for the year 1884. xix 



until February, 1884, that they were noticed on this side of 

 the Straits, when a severe shake was felt by the lighthouse 

 people on Gabo Island. Since that date, however, no less 

 than twelve shocks of small or moderate intensity have been 

 reported from this and other places in Gippsland, the last 

 occurring on the evening of the 19th of this month, when 

 the tremor was sufficiently intense to cause the lighthouse 

 at Gabo to tremble, and things on the table to dance about. 

 This shake was also felt at Port Albert, Wilson's Promontory 

 (where it " shook windows and furniture violently"), Cape 

 Schanck, Omeo, and other localities in Gippsland. The 

 vibration lasted over a minute and a half, and appeared to 

 have a direction from south to north. There are one or two 

 remarkable facts noticed in Tasmania in connection with these 

 seismic disturbances. The first is the tremulous character 

 of most of therri, producing a sensation of a distinct tremor 

 of the earth's surface, frequently continuous for a consider- 

 able period — in some cases for hours, and very frequently for 

 over an hour. Many observers state as their experience 

 that the tremors appeared to be on the surface, and not 

 extending to deeper strata. This is somewhat supported 

 by reports I have received from Mr. Grant, mining manager 

 at Branxholme, on the Ringarooma River, North-east 

 Tasmania, who has kindly furnished me with his observa- 

 tions of over one hundred earthquakes and tremors which 

 have been experienced in his locality since January of this 

 year. This gentleman called my attention a year ago to 

 the fact that most of the tremors and rumblings, while 

 startlingly manifest on the surface, were not noticed 12 feet 

 or more below it, except sometimes in the open timbered 

 shaft of the mines. Even in deep cuttings they were often 

 unnoticeable. Another remarkable point is that in some of 

 the stronger tremors, while ferns and low bushes were 

 seen to tremble and wave about rapidly, no movement 

 whatever was noticed in taller trees. When it is low water 

 in the Tamar at Launceston a long range of mud-flats are 

 seen from the town, extending some distance down the river, 



