• KNOWLEDGE • 



[Nov. 



If we nin over the period which has elapsed since 1 753 

 we shall lind sufficient evidence of the distinctness with 

 which earthquake shocks have made themselves felt in 

 Enjrland. We select that year because the whole of the 

 country was then shaken by the etlects of the great earth- 

 quake at Lisl>on. It was at a little past nine that Lisbon was 

 destroyed, and very soon after — so soon, iudeeti, that it 

 was at first considered tliat the shocks took place at tlie 

 Game moment — a variety of singular forms of disturbance 

 were experienced in ditlcrent parts of England, Scotland, 

 and Ireland. It would occupy much more space than we 

 can here spare to record all the remarkable events related 

 n-specting the share our country had in the great earth 

 tremor whicli spread outwards on every side from the 

 centre of disturbance in 17.")5. But a few of the more 

 striking will not fail, we think, to prove interesting to our 

 readers. 



At Barlborough, in Derbyshire, a surprising and terrible 

 noise was heard on the western side of a large body of 

 water called Pibley Dam, which is said to liave covered at 

 least 30 acres of land ; then a great swelling wave of water 

 came in from the south, and rose two feet on the sloped 

 dam-head at the north end of the water. The wave sub- 

 sided, but presently returned again. And the agitation 

 continued, with gradually decreasing violence, for three- 

 quarters of an hour. 



At a place in Surrey called Busbridge there was a canal 

 aljout seven hundred feet long and fifty-eight fe( t broad. 

 At the eastern end of this canal the water, at the hour we 

 have named, was observed to be in a great state of turmoil 

 and agitation. The surface of the water, instead of being 

 level, was seen to be ridged like the roof of a house, only 

 rounded at the top. This ridge extended lengthwise about 

 thirty yards, and stood about three feet above the usual 

 level of the water. After oscillating for a few moments, 

 this heaped-up water swept ruddinly towards the northern 

 bank of the canal, and poured over the grass-walk on that 

 side. It then returned and swept with still greater force 

 over the grass-walk along the southern bank. It was 

 noticed that the bottom of the canal was left dry for 

 several feet when the water swept towards the south. The 

 flux and reflux of the water in tlio canal continued for up- 

 wards of a quarter of an hour, during which the sand of 

 the iKittom was thrown up and thoroughly mixed with the 

 water, which continued turbid long after the disturbance 

 had ceased. During the whole time of the movement, a 

 noise was heard (as if beneath the ground) resembling the 

 noise of water turning a large mill. 



At Eyambridge, in Derbyshire, the overseer of the lead- 

 minea felt a sudden shock which raised him violently from 

 the ground in liis chair. The plaster of the room fell all 

 around him. The roof was so violently and visibly shaken 

 that he imagined the engine-shaft had fallen in. When he 

 ran out to inquire about the supposed accident, he found 

 that those who had In-en at work underground had ex- 

 perienced yet more singular eflccts. Two miners who were 

 employed in drawing the ore along the drifts of the mines 

 were thaken so violently that for awhile they were too 

 terrified to move. Tliey were afraid to climb up the shaft, 

 a.s they Ulieved that it wag Ijeginning to fall in uj)on them. 

 While they were consulting what should be done to secure 

 themselven from this danger, a second shock more violent 

 than the first fright^-ned them so much that they ran pre- 

 cipitately to the other end of the drift Then they climbed 

 down to another miner who worked twelve yards below 

 them. He told them that the second shock had been so 

 violent that he ha<l seen the rocks around grinding upon 

 one another. While he was talking a third shock came, 

 which waa accompanied by a loud rumbling noiec in the 



bowels of the earth. Presently another shock followed, and 

 five minutes after a (ifth. The most violent of all, however, 

 was the second, a circumstauco which corresponded in 

 a remarkable manner with the extreme violence of the 

 second shock experienced at Lisbon. A reference to the 

 narrative of this catastrophe in the essay on earthquakes 

 in " The Borderland of Science " (Vol. I. of A'nowfedye 

 Lihranj), will show that it was this shock which had 

 the principal part in the destruction of the city and its 

 inhabitants. 



At Shirebum Castle, in Oxfordshire, there is a moat 

 whicli encompasses the building. On the morning of the 

 earthquake the air was calm and loaded with a somewhat 

 heavy fog. The water of the moat was as smooth as a 

 looking glass. Suddenly one corner of the moat was ob- 

 served to be disturbed in a singular manner. While all 

 the rest of the water maintained its smoothness unchanged, 

 this part began to flow backwards and forwards in a sur- 

 prising manner. The flux and rellux were observed to bi> 

 (piite regular. Each flow of water began gently, then its 

 violence increased by degrees, and at last it rushed in upon 

 the shore with wonderful impetuosity. This motion con- 

 tinued for a considerable time, and excited great amaze- 

 ment amongst those who witnessed it, since they were 

 quite unable to account in any way for so mysterious and 

 persistent a commotion. 



At Loch Lomond, the waters of the lake suddenly rosr 

 upon its banks, and that to so great a height that a boat 

 was carried in one place forty yards inland, and there left. 

 In five minutes more the water rose again as rapidly as 

 before, and again receded. This peculiar motion lasted 

 for more than an hour. 



During the same great earthquake, women who were 

 w ashing on the banks of the Tay were swept ofl' their feet 

 by a wave. 



(To he continued.) 



STINGING-TREES. 



IN Knowledge of Sept 15, page 25G, there appeared » 

 paragraph on " The Stinging-Tree " of Queensland, 

 Australia. As that most interesting colony possesses at 

 least three perfectly distinct plants, each fully deserving 

 that title, it may not be amiss for mo to add a few remarks 

 with regard to Queensland stinging-plants in general, and 

 these three trees in particular. But first of all, I must 

 take exception to some of the statements made by " A 

 Traveller," quotfd in the paragra[)li to which 1 liave re- 

 ferred. 1 used for many years to shoot in scrubs in both 

 North and South Queensland, and during that time I was- 

 stung, not " only once, and that very lightly," like the 

 " Traveller," but times without number, and often very 

 severely; but, unlike him, I was never "warned of its close 

 proximity by its smell." A friend of mine, who has had 

 considerable experience in Au.stralian scrub.S; writes : — 

 " The stinging-plants have no notable smell, and certainly 

 none that would attract attention. The trees are usually 

 isolated." 



I have noticed that upon very close examination, espo 

 cially if the leaves be bruised, a faint, unpleasant odour 

 may be detected, but this is in no case suflicient to attract 

 attention in a scrub. Again, the stinging-trees are always, 

 so far as my expei;ience goes, moro or less isolated, and 

 never form anything approaching to the "little forest" 

 mentioned by the "Traveller." f'rlica incim, however, is 

 said to cover almost complet<dy one island in the Fitzroy 

 liiver, and grows in great profusion in that neighbourhood, 

 but it can never in any sense of the word be called a tree. 



