﻿Fissures 
  and 
  vents. 
  lot 
  

  

  below 
  and, 
  were 
  there 
  a 
  free 
  outlet, 
  it 
  would 
  sink 
  into 
  or 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  

   Sandy 
  layer 
  till 
  this 
  had 
  been 
  compressed 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  superin- 
  

   cumbent 
  weight 
  could 
  compress 
  it. 
  In 
  the 
  normal 
  condition 
  of 
  

   affairs, 
  however, 
  the 
  continuity 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  layer 
  allows 
  of 
  no 
  

   free 
  outlet 
  of 
  sand 
  or 
  water. 
  The 
  earthquake 
  not 
  only 
  opened 
  

   such 
  outlets 
  but, 
  by 
  the 
  disturbance 
  of 
  the 
  sand 
  below, 
  doubtless 
  

   loosened 
  it 
  and 
  made 
  it 
  more 
  mobile, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  specific 
  gravity 
  of 
  

   the 
  surface 
  layers 
  was 
  greater 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  mixed 
  with 
  

   sand 
  which 
  issued 
  from 
  the 
  fissures, 
  the 
  blocks, 
  into 
  which 
  the 
  former 
  

   was 
  broken 
  up> 
  settled 
  gradually 
  down 
  on 
  to 
  and 
  into 
  the 
  underlying 
  

   quicksand, 
  forcing 
  up 
  the 
  superfluous 
  water, 
  which 
  carried 
  with 
  it 
  a 
  

   Certain 
  amount 
  of 
  sand. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  probably 
  to 
  this 
  settlement 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  layers 
  that, 
  in 
  

   many 
  parts, 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  Conspicuous 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  deep 
  crateriform 
  

   hollows 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  washing 
  down 
  of 
  material 
  by 
  the 
  indraft 
  of 
  the 
  

   water 
  returning 
  after 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  the 
  shock. 
  The 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  

   scoring 
  of 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  craters, 
  so 
  well 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  photographs 
  

   taken 
  after 
  the 
  Cachar 
  earthquake 
  of 
  1 
  869 
  was 
  due, 
  doubtless, 
  to 
  

   their 
  obliteration 
  by 
  the 
  heavy 
  rains 
  which 
  fell 
  immediately 
  after 
  the 
  

   shock, 
  but 
  the 
  crateriform 
  hollows, 
  shown 
  so 
  conspicuously 
  in 
  Plates 
  

   X 
  and 
  XI, 
  are 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  wanting, 
  and 
  all 
  that 
  could 
  be 
  seen 
  

   were 
  low 
  rings 
  of 
  sand 
  with 
  a 
  shallow 
  hollow 
  in 
  the 
  centre. 
  

  

  The 
  force 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  sand 
  and 
  water 
  issued 
  from 
  the 
  vents 
  

   was 
  evidently 
  considerable. 
  In 
  many 
  accounts 
  it 
  is 
  vaguely 
  stated 
  

   that 
  the 
  fountain 
  rose 
  to 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  10 
  or 
  15 
  cubits, 
  but 
  these 
  

   may 
  be 
  rejected, 
  unless 
  the 
  phrase 
  is 
  meant 
  to 
  apply 
  merely 
  to 
  stray 
  

   splashes, 
  which 
  may 
  easily 
  have 
  risen 
  to 
  that 
  height. 
  In 
  the 
  Charles- 
  

   ton 
  earthquake 
  of 
  1886, 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  branches 
  and 
  leaves 
  of 
  

   trees 
  standing 
  over 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  vents 
  bore 
  splashes 
  of 
  mud 
  up 
  to 
  

   a 
  height 
  of 
  13 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  ground, 
  1 
  and, 
  considering 
  the 
  much 
  

   greater 
  scale 
  of 
  this 
  earthquake, 
  it 
  is 
  easy 
  to 
  suppose 
  that 
  stray 
  

   splashes 
  may 
  have 
  risen 
  to 
  even 
  greater 
  heights. 
  The 
  main 
  body 
  

  

  1 
  U. 
  S. 
  Geol. 
  Surv., 
  9th 
  Annual 
  Report, 
  p. 
  289 
  (i3S9>. 
  

  

  ( 
  '01 
  ) 
  

  

  