592 ULLOA*S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



its deliverance, a feftival, called Nueflra Senora del Milagro, is annually celebrated on 

 that day. 



5. In the year 1655, on the 3d of November, the moft ftately edifices, and a great 

 number of houfes, were thrown down by an earthquake ; the inhabitants fled into the 

 country, and remained there feveral days, to avoid the danger they were threatened 

 with in the city. 



6. On the 17th of June 1678, another earthquake happened, by which feveral 

 houfes were deft'royed, and the churches confiderably damaged. 



7. One of the moft dreadful of which we have any account, was that of the 20th 

 of Odober 1687. ^^ began at four in the morning, with the deftruftion of feveral 

 frtiblic edifices and houfes, whereby great numbers of perfons perilhed ; but this was 

 little more than a prefage of what was to follow, and preferved the greateft part of the 

 inhabitants from being buried under the ruins of the city. The Ihock was repeated at 

 fix in the morning, with fuch impetuous concuffions, that whatever had withftood the 

 firft, was now laid in ruins ; and the inhabitants thought themfelves very fortunate in 

 being only fpedtators of the general devaftation from the ftreets and fquares, to which 

 they had direded their flight on the firft warning. During this fecond concufllon the 

 fea retired confiderably from its bounds, and returning in mountainous waves, totally 

 overwhelmed Callao, and the neighbouring parts, together with the miferable inha- 

 bitants. 



8. On the 29th of September 1697, this place was vifited by another terrible 

 earthquake. 



9. On the 14th of July 1699, a great number of houfes were deftroyed by another 

 concuflion. 



10. The 6th of February 1716, alike difafter. 



11. On the 8th of January 1725, another. 



12. On the 2d of December 1732, was another earthquake at one in the 

 morning. 



13. 14, 15. In the years 1690, 1734, and 1745, three others happened, but nei- 

 ther violent nor lafting. But all thefe were lefs terrible than the laft, as will appear 

 from the following account of it. 



1 6. On the 28th of Odober, 1746, at half an hour after ten at night, five hours 

 and three quarters before the full of the moon, the concuflions began with fuch 

 violence, that in little more than three minutes, the greateft part, if not all the build- 

 ings, great and fmall, in the whole city, were deftroyed, burying under their ruins 

 thofe inhabitants who had not made fufiicient hafte into the ftreets and fquares ; the 

 only places of fafety in thefe terrible convulfions of nature. At length the horrible ef- 

 fects of this fliort fliock ceafed : but the tranquillity was of fhort duration ; concuflions 

 returning with fuch frequent repetitions, that the inhabitants, according to the account 

 fent of it, computed two hundred in the firft twenty-four hours : and to the 24th of 

 February of the following year, 1747, when the narrative was dated, no lefs than four 

 hundred and fifty fliocks were obferved, fome of which, if lefs lafting, were equal to 

 the firft in violence. 



The fort of Callao, at the very fame hour, funk into the like ruins ; but what it 

 fuffered from the earthquake in its buildings, was inconfiderable, when compared with 

 the terrible cataftrophe which followed ; for the fea, as is ufual on fuch occafions, 

 receding to a confiderable diftance, returned in mountainous waves foaming with the 

 violence of the agitation, and fuddenly turned Callao and the neighbouring country, 

 into a fea. This was not, however, totally performed by the firft fwell of the waves ; 

 4 for 



