114 plint's katueal history. [Book II. 



CHAP. 83. (81.) — feiGi^s or ak approaching earthquake. 



There is no doubt that earthquakes are felt by persons on 

 shipboard, as they are struck by a sudden motion of the 

 waves, without these being raised by any gust of wind. 

 And things that are in the vessels shake as they do in houses, 

 and give notice by their creaking ; also the birds, when they 

 settle upon the vessels, are not without their alarms. There 

 is also a sign in the heavens ; for, when a shock is near at 

 hand, either in the daytime or a little after sunset, a cloud 

 is stretched out in the clear sky, like a long thin line\ The 

 water in wells is also more turbid than usual, and it emits a 

 disagreeable odour^. 



chap. 84. (82.) — PRESERVATIYES AGAINST FUTURE 

 EARTHQUAKES. 



These same places^, however, afford protection, and tliis is 

 also the case where there is a number of caverns, for they 

 give vent to the conhned vapour, a circumstance which has 

 been remarked in certain towns, which have been less shaken 

 where they have been excavated by many sewers. And, in 

 the same town, those parts that are excavated** are safer than 

 the other parts, as is understood to be the case at Naples in 

 Italy, the part of it which is solid bemg more liable to injury. 

 Arched buildings are also the most safe, also the angles of 

 walls, the shocks counteracting each other ; walls made of 

 brick also suffer less from the shocks^. There is also a great 



1 This observation is taken from Aristotle, Meteor, ii. 8. 



2 Phgenomena of tliis kind liave been frequently noticed, and are not 

 difficult of explanation. 



3 " In iisdem ;" " lidem, inquit, putei inclusum terra spiritum libero 

 meatu emittentes, terree motus avertunt." Alexandre in Lemaire, i. 406. 



* " Quae pendent." M. Ajasson translates this passage, " qui sont 

 comme suspendues." Hardouin's explanation is, " Structis fornice ca- 

 meris imposita sedificia intelligit ; quod genus camerarum spiramenta 

 plerumque habet non pauca, quibus exeat ad Hbertatem aer." Lemaii*e, 

 i.407. 



^ Many of these circumstances are referred to by Seneca, Nat. Qusest. 

 vi. 30. On the superior scciu*ity of brick buildings, M. Alexandre 

 remarks, " Muri e lateribus facti cUfficiHus quara cseteri dehiscunt, unde 

 fit ut in m-bibus muniendis id construe tionum genus plerumque pnc- 

 fcratur. Ex antiquse Itahse palatiis templisve nihil fere praeter immensaa 

 latenun moles hodie superest." 



