354 Gov. Surgent’s account of an earthquake. 
Joliet, who visited the Missisippi in 1673, by lake Michigan, Fox and 
Ouisconsing rivers, and passed down to the 33° of latitude, returning 
by land through the Illinois country, take no notice of any effects of 
that earthquake, which had been so tremendous in their own city. 
In 1727 there were settlements of enlightened French people at 
Natchez, and upon the upper Missisippi, but they have given us no 
account of the violent earthquake of that, or the year 1755. I think 
therefore we have sufficient reason to infer, that none have ever occur- 
red upon the inhabited parts of this river since the discovery of Amer- 
ica, except those detailed in this communication. 
— 
eaten meneee 
The following account of the earthquakes is taken from the memoranda 
of a gentleman of respectability, who was descending the Missisippi 
in Dec. 1811, in a flat boat, and from the 15th to the 24th an ob- 
server from the little Prairie (which is about ten leagues below 
New Madrid), to the lower Chickasaw Bluffs. 
On the evening of the 15th, my observer’s boat was secured tothe 
left, or eastern bank of the river, three leagues below the little Prairie, 
and on Monday morning of the 16th Dec. precisely at 2 o’clock, he was 
awakened by a rocking of the boat, and a sound resembling her run- 
ning over a sand bar—succeeded by the falling in of the opposite 
bank—apparently to a very great extent, with an agitation of the river 
resembling great ebullition. The trees clashed together with great 
violence, and there were noises as of roaring cannon— weather warm 
—morning dark and cloudy: this was the first shock—very soon 
two others followed of less violence, the whole duration not exceed- 
Angeight minutes—the left bauk of the river was much cracked, and 
threatened to fall in—at day light, which must have been about half 
past 6 o’clock, or, as the morning was dark and cloudy, perhaps 7, 
