264 Capt. Lachlan's Account of 



to the corrosive action of the waters, and insure the perma- 

 nence of the bridge. 



Bourdeaux, 14th December 1825. 



Art. XIV. — Account of the Shock of an Earthquake Jilt at 

 Sea by the Honourable East India Company's Ship Winchel- 

 sea. In a Letter to the Editor, from Capt. Lachlan, 

 17th Regiment. 



My Dear Sir, 



Having observed in the last Edinburgh Journal of Science, 

 an article containing some short notices of earthquakes at sea, 

 and among them a slight reference to one experienced on 

 board the Honourable East India Company's ship Winchel- 

 sea, in 1823, I have thought that some further particulars 

 regarding the latter instance from one who was a passenger 

 in that ship, would not be unacceptable to you ; and I, at the 

 same time, take the opportunity of directing your attention 

 to two errors which have crept into the short notice alluded 

 to, viz. that the earthquake took place On the 9th instead of 

 the 10th February as there given, though from its having 

 occurred, post meridiem, it would, nautically speaking, be 

 reckoned the 10th ; and that, instead of being in Lat. 52* N., 

 we were little more than 1* N. of the line. 



At ten minutes past one, p. m., all on board * were 

 thrown into considerable alarm and agitation by an earth- 

 quake, the shock of which lasted for more than a minute. I 

 happened, with several other officers, to be upon the poop at 

 the time, and was, I believe, one of the first to observe — and 

 not without alarm — a strong tremulous or quivering motion, 

 shaking the whole frame of the ship, for which, being unable 

 to account, I naturally referred to others, but they seemed as 

 much at a loss as myself-: some only thinking it might be 



• The fine old ship, Winchelsea, Captain W. Adamson, 1330 tons bur- 

 then, brought home the 17th regiment of foot, besides two detachments 

 of king's and company's soldiers, and had on board at the time about 550 

 touls. 



