THE EARTH. 



35 



" In this manner, proceeding onward in our 

 little vessel, finding no safety at land, and 

 yet, from the smallness of our boat, having 

 but a very dangerous continuance at sea, we 

 at length landed at Lopizium, a castle mid- 

 way between Tropse and Eupha3mia, the city 

 to which, as 1 said before, we were bound. 

 Here, wherever I turned my eyes, nothing f>ut 

 scenes of ruin and horror appeared; towns 

 and castles levelled to the ground ; Strom- 

 balo, though at sixty miles distance, belching 

 forth tlaines in an unusual manner, and with 

 a noise which I could distinctly hear. But 

 my attention was quickly turned from more 

 remote to contiguous danger. The rumbling 

 sound of an approaching earthquake, which 

 we by this time were grown acquainted with. 

 alarmed us for the consequences ; it every 

 moment seemed to grow louder, and to ap- 

 proach more near. The place on which we 

 stood now began to shake most dreadfully, 

 so that being unable to stand, my compani- 

 ons and I caught hold of whatever shrub grew 

 next us, and supported ourselves in that man- 

 ner. 



" After some time, this violent paroxysm 

 ceasing, we again stood up, in order to pro- 

 secute our voyage to Euphaemia, that lay 

 within sight. In the mean time, while we 

 were preparing for this purpose. I turned my 

 eyes towards the city, but could see only a 

 frightful dark cloud that seemed to rest upon 

 the place. This the more surprised i.b, as 

 the weather was so very serene. We waited, 

 therefore, till the cloud was passed away; 

 then turning to look for the city, it was to- 

 tally sunk. Wonderful to tell ! nothing but 

 a dismal and putrid lake was to be seen 

 where it stood. We looked about to find 

 some one that could tell us of its sad catas- 

 trophe, but could see none ! All was become 

 a melancholy solitude! a scene of hideous de- 

 solation ! Thus proceeding pensively along, 

 in quest of some human being that could give 

 us some little information, we at length saw 

 a boy sitting by the shore, and appearing 

 stupified with terror. Of him, therefore, we 

 inquired concerning the fate of the city, but 

 he could not be induced to give us an an- 

 swer. We entreated him with every ex- 

 pression of tenderness and pity to tell us : 

 but his senses were quite wrapt up in the 



contemplation of the danger he had escaped. 

 We offered him some victuals, but he seemed 

 to loathe the sight. We still persisted in our 

 offices of kindness ; but he only pointed to the 

 place of the city, like one out of his senses ; 

 and then running up into the woods, was 

 never heard of after. Such was the fate of 

 the city of EuphaBmia! and as we continued 

 our melancholy course along the shore, the 

 whole coast, for the space of two hundred 

 miles, presented nothing but the remains of 

 cities, and men- scattered, without an habita- 

 tion, over the fields. Proceeding thus along, 

 we at length ended our distressful voyage by 

 arriving at Naples, after having escaped a 

 thousand dangers both at sea and land." 



The reader, I hope, w ill excuse me for this 

 long translation from a favourite writer, and 

 that the sooner, as it contains some particulars 

 relative to earthquakes not to be found else- 

 where. From the whole of these accounts 

 we may gather, that the most concomitant 

 circumstances are these : 



A rumbling sound before the earthquake. 

 This proceeds from the air or fire, or both, 

 forcing their way through the chasms of the 

 earth, and endeavouring to get free; which 

 is also heard in volcanoes. 



A violent agitation or heaving of the sea, 

 sometimes before and sometimes after that at 

 land. This agitation is only a similar effect 

 produced on the waters with that at land, 

 and may be called, for the sake of perspicui- 

 ty, a sea-quake; and this also is produced by 

 volcanoes. 



A spouting up of waters to great heights. 

 It is not easy to describe the manner in which 

 this is performed: but volcanoes also perform 

 the same ; Vesuvius being known frequently 

 to eject a vast body of water. 



A rocking of the earth to and fro, and 

 sometimes a perpendicular bouncing, if it 

 may be so called, of the same. This differ- 

 rnce chiefly arises from the situation of the 

 place with respect to the suhferranean fire. 

 Directly under, it lifts; at a farther distance, 

 it rocks. 



Some earthquakes seem to travel onward, 

 and are felt in different countries at different 

 hours the same day. This arises from the 

 great shock being given to the earth at one 

 place, and that being communicated onward 

 T, 



