372 Conflagration in [Book VI. 



* This is the only place I could learn which was 

 fwallowed up in or about Lifbon, though I faw many 

 large cracks and fifiures in different parts, and one 

 odd phenomenon I mud not omit, which was com- 

 municated to me by a friend who had a houfe aad 

 wine-cellars on the other fide of the river, viz. that 

 the dwelling-houfe being firft terribly fhaken, which 

 made all the family run out, there preiently fell down 

 a vaft high rock near it, that upon this the river rofe 

 and fubfided in the manner already mentioned, and 

 immediately a great number of fmall fifiures appeared 

 in feveral contiguous pieces of ground, whence there 

 fpoutcd out like a, jet d'eau a large quantity of fine 

 white fand, to a prodigious height. 



* I had not been long in the area of St. Paul's, 

 v/hen I felt the third fliock, which though fomewhat 

 lefs violent than the two former, the fea rufhed in 

 again, and retired with the fame rapidity, and I re- 

 mained up to my knees in water, though I had gotten 

 upon a fmall eminence at fome diftance from the 

 river, with the ruins of feveral intervening houfes to 

 break its force. At this time I took notice the wa- 

 ters retired fo impetuaufly, that fome veiTels were 

 left quite dry, which rode in feven fathom water: 

 the river thus continued alternately ruming on and 

 retiring feveral times together, in fuch fort, that it. 

 was juitly dreaded Lifbon would now meet the fame 

 fate, which a few years ago had befallen, the city of* 

 Lima. 



" Perhaps you may think the prefcnt doleful fub- 

 jecr. here concluded; but, alas! the horrors of the 

 rlrft of November, are fufficient to fill a volume. 

 As foon as it grew dark, another fcene prefented itfelf 



* This happened in 1 746. 



little 



