A GREAT SEA-WAVE. 219 



churches, while over all rolled thick clouds of a yel- 

 lowish-black dust, which, had they been poured forth 

 many minutes longer, would have suffocated thousands." 

 Although the shocks had lasted but a few minutes, the 

 whole town was destroyed. Not one building remained 

 uninjured, and there were few which did not lie in 

 shapeless heaps of ruins. 



At Tacna and Arica, the earth-shock was less 

 severe, but strange and terrible phenomena followed 

 it. At the former place a circumstance occurred, the 

 cause and nature of which yet remain a mystery. 

 About three hours after the earthquake in other 

 words, at about eight o'clock in the evening an in- 

 tensely brilliant light made its appearance above the 

 neighboring mountains. It lasted for fully half an 

 hour, and has been ascribed to the eruption of some as 

 yet unknown volcano. 



At Arica the sea-wave produced even more de- 

 structive effects than had been caused by the earth- 

 quake. About twenty minutes after the first earth- 

 shock, the sea was seen to retire, as if about to leave 

 the shores wholly dry; but presently its waters re- 

 turned with tremendous force. A mighty wave, 

 whose length seemed immeasurable, was seen advancing 

 like a dark wall upon the unfortunate town, a large 

 part of which was overwhelmed by it. Two ships, the 

 Peruvian corvette " America " and the United States 

 " double-ender " " Wateree," were carried nearly half 



