Chap. 48.] Cmifequwce of the Earthquake. 373 



little lefs fhocking than thofe already defcribed the 

 whole city appeared in a blaze, which was Ib bright 

 that I could eafily fee to read by it. It may be faid, 

 without exaggeration, it was on fire at leaft in an hun- 

 dred different places at once, and thus continued burn- 

 Ing for fix days together, without intermiflion, or the 

 leaft attempt being made to flop its progrefs. 



* I could never learn, that this terrible fire was 

 owing to any fubterraneous eruption, as fome re- 

 ported, but to three caufes, which all concurring at 

 the fame time, will naturally account for the prodi- 

 gious havock it made; the firft of November being 

 All Saints Day, a high feftival among the Portuguefe, 

 every altar in every church and chapel (fome of which. 

 have more than twenty) was illuminated with a -num- 

 ber of wax tapers and lamps, as cuftomary ; thefe fet- 

 ting fire to the curtains and timber work that fell with 

 the ihock, the conflagration foon fpread to the neigh- 

 bouring houfes, and being there joined with the fires 

 in the kitchen chimnies, increafed to fuch a degree, that 

 it might eafily have deftroyed the whole city, though 

 no other caufe had concurred, efpecially as it met with 

 DO interruption. 



4 But what would appear incredible to you, were 

 the fad lefs public and notorious, is, that a gang of 

 hardened villains, who had been confined, and got 

 out of prifon when the wall fell, at the fir It fhock, 

 were bufily employed in letting fire to thole buildings, 

 which flood fome chance of efcaping the general de- 



* The fire, by fome means or other, may be laid to 

 have deftroycd the whole city, at leafc every thing that 

 was' grand or valuable in it ; and the damage on this 

 occafion is not to be eflimated. 



f The whole number of perfons that perifhed, in- 

 B b 3 eluding 



