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Register of Indian and Asiatic Earthquakes for the year 1843. By 

 Lieutenant R. Baird Smith, F.G.S., Bengal Engineers. 



1. Earthquake of the 2nd January, 1843. — This shock was experi- 

 enced at Manilla, at a quarter-past one on the morning of the 2nd Ja- 

 nuary. It consisted of two distinct vibrations with a very short interval 

 between them, the first having a duration just perceptible, the second 

 lasting nine seconds. I include in this Register all shocks in localities 

 connected with the great Volcanic band of the Moluccas, because the 

 northern extremity of this band is found in our own Territories, and the 

 whole becomes thus connected with India Proper. The shock under 

 notice appears to have been slight, but it was the forerunner of a series, 

 one of which was of great violence. 



2. Earthquake of the 4th January, 1843. — This earthquake occurred 

 at Singapore, about midnight of the 4th, and on the same date and 

 about the same hour two shocks were experienced at Malacca. My 

 information relative to these shocks is very limited, being confined to a 

 notice of their occurrence. 



3. Earthquake of the 6th January, 1843. — The greatest force of the 

 shock of the 6th January, so far as our information extends, was felt at 

 Pulo Nias, in the vicinity of Java and Sumatra. For the following ex- 

 tract from the " Singapore Free Press," detailing the effects of the 

 earthquake, I am indebted to H. Cope, Esq. 



Singapore. Below will be found an account of an earthquake at Palo 

 Nias, translated from the "Java Courant," which we have received from 

 our correspondent. It will be observed, that this earthquake occurred 

 about the same time with the shocks which were experienced in Manilla, 

 Singapore and Penang ; but that it was of a much more violent nature, 

 and attended with disastrous circumstances, which were happily unknown 

 in other instances. In this case the phenomenon partook of all those 

 fatal and violent effects which have usually been the accompaniments of 

 similar convulsions of the earth in Java and Sumatra. 



Account of an Earthquake at Pulo Nias. 



(Translation from the Java Courant, April 5th, 1843.) 



Ignorant of the dismal scenes on which it would rise next morning, 

 the sun set peaceably behind the Goenong (mountain) Sie Foli, (Island 

 of Nias) on the evening of the 5th of January last. 



