44 REPORT—1858. 
there once a month. On Saturday, the eve of the day on which Ihad to go 
there, I felt extremely ill and dejected. On Sunday morning my wife and I 
set out. When I reached Paarl, I was very weak, and asked for some water; 
but it was lukewarm, and I could not drink it. Iwas told it had been 
brought from the fountain. I sent my slave, but what he brought was hot, 
I went thither myself, and found it was really the case. We could not 
imagine the reason. Whilst I was preaching, I felt so giddy that I scarcely 
knew what I was saying. 
«« After the sermon, I spoke of this sensation to several of my friends, who 
declared that they also experienced it. We returned to Stellenbosch on the 
following morning. The whole of that day my family and servants and 
myself felt very unwell; the dogs also shared in our uneasiness. 
«“ At 10 o'clock we were all alarmed by a noise like that caused by nume- 
rous carts rolling through streets. We did not know what it was; but 
all my family were terrified. A great light shone into the room. Supposing 
that a thunder-bolt had burst, I exhorted them not to be alarmed, as the 
lightning had passed, and the danger was gone. Whilst I was speaking, the 
same noise which we had just heard was again repeated, and we all trembled. 
‘Oh!’ cried I, ‘’tis an earthquake ; let us all go into the garden.’ We felt, 
to use a Scriptural expression, that ‘there was no more life in us.’ A third 
shock followed ; it was less violent than the first two. The noise was dreadful, 
not only owing to its loudness, but also to its nature. I can only describe 
it as a sort of groaning, or piteous howling. The dogs and birds testified 
their fear by their cries. The night was calm, not a breath of wind stirred 
the air; but I remarked a number of luminous meteors. I observed small 
clouds in various quarters, but their aspect presented nothing new. Every 
one endeavoured to keep close to me; alarm was excessive; I said what I 
could to allay it. At last we ventured to return to the house, and endeavoured 
to sleep to recover ourselves ; but the effort was vain.” (Walckenaér, ‘ Collect. 
des Relat. de Voy. en Afrique,’ t. xviii. p. 275.) 
1810, in the depth of winter an earthquake occurred at the Cape of 
Good Hope. 
1811, 2nd June, five minutes before 12 o’clock noon, another earthquake 
took place. The heat was greater than usual at this season, the thermometer 
was 16°8 R. A thick mist filled the atmosphere, yet did not obscure the sun’s 
rays ; not the least breeze disturbed the air. The inhabitants, who greatly 
dread subterraneous shocks, were reminded by these symptoms of the earth- 
quake of the preceding year. M. Burchell was busy indoors with prepara- 
tions for a missionary Journey, when suddenly a noise like an explosion 
shook the entire house. Three or four seconds afterwards a second peal 
like thunder produced another shock ; at the same instant a singular motion 
and vacillation in the atmosphere was apparent, whilst the sky continued 
perfectly serene. M. Burchell ran out to discover what had occurred ; he 
saw all the inhabitants running out of their houses in great alarm, pale and 
trembling, not conscious what they were doing, the women either screaming 
with terror, or motionless and incapable of speech. After the second shock, 
the trembling of the atmosphere had ceased, and the temperature a little 
cooled. The people gradually regained their composure, observing that no~ 
more shocks followed. Many houses were injured, and walls split. 
This earthquake took place five minutes before noon, during the Cape 
winter; the preceding year it occurred during the night, in the height of 
summer: so this phenomenon is not limited to any time of day or year. 
M. Burchell saw the trace of electricity in all the preceding symptoms, 
and can only explain the earthquake as an explosion of electric matter. 
