308 JOURNAL. 
and others by the falling of various articles of furniture upon them. 
At Concon the whole house is unroofed, the walls cracked, the iron 
supporters broken, the mill a ruin, and the banks of the mill-stream ° 
fallen in. The alluvial soil on each side of the river looks like a 
sponge, it is so cracked and shaken : there are large rents along the 
sea-shore ; and during the night the sea seems to have receded in an 
extraordinary manner, and especially in Quintero bay. I see from 
the hill, rocks above water that never were exposed before ; and the 
wreck of the Aquila appears from this distance to be approachable 
dry-shod, though till to-day that was not the case in the lowest tides. 
Half past eight r. m. — We hear reports that the large and po- 
pulous town of Quillota, is a heap of ruins, and that Valparaiso is 
little better. If so, the destruction there must have reached to the 
inhabitants as well as the houses,— God forbid it should be so! At 
a quarter before six another very serious shock, and one this moment. 
Slight shocks occur every fifteen or twenty minutes. The evening 
is as fine as possible; the moon is up, and shines beautifully over the 
lake and the bay: .the stars and aurora australis are also brilliant, 
and a soft southerly breeze has been blowing since daylight. We 
have erected a large rancho with bamboo from Guayaquil and reeds 
from the lake, so that we can eat and sleep under cover. Glennie 
and I keep the tent ; the rest sleep in the rancho. 
Thursday, November 21st. — At half past two a.m. I was awoke, 
by a severe shock. At ten minutes before three a tremendous one, 
which made us feel anew that utter helplessness which is so appalling. 
At a quarter before eight, another not so severe; a quarter past nine, 
another. At half past ten and a quarter past one, they were re- 
peated ; one at twenty minutes before two with very loud noise, 
lasting a minute and a half; and the last remarkable one to-day at a 
quarter past ten. These were al] that were in any degree alarming, 
but slight shocks occurred every twenty or thirty minutes. 
Mr. M—— is returned from the port. Lord Cochrane was on 
board the O’Higgins at the time of the first great shock, and went 
on shore instantly to the Director; for whom he got a tent pitched 
