1044* Memoir on Indian Earthquakes. [No. 144. 



Vol. LI I. of the Philosophical Transactions, from which the succeeding 

 extracts have been taken. 



" XXXIX. — An account of an Earthquake at Chittagong : tran- 

 slated from the Persian by Mr. Edward Gulston, and communicated 

 by him to the Rev. Mr. Hirst. Read, 17th November, 1763. 



Reverend Sir, — The following was written by a Persian writer, 

 pursuant to an order from Harry Verelst, Esq., Chief of the Honorable 

 East India Company's province of Chattigaon, in the kingdom of Ben- 

 gal, and sent to Calcutta, for the information of Messrs. Vansittart, 

 Hastings and others, acquainted with that language. As it is of indis- 

 putable authority, I have taken the pains to copy and translate it for 

 your satisfaction, being, &c. &c. 



Calcutta, November 1, 1762." Edward Gulston. 



Account of an Earthquake which happened in the region of Islama- 

 bad on the 22d of the month Chyle, 1168, Bengal sera, (answering 

 to the 2d of April 1762,) on Friday about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, 

 which according to the best advices I have written and now send you. 



Particulars are as follow : — 



" The land of Mahommed Assad, Chowdry of the Pergunnah Deeang, 

 at a place called Barreeah, is laid open by the shock from 10 to 12 

 cubits in width, and become as it were, a deep creek : the water rising 

 up so, that the ground of the farmers inhabiting the place is 8 cubits 

 overflowed. 



" And at Deep in the Chowdraj of Mahommed Athyar, the like hath 

 come to pass. 



" And Moktaram Fowtahdar, dwelling at Goyparah, has written that 

 to the North and East, his house was cracked, and water there spouted 

 up like a fountain, and the ground also sinks every day by little and 

 little. 



" And by letter from Satos Mester, Darogah of the Salt-works at 

 Bansbareeah, it so fell out that to the westward, Akl'poorah, an island 

 of the salt-works was levelled with the water on its East side, and on 

 the North and South the ground opened from 5 to 7 cubits in width, 

 and sunk like a pit to the depth of 10 cubits, the water spouting up; 

 nor is there the least appearance of its subsiding : we know not what 

 will come of it. 



And from the reports of the people there we hear, that these places 

 were never before overflowed by the water, we cannot at present tell 

 what misfortune has happened. However, all the Government's salt 

 was before this laid up in store-houses. Moreover a mud building of 

 your servants' (the writer of this account,) was almost destroyed by the 

 shock ; but it still stands upright. 



And at Haldah, about 12 doon of land belonging to Sacheeram 

 Cannoongoey, is entirely sunk into the water. 



In like manner in Takaleah, about 5 doon of ground, the property of 

 Barjallaal Chowdry, has fallen something below its primitive level. 



