In PERTHSHIRE. 243 



notion, that the roofs were falling in. Even the domeftic animals 

 were alarmed, and contributed, by their howls and fcreams, to 

 increafe the terrors of the people. Though I have not been 

 able to difcover whether Loch Earn was ever agitated by thefe 

 concuflions, there is little doubt, that the river near Comrie was 

 affected on this occauon, as two men then on its banks heard 

 the dafhing of its waters. 1 his great fhock was fucceeded by 

 a number of thofe flighter rumbling noifes which have been al- 

 ready mentioned. Not lefs than thirty of them were counted 

 in the fpace of two hours after it happened ; but they did not 

 extend above two miles to the eaft north and weft of Comrie. 



On the 10th of November, at three o'clock P. M. we had 

 here another fhock of much the fame length, violence and ex- 

 tent, as that on the 5th. The mercury in the barometer on this 

 day was more ftationary than on the former, and at the time of 

 the earthquake was 29 inches high. The weather was calm and 

 hazy. It was a market-day at Comrie ; and the people, who 

 were affembled from all parts of the country, felt as if the 

 mountains were to tumble inftantly upon their heads. The 

 hard-ware expofed for fale in the lhops and booths fhook and 

 clattered, and the horfes crowded together with figns of unufual 

 terror. 



About one o'clock P. M. of the 29th December, we had 

 another pretty fmart fhock, during a very violent ftorm of wind 

 and rain, which continued the whole day, and which was at its 

 height during the time of the earthquake. Indeed, as has been 

 remarked already, thefe concufllons feem to have no dependence 

 on the weather. According to the accounts of thofe who live 

 neareft to the centre of the phenomena, rumbling noifes, like 

 thofe above defcribed, may be heard in all ftates of the atmo- 

 fphere. 



Though I mention no more of thefe earthquakes, you are 

 nor to conclude, that many more have not taken place, and fome 

 ot them perhaps equally violent with thofe of the 5th and jcth 



Hh 2 of 



