158 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



being performed, supper over and the fiddles tuned, dancing 

 became the order of the moment. This was merrily followed 

 up to a late hour, when the party retired to rest. We were 

 in what is called, with great propriety, a Log-house, one of 

 large dimensions, and solidly constructed. The owner was a 

 physician, and in one corner were not only his lancets, tour- 

 niquets, amputating-knives and other sanguinary apparatus, 

 but all the drugs which he employed for the relief of his pa- 

 tients, arranged in jars and phials of different sizes. These 

 had some days before made a narrow escape from destruction, 

 but had been fortunately preserved by closing the doors of the 

 cases in which they were contained. 



As I have said, we had all retired to rest, some to dream 

 of sighs and smiles, and others to sink into oblivion. Morn- 

 ing was fast approaching, when the rumbling noise that pre- 

 cedes the earthquake began so loudly, as to waken and alarm 

 the whole party, and drive them out of bed in the greatest 

 consternation. The scene which ensued it is impossible for 

 me to describe, and it would require the humorous pencil of 

 Cruikshank to do justice to it. Fear knows no restraints. 

 Every person, old and young, filled with alarm at the creak- 

 ing of the log-house, and apprehending instant destruction, 

 rushed wildly out to the grass enclosure fronting the building. 

 The full moon was slowly descending from her throne, covered 

 at times by clouds that rolled heavily along, as if to conceal 

 from her view the scenes of terror which prevailed on the earth 

 below. On the grass-plat we all met, in such condition as 

 rendered it next to impossible to discriminate any of the 

 party, all huddled together in a state of almost perfect nudity. 

 The earth waved like a field of corn before the breeze : the 

 birds left their perches, and flew about not knowing whither ; 

 and the doctor, recollecting the danger of his gallipots, ran 

 to his shop-room, to prevent their dancing off the shelves to 

 the floor. Never for a moment did he think of closing the 

 doors, but, spreading his arms, jumped about the front of the 



