EARTHQUAKES. 179 



that is above fine hundred leagues,, I say the greatest that LlB - 

 ever I heard speake of, for lesser be more common there. 

 Vpon the coast of Chile (I remember not well in what 

 yeare) there was so terrible an earthquake, as it overturned 

 whole mountains, and thereby stopped the course of rivers 

 which it converted into lakes, it beat downe townes, and 

 slew a great number of people, causing the sea to leave her 

 place some leagues, so as the shippes remained on drie 

 ground, farre from the ordinary roade, with many other 

 heavie and horrible things. And, as I well remember, 

 they say this trouble and motion, caused by the earth 

 quake, ranne three hundred leagues alongest the coast. 

 Soon after, which was in the yeere eighty two, happened 

 that earthquake of Arequipa, which in a manner overthrew 

 the whole citie. Since, in the yeere eightie sixe, the nineth 

 of lune, fell an other earthquake in the cittie of Kings, the 

 which, as the Viceroy did write, hadde runne a hundred 

 three score and tenne leagues alongest the coast, and over- 

 thwart in the Sierra fiftie leagues. The mercy of the Lord 

 was great in this earth quake, to forewarne the people by 

 a great noyse which they heard a little before the earth 

 quake, who, taught by former experiences, presently put 

 themselves in safetie, leaving their houses, streetes, and 

 gardins, to go into the fieldes ; so as, although it ruined a 

 great parte of the Cittie, and of the chiefest buildings, yet 

 there died not above fifteene or twenty persons of all the 

 inhabitants. It caused the like trouble and motion at sea, 

 as it had done at Chile, which happened presently after the 

 earthquake, so as they might see the sea furiously to flie 

 out of her boundes, and to runne neere two leagues into the 

 land, rising above fourteene fadorne : it covered all that 

 plaine, so as the ditches and peeces of wood that were there 

 swamme in the water. There was yet an other earthquake 

 in the realme and Cittie of Quito ; and it seemes all these 

 notable earthquakes vppon that coast have succeeded one 



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