Earthquakes. — Eruption of a Volcano in Iceland. 235 



and split, and the pieces carried half a league away by the 

 force of the wind. Some of the inhabitants who remained in 

 the village were knocked down and woimded ; those who were 

 at work in the field, fortunately the greater numbei-, were also 

 thrown down by the violence of the storm, which destroyed 

 the harvest and wounded or killed the beasts. Hail-stones, • as 

 big almost as a man's fist, stones, and other bodies, showered 

 down by this impetuous wind, wounded several individuals 

 very severely. Waggons heavily laden were broken in pieces, 

 and their burdens dispersed. Axle-trees capable of support- 

 ing the weight of eight or ten tons were broken, and large 

 wheels were carried two or three hundred paces fi'om where 

 the storm found them. One of these waggons, almost entire, 

 was even carried over a bi*ick-kiln, some portions of which 

 were carried to a considerable distance. A steeple, several 

 hamlets, and isolated houses, and new walls, were blown down, 

 and other villages were considerably damaged. The spout 

 occupied about 100 toises at its base, if we may judge from 

 the durable and disastrous marks it made in its progress. — 



Journal des Debats. 



On the 1 9th of August a terrible storm passed over Brussels, 

 which did great damage in Zeilich and other places. A water- 

 spout that accompanied it broke twenty large trees within six 

 feet of the ground, which blocked up the road so as to stop 

 the diligence from Antwerp. The storm raged chiefly in the 

 direction from Aelst to Meciilin. Above 100 trees were snap- 

 ped asunder, or torn up, at the corner of a small meadow ; 

 and between Mazeendeel and Steinhuff'el, several thousand 

 trees of all kinds and sizes have been thrown down, or strip- 

 ped of their foliage. Of course, every thing in the fields and 

 gardens is destroyed, and the corn may be gathered up as on a 

 thrashing-floor. Hailstones as large as a hen's egg were picked 

 up, and pieces of ice several inches long and an inch thick. 



EARTHQUAKES. ERUPTION OF A VOLCANO IN ICELAND. 



A shock of an earthquake was felt at Madras on the 2d of 

 March, extending through the Nilgherry and the country in 

 that direction, as well as generally along the coast. The 

 shock was also perceived in Travancore, but twenty minutes 

 later than at Madras, and also in the island of Ceylon. 



Accounts from Iceland, of the 16th of August, say, that 

 the volcano of Kollugcan, in that island, which had been 

 quiet for 68 years, made a terrible eruption on the 26th of 

 July last, accompanied by an earthquake ; enormous blocks 

 of ice were detached from the summit of the mountain; a 

 great extent of country was laid waste ; but fortunately no 



Vol. 62. No. 305. Sept. 1823. G g hves 



