1906-7. TRANSACTIONS. 139 



split and, falling into the level land, covered several settlements, 



One person had his plantation removed half a mile 



from the place where it formerly stood, and now good provisions 

 grow upon it." Of the same earthquake Dr. Morley "takes 

 notice that he had felt several lesser shakes, and heard the noise 

 often, which is very loud, and by those not used to hear it, may 

 be easily taken for a rustling wind, or hollow rumbling thunder, 

 but he saj's it hath some puffing blasts peculiar to itself, most like 

 those of a brimstone match, when lighted, but in a much greater 

 degree, and such as a large magazine of brimstone may be sup- 

 posed to make when on fire. He adds, that in Port Royal, and 

 Yn&ny places all over the island, much sulphurous combustible 

 matter had been found, supposed to have been thrown out, upon 

 the opening of the earth, which upon the first touch of fire would 

 flame and burn like a candle. " In this earthquake at Port Royal 

 the shore line subsided 26 to 48 feet beneath the sea. 



In the same year, 1692, possibly synchronizing with the pre- 

 ceding Jamaican quake was the severe one at Riobamba in the 

 province of Quito, South America. — "It shook the earth in such 

 a manner that it bore off great pieces which were seen to run 

 entire three or four leagues from the place where they had been 

 before, and thus to remove whole fields, with the trees and houses 

 standing. This event occasioned the most extraordinary law- 

 suits that were ever heard of, brought to Lima, to decide to whom 

 these estates belonged : the party on the one side alleging that they 

 were within his jurisdiction or lordship, and the other pleading 

 that he was upon his own land. " 



This is the most pointed reference to law-suits resulting from 

 earthquakes that I have come across. I think we must take the 

 sliding about of the country nine to twelve miles with a grain of 

 salt. 



Imagine Ottawa waking up some fine morning to find itself 

 up at Aylmer or Chelsea ! 



Coming now to the great earthquake of Oct. 28, 1746, in Lima, 

 I shall quote a few sentences from the volume of the following 

 year describing the catastrophe : " But it is most certain that the 

 two main principles of these dreadful mischiefs are heat and 



moisture. However, supposing such to be the case, it 



does not at all hinder but, that the Almighty-Power may employ 

 these natural accidents as the instruments of punishment to a 

 wicked people There was not before the late great 



