Earthquake, 468 



impelled by an apparatus managed by two men, — the same in 

 short, as that invented by Dr. C. " Its pace," says the travel- 

 ler, " was uniform, and, as the men informed me, varied very little 

 whether it was on level ground or going up hill, provided the 

 carriage was not overloaded. On expressing my doubts how this 

 could be, the men could not explain the reason. But nnich as I 

 might have doubted its facility of ascendisig a hill, I should have 

 doubted still more (had I not seen it) the rapidity and safety 

 with which it went down. — On coming to a short stieep hill in- 

 stead of locking the wheel, considering how heavily the carriage 

 was loaded, the carriage was suffered to run down with unre- 

 strained velocity, much faster than any prudent man would have 

 ventured with a light gig. I saw clearly, however, there was no 

 danger; for the whole machine, I observed, was guided with the 

 greatest accuracy, and its speed, as the men informed me (and 

 of which, on inspecting the mcchanisuj, I had no duubt), could 

 l)e regulated at pleasure, or even •stopped, should occasion require 

 it. in the middle of its career, in an instant. 



li.\ RTHfiUAKE. 



Wanlockheail (r^cotlaiid), Nov. .30. 

 The weather for sometime past has been remarkably stormy 

 heavy rains, accompanied by high winds, have prevailed • but at 

 the end of last week and begiiming of this, the clouds, which had 

 for some time lowered, ap|)eared to be dissipated, and we had 

 some signs of returning good weather. Tuesday morning was 

 remarkably fine, but hazy— the atmosphere still, and the clouds 

 when they were visible, had no particular appearance. About 

 eight o'clock .\.M. a slight shock of an eartluiuake was felt at 

 Leadhills and Wanlockhead, attended with u hollow rumbling- 

 noise. The miners, who were at work 150 fathoms below ground*^ 

 heard this alarming sound very distinctly ; and beiihg afraid lest 

 the works were rushing down, many of "them left their en)plov- 

 ment, and came above ground. In the evening of the same day 

 about eleven o'clock, a similar or still louder sound was hoard 

 at the above places, hut not accompanied by any trembling or 

 motion of the earth. These ph?cnomcna have been observed for 

 eight or ten miles eastward, and three or four miles westward of 

 these places, but whether they have extended further is not yet 

 accurately ascertained. It is probable, however, that the more 

 immediate effects of these awful c()nvulsions of nature may have 

 already been experienced in soitie distant quarter, particularly 

 as the earth(iuake by which Lisbon was almost totally destroyed 

 sixty-five years ago, was very distinctly felt in the district of 

 Leadhills and VVanlockheail, accordini,' to tiadition, and in the 

 nieniorv of several old rc.idcnttrs. 



