Mungo Park. — Earthquake. 151 



t\\e caravan would probably go near Tunis or Algiers. That the 

 three persons appeared above the class of sailors, and v.ere not 

 slave?, but free to go with the caravan as the other travellers 

 were ; they had with them some papers, writings, and drav/ings. 



" These people, the Moor says, went up the Nile or Niger 

 in a small vessel, and were stopped ; that originally their num- 

 ber was much greater, but they had died at Houssa, or elsewhere; 

 and that the king or principal man at Houssa had put the 

 three Christians under tiie protection of a person of note in the 

 caravan, with directions to take them to Tnnbuctoo, and from 

 thence to send them by some caravan, so that they might reach 

 their own country. 



" This account is extraordinary, as all inquiry about Mr. Park 

 has long ceased here. The man could have no possible motive 

 for inventing such a story ; and if he did in\ ent it, it is remark- 

 able that he should invent a story so nearly describing, in many 

 particulars, Mr. Park and his companions." 



EARTHQUAKE. 



Extract of a Letter from St. Michael's, dated the 3d ofyfpril. 

 — " Since tlie alarming eruption in 1810, whick shook the island 

 to its base, we enjoyed perfect tranquillity, with the hope of its 

 long continuance', ti'll last week, when our fears returned with 

 increased force, occasioned by an unusual heaving of the sea, 

 without a breath of wind. — This was immediately followed by a 

 rumbling noise, not unlike the report of cannon, and a strong 

 suffocating smell of sulphur. This happened at five in the after- 

 noon. In about a quarter of an hour the whole island appeared 

 to be in motion ; several vessels riding at anchor a short di- 

 stance from tlie shore were dashed to pieces in an instant, and 

 the earth opening, not a vestige of them was to be seen. On 

 the opposite side of the island, near the village of Sylve Arbour, 

 the ground o;)oned in three several places, and the discharges 

 of water issued forth from the largest aperture with great vio- 

 lence, the discharges continuing till midnight, when they entirely 

 ceased. On examining the spot next morning with a friend, 

 we found a considoral)le ([uantity of wood partly burnt, bones of 

 animals, and heads of fishes. While we were examining thc^e 

 objects, a friar came up, and, having saluted u.-^, told us that he 

 had examined the spot, and had found, to his great surprise, a 

 wax-cloth containing a fragment of what appeared to have been 

 a chart, but which was so much injured by the water that it 

 was impossible to decipher it ; but on showing it to us at hi? 

 house, the word " Colum" was still legible. As it is known by 

 historical record, that Christopher Columbus, having boen over- 

 taken by a etorm which threatened the destruction of himself 



K 4 and 



