20 OLDHAM ; THE CACTI AR EARTHQUAKE OF 10x11 JANUARY 1869. 



sioner, who happened to be there that evening in the travellers' bungalow. 

 A despatch box full of papers was thrown from a camp table, ink upset 

 from an inkstand &c. It was only a mat and timber building and 

 sustained no injury. 



Manipur. — Dr. R. Brown, the Political Agent, Resident at Mani- 

 pur, reported as follows on the 1 8th January : — 



" On the llth instant, the day after the occurrence, I sent a tele- 

 gram to Cachar to be forwarded to you, briefly mentioning the main 

 damage and loss of life which had occurred, so far as I could then ascer- 

 tain. I am happy to be able to state now that no further loss of life 

 seems to have taken p]ace, and those injured are all, so far as I can 

 ascertain, progressing favourably. 



" At the commencement of the earthquake I was standing in the 

 centre room of my house. I did not take alarm at the first one or two 

 vibrations, thinking that, as is usual, they would rapidly cease : the 

 vibrations increasing, however, I made at once for the door of exit. I 

 experienced some difficulty in making my way through the front room, 

 the ground at this time undulating so strongly that walking was a diffi- 

 cult matter. Arrived at the outside of the house, the ground was in 

 such violent motion, that I found it impossible to proceed more than a 

 few paces, when I either was thrown down or sank down involuntarily, 

 my face turned towards the house, and on my hands and knees. At 

 this time the motion of the ground was most remarkable ; it seemed to 

 rise and fall in waves of about 3 feet in height. A very short expe- 

 rience of this wavy motion sufficed to settle the fate of my house ; after 

 swaying about, and creaking and groaning for a brief space,, the upper 

 storey, built of wood and bamboo, settled down with a crash on the 

 lower walls, which, fortunately, although much fissured and thrown 

 out of the perpendicular, withstood the pressure. 



" Almost immediately after the fall of the house the motion ceased, 

 and I was enabled to regain my feet and see what damage had been 

 done. I found the house inside in a deplorable state and one illustrat- 

 ing the wonderful force of the earthquake. Heavy book-cases and 

 ( ^0 ) 



