QO Eurtliqtmkc. 



or the explosion of a powder magazine blown up at some 

 distance, wa? felt here ; its direction seemed to be Ironi ea^t 

 to west; the duration oF it was about fortv-lhrec second?. 

 The wind was then north-west, and it had blown a prcttv 

 fresh gale the preceding night, as uell as during a part of 

 iheday. It was at that time low water. The oscillations 

 of the cartli were so strong that they were observed not only 

 m the houses, where the lioors, partitions, windows, and 

 furniture were strongly agitated, but also in the open air 

 and on the sea shore. The people were then assembled at 

 vespers, and many of them were so frightened, that they 

 ran out of the churches. 



An hour and twenty minutes after, that .is to say, about 

 twenty-six minutes after five, another shock was felt ; it was 

 accompanied also with a strong detonation, but the agitation 

 was less than during the former. This earthquake was ex- 

 perienced at the same time at Dinan, and in the interior of 

 the country, but it is not supposed to have done any damage. 

 The wind continues to blow with violence from north- 

 norih-cart, the atmosphere is filled with clouds, and it rains 

 abundantly. 



I was in the country at the time of the earthquake, and 

 it was on the rocks bordering the beautiful bay of Conc<dlc 

 that I felt it. From the place where I was walking I could 

 sec at once Granville, Avranches, Dol, and Mount Saint 

 Michel, llie noise, at the moment of the first shock, rt- 

 sounded along that immense shore as if all the guns at St. 

 Malo had been fired at the same tunc. 



Several officersof the navy, who have been in the East and 

 West Indies, assured me that they have experienrtd shocks 

 much more violent, but that they never heard stronger dc- 

 •■onalions. 



Letters from Italy state thai earthquakes occur almost 

 daily at Spolctto, whieii is nearly deserted by its inhabi- 

 tants. The lava of Vesuvius constantly overtlcws and alarms 

 the neighbouring country. Most of the towns and villages 

 in its vicinity arc abandoned, the people having carried with 

 them their most valuable efl'ects, concluding, from several 

 circumstances, that some new and terrible explosion is not 

 distant. 



Letters from Sicily state, that on the lOlh of August 

 Mount ^Etna ceased, for twenty-four hours, even to emit 

 smoke; but this calm was succeeded on the 12ih, early in 

 the morning, with a terrible explosion, and a nol»c as if 

 millions of canm)ns had been fired at once. When the last 

 letters of the 18th left thiit island^ » thower of fire conti- 

 nued 



