•which occurred in Sicilij in March 1823, 99 



its increasing every moment, we feel the inevitable necessity 

 of holding ourselves strongly prepared to meet the sudden 

 assaults of so powerful an enemy. Messina, which suffered 

 so much in 1783, although violently moved by this last shock, 

 experienced from it no bad effects ; for this noble city has 

 risen from her ancient ruins robust and majestic. Catania, 

 in 1818, was convulsed in a terrible manner; but its inhabi- 

 tants were enabled to contemplate without a tear all the little 

 injury sustained by their beautiful fabrics*. 



Succeeding Shocks. 

 After the shock of the 5th, the black clouds which covered 

 the heavens on the north and west formed a dark band, mea- 

 suring from the zenith towards the horizon 60°, and extending 

 from north to south. It was terminated at the base by a circular 

 line passing from north to south, through the west, and ele- 

 vated at the southern part about 30° above the horizon. The 

 sky itself was very clear, and its extreme brightness was in- 

 creased by the contrast with the dark band above, and by the 

 sun just on the point of setting. A little below the band were 

 two other lines parallel and perfectly I'egular. This myste- 

 rious appearance inspired with fear the minds of the people, 

 who are always seeking in the heavens for signs of future 

 events. But it preceded a tempestuous night which followed 

 with torrents of rain, with thunder, snow, hail, and windf • 



* After the fatal earthquake of 1693, in Catania, by which eighteen thou- 

 sand persons perished, the people began to build of one story, and always 

 after the plan of barracks. But as the fear passed from their minds they 

 raised their houses two stories, and sometimes even three, and not with much 

 solidity. Since the middle of the last century, the excellent materials sup- 

 plied them by Etna, the good method andprudent regulation of the stories, 

 have promised long duration to this city. It may possibly be injured, but 

 cannot be easily ruined, although at the foot of the most formidable volca- 

 no in the world. After the catastrophe of the 5th of March in Palermo, the 

 lieutenant, the pretor, senators, and police, exerted all their zeal. They 

 obliged proprietors to prop up their houses within twenty-four hours, or to 

 dcuiolisn them if they were not susceptible of propping. The senate took 

 upon themselves the charge of repairing the houses of poor proprietors, to- 

 gether with the expenses. 



f In all times signs have been mentioned as announcing earthquakes near 

 at hand. People read them in the air and upon the earth ; and some philo- 

 sophers even have given them credence. The frequent occurrence of these 

 signs, without the expected pha;nomena, is a sufficient argument against 

 them. But less uncertain are those which accompany the pha-nomena, as 

 rain and thunder. To that of 1693 such fearful storms succeeded, that for 

 many hours, at Catania, the groans ond voices of the miserable wretches 

 buried under the ruins weredrownc<l by the roaring of the torrentsof rain and 

 the tremendous thunder. The same circumstances took place at Calabria 

 in 17*^3; and we were witnesses of the same on the night of the 5th of 

 March. An extraordinary quantity of electric fluid is developed, and being 



N 2 



