384 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [_ANNO 1783. 



are exposed to earthquakes almost every year, and if we look back to the highest 

 antiquity, we shall find that all Italy, but particularly this country, and more 

 particularly still the provinces we inhabit, have been subject to various catas- 

 trophes in consequence of volcanos and subterraneous fires. But among so 

 many earthquakes to which we have been exposed, the least is not that under 

 which we at present suffer, whether we consider the force of the concussions, or 

 their duration, or the changes that have taken place in the surface of the earth, 

 or the ruin of so many cities and villages, with the loss of 40,000 inhabitants. 



From the 5th of February to this instant the shocks have been more frequent, 

 and almost every day repeated. At times the earth shook as it usually does on 

 these occasions ; but at others the motion was undulatory, and at others vorti- 

 cose, during which last state it resembled a ship tossed about in a high sea. 

 The most considerable of these repeated earthquakes were those which took place 

 Feb. 5, 7, and 28 ; and finally on the 28th of March. These 4 eruptions 

 coming, as nearly as we can judge by the phenomena and effects, from the chain 

 of mountains which extend from Reggio hitherwards, have produced 4 different 

 explosions in 4 different parts of Calabria. These explosions have produced 

 various great effects ; ruined cities and villages, levelled mountains, formed im- 

 mense breaks in the earth, new collections of waters, old rivulets sunk in the 

 earth and dispersed, rivers stopped in their course, soils levelled, small mountains 

 which existed not before formed, plants rooted up, and carried to considerable 

 distances from their first site, large portions of earth rolling about through con- 

 siderable districts, animals and men swallowed up by the earth. 



But I will confine myself to a short narrative of the effects of the last explo- 

 sion of the 28th of March, which doubtless must have arisen from an internal 

 fire in the bowels of the earth in these parts, as it took place precisely in the 

 mountains which cross the neck of our peninsula which is formed by the two 

 rivers, the Lameto which runs into the gulph of St. Euphemia, and the Corace, 

 which runs into the Ionian sea, and properly into the bay of Squillace. That 

 the thing was so is evident from all the phenomena. This shock, like all the 

 rest, came to us in the direction of the s. w. At first the earth began to undu- 

 late, then it shook, and finally it moved in a vorticose direction, so that many 

 persons were not able to stand on their feet. This terrible concussion lasted 

 about 10 seconds; it was succeeded by others which were less strong, of less 

 duration, and only undulatory ; so that, during the whole night, and for half 

 the next day, the earth was continually shaken, at first every 5 minutes, after- 

 wards every quarter of an hour. 



A terrible groan from under ground preceded this convulsion, lasted as long 

 as it did, and finally ended with a loud noise, like the thunder o( a mine that 

 takes effect. These mighty thunderings accompanied not only the shocks of 



