ON THE FACTS AND THEORY OF EARTHQUAKE PHENOMENA, 41 
Perhaps, like most men who carefully and lovingly perfect their subject, he 
attaches a too preponderant value to the limited district of which he treats. 
Having so far considered the labours of others as to the distribution of 
earthquakes in time, some remarks remain to be made on their distribution 
in space by foreign authors. The seismic map of Berghaus in his ‘ Physical 
Atlas,’ is the most important attempt of this sort emanating from abroad. 
The following are Perrey’s remarks upon this map (‘ Mém. de l’ Académie 
des Sciences de Dijon,’ t. iv. année 1855, p. 57) :— 
«“ M. Berghaus, of Berlin, has devoted map No. 7 of the geological part 
of his beautiful Physical Atlas to volcanic and seismic manifestations, 
Greenland is very slightly coloured, and is included in the circumference 
of a circle of percussions, the centre of which is in Iceland. This state- 
ment does not appear to me to be at all supported by facts. The author 
appears to have outstripped observation; for the commotions in Iceland 
constitute an almost local phenomenon; rarely ever is the island simul- 
taneously shaken in its entire extent, and the shocks are only of moderate 
intensity.” 
It may be added, that observation points out that the connexion as to 
earthquake commotion is between Iceland and Norway, and not between 
Iceland and Greenland. Of the latter country, however, in this respect we 
know but little. 
As to Greenland, I do not know whether any earthquake has occurred 
there but that of November, 1755. That was violently felt; it caused a 
terror so much the greater, as shocks of this nature were completely un- 
known. However, it is probable that they are occasionally felt. 
The 22nd of September, 1757, there was a violent hurricane, the wind 
from the south, accompanied by hail and rain; the lightning was terrific, 
but without thunder. It was generally believed that a shock of earthquake 
was felt. (Prévost, ‘ Hist. Gén. des Voy.’ t. ix. pp. 23 & 209.) Earthquakes, 
the author adds, are rare in this country. 
Two years after, in September, 1759, at New Herrnhut (Greenland), the 
house of Siehlenfels experienced shocks like an earthquake, although it was 
very low and had walls four feet thick. The houses around suffered severely : 
the roofs were spiit; and the boats drawn up on shore were carried away 
by the hurricane, which was felt at a distance. This storm was preceded 
and followed by igneous meteors, one of which set fire to the house. On 
Christmas Eve a similar phenomenon occurred at noon. (Prévost, J. ce. 
t. xix. p. 208.) 
These are the only facts that I can quote relative to this country, 
which, I repeat, notwithstanding its contiguity to Iceland, ought not, in my 
opinion, to be placed within the sphere of the volcanic and seismic action of 
that island. 
M. Berghaus has marked the Azores and Canaries with a darker shade ; 
and this memoir will contribute to confirm the author’s idea of also co- 
-louring the Archipelago of Cape Verd and the Antilles. But it leaves all 
the rest of the basin uncoloured; and surely it is difficult not to admit 
some shading, however slight, in latitudes distinguished of late by M. 
Daussy. Let us again repeat, that earthquakes, which ought to form an im- 
portant part in the study of terrestrial physics and physical geography, have 
hitherto been too much neglected. They have been resigned to geology, 
to which, in my opinion, they only indirectly belong. 
But to continue. Algeria bears, on M. Berghaus’s map, a very dark shade, 
which the note I published in our last ‘ Memoirs’ does not justify. Yet the 
