40 LIFE OF AUDUBON. 



discovered that all this awful commotion in nature was the 

 result of an earthquake. 



" I had never witnessed anything of the kind before, although, 

 like every other person, I knew of earthquakes by description. 

 But what is description compared with reality ? Who can tell 

 of the sensations which I experienced when I fouud myself 

 rocking, as it were, upon my horse, and with him moved to and 

 fro like a child in a cradle, with the most imminent danger 

 around me ? The fearful convulsion, however, lasted only a few 

 minutes, and the heavens again brightened as quickly as they 

 had become obscured ; my horse brought his feet to the natural 

 position, raised his head, and galloped off as if loose and frolick- 

 ing without a rider. 



" I was not, however, without great apprehension respecting 

 my family, from which I was many miles distant, fearful that 

 where they were the shock might have caused greater havoc 

 than I had witnessed. I gave the bridle to my steed, and was 

 glad to see him appear as anxious to get home as myself. The 

 pace at which he galloped accomplished this sooner than I had 

 expected, and I found, with much pleasure, that hardly any 

 greater harm had taken place than the apprehension excited 

 for my own safety. Shock succeeded shock almost every day 

 or night for several weeks, diminishing, however, so gradually 

 as to dwindle away into mere vibrations of the earth. Strange 

 to say, I for one became so accustomed to the feeling, as rather 

 to enjoy the fears manifested by others. I never can forget the 

 effects of one of the slighter shocks which took place when I was 

 at a friend's house, where I had gone to enjoy the merriment 

 that in our western country attends a wedding. The ceremony 

 being performed, supper over, and the fiddles tuned, dancing 

 became the order of the moment. This was merrily followed 

 up to a late hour, when the party retired to rest. We were in 

 what is called, with great propriety, a log-house ; one of large 

 dimensions, and solidly constructed. The owner was a physi- 

 cian, and in one corner were not only his lancets, tourniquets, 

 amputating knives, and other sanguinary apparatus, but all the 

 drugs which he employed for the relief of his patients, arranged 

 in jars and phials of different sizes. These had some days 

 before made a narrow escape from destruction, but had been 



