LETTER VIII. 



Richard III. king of England, Jerusalem, and most of 

 the towns of Syria, experienced the same disaster. In 

 thr pontificate of Pius IX. all the churches, palaces, 

 and other large buildings of Naples were overthrown 

 by an earthquake, and above thirl v thousand persons 

 lost thf'ir lives ; and it may here be observed,, that 

 the province of Calabria, and the island of Sicily are 

 more subject to earthquakes than any other parts 

 of Europe, although several other countries have 

 experienced their dreadful eftects. In 161^, there 

 was an earthquake which shook the whole is- 

 land of Jamaica to its foundation, and totally over- 

 whelmed the town of Port Royal, so as to leave, in 

 one quarter, not even the smallest vestige remaining. 

 The earth opened, and in two minutes swallowed up 

 nine-tenths of the houses and two thousand people. 

 This earthquake extended into England, Holland, 

 .Flanders, France and Germany. The dreadful de- 

 struction of Lisbon, A. I). 1755, is too recent to be 

 obliterated from the memory of numbers of the pre- 

 sent inhabitants. If yon search the records of his- 

 tory, you will find that these here mentioned arc 

 only a small number of the tremendous earthquake* 

 which have shaken the different parts of this globe. 

 You will also observe that, they both happen more 

 frequently and are more violent and destructive in 

 warm than in cold countries, and that they are very 

 rarely experienced in those which are low and mar- 

 shy. 'This may probably proceed from the latter con- 

 taining or attracting a less quantity of the electric 

 fire and these, circumstances would induce an impaitial 

 reasoner to suppose that bo'h Dr. Slukely's and M. 

 de Button's' theories may be right, and that earth- 

 quakes in ay sometimes be caused by subterraneous 

 fires, and sometimes by the electric fluid. You will, 

 .sir, also observe that the divine Being who has un- 

 doubtedly f >r the most beneficial purposes, ordained 

 the intermixture of evil with good in this probatory 

 state of mortal existence, can exhibit a terrific dis- 

 play of his power id the convulsions of nature, as 

 well as the mild arid beneficent effects of his wisdom 

 and goodness in it* productions and embellishments. 



