296 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



The Editor will be glad to receive short Notes on Discoveries, and 

 occurrences of interest, relating to the Antiquities, Geology, and 

 Natural History, Sfc. of the County, for insertion in this portion of 

 the Journal. 



No. i. 

 Earthquake in Cornwall. 



On Monday, October 7th, at about a quarter to Two p.m., a 

 shock of earthquake was felt in the district extending from 

 Doublebois to Boscastle. 



At North Folly farmhouse, about a mile from the Doublebois 

 Railway Station, the shock was felt severely, the house seemed to 

 vibrate, the crockery rattled, and some small articles were thrown 

 down and broken. 



It was felt at Bodmin, and at Altarnon Vicarage very strongly. 

 The Rev. A. H. Malan writes, that " An earthquake vibration of 

 remarkable sharpness was felt in N. Cornwall, on October 7th, at 

 2 p.m. 



Some idea of the distinct nature of the shock in this district 

 (Altarnon) may be gathered from the fact that at the time of its 

 occurrence we were burning, as fast as flames could consume them, 

 an accumulated pile of circulars, catalogues, etc., in an attic grate 

 on the west side of the house. A furious gale — force 8 — 10 — 

 happened to be blowing from the west, so that the roaring of the 

 flames in the chimney mingled with the roaring of the wind among 

 some silver firs standing to the west of the house, and designed to 

 break the violence of these periodical storms : and yet, above both 

 roarings, a sound, or sensation, or disturbance under foot — it is 

 difficult to say which — was experienced, lasting while one might 

 slowly count 5 or 6, and resembling a load of coal being suddenly 

 shot out of a cart into a cellar. We were at a loss to account for 

 the phenomenon : guns at Plymouth ; chimney on fire ; a heavily 



