An Earthquake, 53 



one foot after another on the ground with as much pre- 

 caution as if walking on a smooth sheet of ice. I thought 

 he had suddenly foundered, and, speaking to him, was on 

 the point of dismounting and leading him, when he all of 

 a sudden fell a groaning piteously, hung his head, spread 

 out his four legs, as if to save himself from falling, and 

 stood stock still, continuing to groan. I thought my 

 horse was about to die, and would have sprung from his 

 back had a minute more elapsed ; but at that instant all 

 the shrubs and trees began to move from their very roots, 

 the ground rose and fell in successive furrows, like the 

 ruffled waters of a lake, and I became bewildered in my 

 ideas, as I too plainly discovered that all this awful 

 commotion in nature was the result of an earthquake. 



" I had never witnessed anything of the kind before, 

 although like every other person, I knew of earthquakes 

 by description. But what is description compared with 

 reality ? Who can tell of the sensations which I experi- 

 enced when I found myself rocking, as it were, upon my 

 horse, and with him moved to and fro like a child in a 

 cradle, with the most imminent danger around me ? The 

 fearful convulsion, however, lasted only a few minutes, 

 and the heavens again brightened as quickly as they had 

 become obscured; my horse brought his feet to the 

 natural position, raised his head, and galloped off as if 

 loose and frolicking without a rider. 



"I was not, however, without great apprehension 

 respecting my family, from which I was many miles 

 distant, fearful that where they were the shock might have 

 caused greater havoc than that I had witnessed. I gave 

 the bridle to my steed, and was glad to see him appear as 

 anxious to get home as myself The pace at which he 

 galloped accomplished this sooner than I had expected, 

 and I found, with much pleasure, that hardly any greater 

 harm had taken place than the apprehension excited for 



