84 The Causes and Phenomena of Earthquakes. 



1766 ; and at Charlestown, in South Carolina, on 24th November 

 of the same year, a meteor attended each of the shocks. 



On 8th March, 1832, during a destructive earthquake in 

 Calabria, a meteor was observed at Potenza, lasting nearly a 

 minute, and followed by an explosion like those previously 

 noticed. 



Lastly, at Wood's End, in "Victoria, on 20th August, 1868, a 

 meteor was observed to fall during a storm, and a minute after- 

 wards a shock of earthquake was felt. 



Humboldt mentions a shower of meteors before the Mexican 

 shocks of Quito, on 4th February, 1797; and on 11th November, 

 1799, at the time of the Caraccas earthquake, but these belong 

 to a totally different origin, though they are quoted as coinci- 

 dences ; nevertheless we have yet to learn whether independent 

 of any ordinary meteoric connection, the great cosmical displays 

 of November may have some, at present, undiscovered influence 

 on derangements of the earth's organism. 



The following years are mentioned by Mallet as having wit- 

 nessed the occurrence of meteors contemporaneously with earth- 

 quakes :— b.o. 95 ; a.d. 893, 1001, 1325, 1640, 1683, 1703, 1737, 

 1752, 1810, 1820, 1822, 1828, 1829, 1831, 1833, 1835. 



It is time to draw this discussion to a close. But I have been 

 anxious to submit all the occurrences recorded of our late earth- 

 quake to a careful revision ; and I think we may allow that it 

 was a shock of considerable intensity, accompanied by meteoric 

 phenomena. 



On this occasion it would be impossible to examine the facts 

 relating to previous earthquakes in the other colonies. Should 

 data be obtained for such a purpose, I may, perhaps, be here- 

 after enabled to resume the subject ; and I would here take the 

 opportunity of soliciting from persons who are able to do so, that 

 they would kindly commnnicate to me references or details res- 

 pecting such instances as have not yet been recorded. 



I am quite satisfied that shocks are far more numerous in 

 Australasia than many persons imagine ; and if the deduction of 

 Mallet is true, we have a right to expect them to increase in 

 number ; nay, I felt a shock in the month of April this year, as 

 before mentioned. 



The social and moral features of this topic are foreign to the 

 mere question of scientific discussion, bat we must not shut our 

 eyes to two considerations which bear on those feelings and 

 sentiments which belong to man in relation to the Creator. 



After all the researches that have been made, and after a careful 

 analysis of more than 10,000 observations, no cause of earth- 

 quakes, free from doubt, or sufficiently precise, has been arrived 

 at. This, therefore, should induce a closer investigation than 

 has yet taken place. It may at last be found, that it is a mystery 



