104 HISTORY OF 



could see only a frightful dark cloud, that seemed 

 to rest upon the place. This the more surprised 

 us, as the weather was so very serene. We wait- 

 ed, therefore, till the cloud was passed away; then 

 turning to look for the city, it was totally sunk. 

 Wonderful to tell ! nothing but a dismal and pu- 

 trid lake was seen where it stood. We looked 

 about to find some one that could tell us of its 

 sad catastrophe, but could see none. All was 

 become a melancholy solitude ; a scene of hide- 

 ous desolation. Thus proceeding pensively along, 

 in quest of some human being that could give 

 us some little information, we at length saw a 

 boy sitting by the shore, and appearing stupi- 

 fied with terror. Of him, therefore, we inquired 

 concerning the fate of the city ; but he could not 

 be induced to give us an answer. We entreated 

 him with every expression of tenderness and pity 

 to tell us ; but his senses were quite wrapt up in 

 the contemplation of the danger he had escaped. 

 We offered him some victuals, but he seemed to 

 loath the sight. We still persisted in our offices 

 of kindness ; but he only pointed to the place of 

 the city, like one out of his senses ; and then run- 

 ning up into the woods, was never heard of after. 

 Such was the fate of the city of Euphaemia : and 

 as we continued our melancholy course along the 

 shore, the whole coast, for the space of two hun- 

 dred miles, presented nothing but the remains of 

 cities j and men scattered, without a habitation, 

 over the fields. Proceeding thus along, we at 

 length ended our distressful voyage by arriving at 



