The Earthquake at Mendoza, 20th March, 1861. 89 



' ' To Majoe F. I. Bickaed, Inspector-General of Mines, etc., etc. 

 " Buenos Ayees, December 13, 1862. 



' ' My dear Sir, — In conformity with my promise, I will try 

 to narrate to yon my impressions as well as my reflections on 

 the subject of the horrible night of the 20th March, 1861, in 

 Mendoza. I will do my best to give you an account, in the 

 plainest terms possible, of one of the most dreadful occurrences 

 on record. 



" It was about a quarter to nine at night. I was at the 

 house of Don Meliton Arroyo, in an apartment near to the 

 street, in company with my relative, Pedro Zavalla. The 

 house was in the ' Calle del Cormercio/ a cuadra and a half 

 (225 varas) from the public promenade. I was standing, and 

 about to proceed for my customary evening walk, when there 

 was heard a loud cracking in the roof of the house. The 

 rumbling sound which generally precedes an earthquake was 

 heard in the city, but not by us ; still we felt perfectly satisfied 

 as to the cause of the creaking in the roof of the house, and 

 Zavalla cried out ' Temblor,'' or earthquake ; ( and a strong 

 one too/ I exclaimed, running towards the door, so as to get 

 into the street ; and a few quick steps brought me there, when 

 I passed onwards towards the promenade. 



( ' The upper portion of the house of Arroyo, which was of 

 one story, bulged out and fell to the ground to my left, a little 

 in advance of me. At this moment I lost the hope of being 

 able to arrive at the nearest intersection of the streets, at which 

 point I thought to escape and save my life. At times it 

 happens that one gives utterance to one's thoughts, or we 

 think aloud ; so I went onwards, repeating, ' it is impossible 

 to be saved,' when, as if to confirm my words, I received a 

 violent blow from behind, which struck the upper part of my 

 right leg, when I was thrown with my face to the ground, and 

 my arms extended. I felt at the same moment that I was 

 being covered up with weighty earthy matters, and was 

 stretched out on the path. A second afterwards I heard the 

 noise of heavy bodies falling, some of which increased the 

 weight of materials above me. Shortly I heard a terrible and 

 prolonged noise, one of the effects of a severe earthquake 

 shake. 



" I had not lost the use of my senses in any way, but the 

 idea rushed upon me that the whole city was in ruins. Although 

 the weight above me was very great, and my face forced 

 down upon the path, I could breathe sufficiently to prevent 

 suffocation. As I felt no acuto pain in any part of my body, I 

 thought I was not wounded, and that above me the layer of 

 ruins might not be very thick. I now tried to move my legs 



