and especially in Scotland. 371 
full speed, growing louder as it approached.. The house then 
received a concussion, as if struck near the foundation with a 
cannon-ball ; appeared lifted up and carried forwards; after 
this first concussion, the noise was hideous. The house now 
fell back into its position with another concussion. On this 
second concussion, the sound became fainter, and died away 
in the east with a distant growl. While the noise was still 
distant, it resembled the rumbling of carriages; but between 
the concussions, it was like the burr of a great many wheels 
running on each other. It was like thunder under the feet. 
It was'in the earth only. When the sound was first heard be- 
fore a shock, it was to the west side, but it died away on the 
east side. Concussions were felt far more in the upper parts 
of houses than in the lower ; some shocks being severely felt 
at the top, which were hardly felt at all at the bottom. The 
concussions were much more severe in houses built on clay, 
gravel, or loose soil; also on houses on low ground, near the 
river Earn. The higher the situation of houses on the hills, 
the less severe the shock. During some of the shocks which 
occurred during the day, the river Earn is said to have ap- 
peared to stand still for an instant. A gentleman walking by 
a mill-lead at the time of the great shock, heard the water 
dash against the sides, as if a steamboat were forcing its way 
against the stream. The sky was very heavy, the clouds 
creeping close to the ground. They had a sort of dull yellow 
colour; the air was warm and close. The same kind of ap- 
pearances have always had place here, before earthquakes. The 
inhabitants shewed their alarm, the women by fainting and. 
cries, and the men by rushing out into the streets. Many did 
not go to bed at all that night, afraid that the next shock 
would bring the house down or swallow them up. The alarm 
shewed itself among the lower animals, by the gabbling of 
geese, the furious leaping of cats about the room; cattle en- 
deavoured to break from their stalls, and moaned ; horses 
stood so as to prevent themselves from falling. Earthquakes 
which occurred here in former times took place in October, 
sometimes later. Those shocks had only one concussion, with 
a tremor, and no heave. They also appeared to come from 
the west. The earthquake the most severe till the one of Oc- 
