182 Proceedings of the British Association. 



Art. XII. — Abstract of the Proceedings of the Thirteenth Meeting of 

 the British Association for the Advancement of Science,* 



(Concluded from Vol. xLvi, p. 401.) 

 Section C. Geology and Physical Geography. 



A PAPER was read, " On the Phenomena and Theory of Earthquakes, 

 and the explanation they afford of certain facts in Geological Dynam- 

 ics,'''' by Profs. H. D. and W. B. Rogers. [The facts and principles 

 contained in this paper were communicated in detail to the Association 

 of American Geologists and Naturalists, at their meeting in Albany in 

 April, 1843, and an abstract was given in this Journal, Vol. xlv, p. 341.] 

 In the discussion which followed the reading of this paper. Major S. 

 Gierke i-e marked, that having witnessed the great eruption of Vesuvius 

 in 1822, it occurred to him to ascertain whether any reciprocity exist- 

 ed between that volcano and the small crater of the Solfatara, near 

 Pozzuoli, distant about ten miles, in a line across the bay of Naples. 

 On proceeding to the latter place he was informed by the custode, that 

 since Vesuvius had been in activity the Solfatara had subsided. Major 

 Gierke, on a personal examination of the aperture forming the vent of 

 the Solfatara, found this to be the fact, the usual eruption and loud 

 noise having ceased. When Vesuvius relapsed into quiet, the Solfa- 

 tara resumed its activity. 



'■''An account of the Earthquake at the islands of Antigua and Gua- 

 daloupe on the 8th of February, 1843," by Hon. Gapt. Garnegie. This 

 earthquake was felt generally among the Leeward Islands, but more 

 particularly at Antigua and Guadaloupe. At both these islands the 

 shock took place at twenty minutes before 11 o'clock, A. M., and it does 

 not appear to have been preceded by any of the usual signs of earth- 

 quake ; the weather was clear and fine, the sea-breeze blowing as 

 usual, and the inhabitants engaged in their daily avocations. At Anti- 

 gua the earth heaved and undulated suddenly ; the hills oscillated, and 

 huge masses of rock were detached from their summits and precipita- 

 ted into the valleys ; large fissures opened in the ground and closed 

 immediately ; and in the space of two minutes and a half all Antigua 

 was laid in ruins. In this island only eight persons lost their lives, ow- 

 ing to the black population being employed among the canes, but the 

 loss of property was immense. At Point-a-Pitre, in the island of Gua- 

 daloupe, the effects were much more fearful. In magnitude, this was 

 the second town in the West India islands ; it was situated upon a piece 



* Condensed from the Report in the London Athenaeum. 



