observed to have been 

 rent through, at the distance of 

 several feet from the top : and the 

 part which was above the frac- 

 ture appeared twisted round se- 

 veral inches in a direction towards 



the north-west. This circum- 

 stance appears to be very satisfac- 

 torily accounted for by a gentle- 

 man at Jnveiness, who remarks, 

 that " the motion of the undula- 

 tion towards the south-east being 

 communicated to the lower soon- 

 er than to the higher i)arts of the 

 building, those parts of the latter 

 whose cohesion was not suffici- 

 ently strong would naturally be 

 left behind, and projected in a 

 north-west direction." It is not 

 impossible, however, that electri- 

 city, which, if not .sometimes tlie 

 cause of the sensation of earth- 

 quake, at least appears very gene- 

 rally to accompany such convul- 

 sions, might have had some share 

 in producing this injury. Not- 

 withstanding its vicinity to In- 

 verness, and although it was agi- 

 tated during the great earthquake 

 of Lisbon, yet there is no account 

 of Loch Ness having been affected 

 on the late occasion. But it is 

 not unlikely that it may have dis- 

 played some commotion, though 

 from tiie lateness of the hour it 

 would necessarily escajie obser^ a- 

 tion. Three gentlemen who at 

 the time of the earthquake hap- 

 l)ened to be approaching Inver- 

 ness from the west, when at a 

 considerable distance from the 

 town, distinctly heard the large 

 bell toll twice. This circum • 

 stance was entirely unnoticed by 

 those who were in the streets or 

 houses of the place; jteople of 

 every description having been too 

 nmch alai-med, and too nmch oc- 

 cupied in providing for the safetv 

 of themselves and their families, 

 to remark it. It appears to iiave 

 been admitted by many gentle- 

 men of In^■crness, who had resid- 

 ed long in foreign countries, par- 

 ticularly 



