90 HisroaY of 



"After some lime, tliis violent paroxysm ceasing, we again 

 stood up, in order to prosecute our voyage to Eupliteniia, 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 us, 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 totally sunk. Wonder- 

 ful to tell ! nothing but a dismal and putrid lake was to be see " 

 where it stood. We looked about to find some that could tell 

 us of its sad catastrophe, but could see none ! All was become 

 a melancholy solitude ! a scene of hideous desolation ! 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 answer. We intreated 

 him with every expression of tenderness and pity to tell us : but 

 his senses were quite wrapt up in the contemplation of the dan- 

 ger he had escaped. We offered him some victuals, but he 

 seemed to loathe the sight. We still persisted in our oflices 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 Euphaemia! 

 and as we continued our melancholy course along the shore, the 

 whole coast, for the space of two hundred miles, presented no- 

 thing but remains of cities, and men scattered, without a 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, will excuse me for this long translation 

 from a favourite writer, and that the sooner, as it contains some 

 particidars relative to earthquakes not to be found elsewhere. 

 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 



