5IO History of Animal Plagues. 



followed. On the night of the 29th of March, a splendid lumen 

 horeale in America. In England it appeared January 13th, and 

 in February the marshes of the Lea were under water for 10 

 days. There was much mistiness, which began to overspread 

 Europe in June, during the eruption of Hecia ; and previous to 

 it, Ireland was covered with blue vapour, and the springs dried 

 lip. On the 31st of May, a large meteor was seen in Virginia. 

 On St Helen's day, Monday, i8th August, in England, was 

 observed the great and memorable meteor, which crossed Eu- 

 rope from NN.W. to SS.E., blazing and leaving coruscations in 

 its train. It was seen about half-past eight, by Mr B. M. 

 Forster, at Walthamstow, who was so amazed at its magnitude 

 that he jumped out of a window to observe it better from the 

 garden, and he describes its course as attended with noise. The 

 same year, in October, tremendous gales and high tides occurred. 

 In some parts great rains fell, and in others earthquakes were 

 felt. Great fog at Amsterdam in December. The disorders of 

 health kept pace with these convulsions of nature. Distemper 

 among cattle hegan in England at Derhy. Greece, Smyrna, and the 

 Crimea were subject to the plague, and that disease produced 

 the most dreadful ravages in Egypt, where it continued all the 

 next year. In various parts of Europe and America the scarla- 

 tina and the measles were epidemic.'^ ' A distemper among the 

 cattle in Derbyshire; a royal proclamation issued to prevent the 

 spread of the disease.^ ^ In the month of May volcanic erup- 

 tions took place in Greenland, and an island was thrown up 

 from the bottom of the sea, between that country and Iceland ; 

 while a heavy black cloud hung over the latter place, which, on 

 the 24th of May, was observed at Copenhagen. On the ist of 

 June there were frequent shocks of earthquake felt in Iceland, 

 and on the nth a tremendous eruption of the volcano Skaptar 

 Jokul. These eruptions and earthquakes lasted until Novem- 

 ber, and more than 20 villages were destroyed ; 9336 human 

 beings perished, with 28,000 horses, 11,461 cattle, and 190,488 

 sheep. This loss of life and property was caused partly by the 

 noxious vapours which impregnated the air, partly by the depre- 



' T. Forster. Op. cit., p. 172. 2 n^ebsier. Op. cit. 



