88 The Earthquake at Mendoza, 20th March, 1861. 



distance of four or five leagues from Mendoza, there were move- 

 ments of the land sufficient to displace trees ; there were open- 

 ings in the ground from which came out sulphurous and saline 

 matters. Two nights before the earthquake, at same spot, the 

 ground rose and fell. 



The great movements of the earthquake were from S.W. to 

 N.E., and then from N.E. to S.W., the ground opening in many 

 places. It was not preceded by noise or rumbling.. The ground 

 seemed to rise or swell up. Twelve miles from the city the 

 ground opened in a S.E. and N.W. direction for more than 

 three miles in length, and in places two and a half cuadras 

 (375 yards) wide, and saline waters were thrown out. On 

 the night of the earthquake, shocks occurred at intervals of 

 five or six minutes, up to the sixth day. On the eighth day 

 they were more frequent, then diminished in number again. 

 The shocks were accompanied by sounds like the firing of 

 cannon. Under Mendoza there seems to be a large hollow/ 

 and people have an idea that there is much water in it. It is 

 said that a nun was got out alive after eight days' burial, but 

 she died shortly afterwards. 



It was reported that a French watchmaker in Buenos 

 Ayres (which is about 550 geographical miles a little S.E. 

 from Mendoza*) observed the pendulum of his clocks much 

 affected at about 9 p.m. on the night of the earthquake. 



On the 29th March, 1861, Mr. E. E. Budge, of Valparaiso, 

 communicated to the writer of this paper as follows, on the 

 subject of the Mendoza earthquake : " I noted in my catalogue 

 of earthquakes this one, not from the strength of it here on the 

 20th inst., at 8.35f p.m., but from its duration, which led me 

 to believe that we should soon hear of a dreadful catastrophe at 

 some distant place in Chile. On the 25th an express arrived' 

 from Mendoza, announcing that it had been totally ruined, 

 the great shock having occurred there at 8.45 p.m., lasting 

 less than a minute, which was the time I noted here. Two 

 pendulum clocks, beating N. and S., stopped." 



Since March, 1861, occasional shocks have been experi- 

 enced at Mendoza. In a Buenos Ayrean paper of January, 

 1863, it is stated that Mendoza was lately visited by rather a 

 severe scries of shocks. The new town, rising out of the ruins 

 q£ 1861, is constructed of wood. 



I will now give the translation of a letter of Don Domingo 

 de OrOj which is a very remarkable record of the thoughts and 

 feelings of a man buried alive for more than five hours: — 



* Ilcncc it would seem that tho undulation took fifteen minutes to travol 550 

 geographical miles. 



t In this instance, 140 geographical miles in ten minutes. In tho ono case, it 

 travelled along the Pampas of Buenos Ayres ; in tho other, through the Andes. 



