310 MITCHILL ON THE EARTHQUAKES AT VENEZUELA. 



were so strong that persons standing and walking tottered, and were 

 even thrown to the ground. 



Private houses, public buildings, and churches, tumbled down in all 

 directions. Clouds of dust enveloped every thing; and the crash of 

 edifices, with their dead and wounded inhabitants, exhibited terrible 

 spectacles on every side. 



The wretched survivors wandered about all night; and the next day 

 were ordered by the magistrates to retire from the ruins of the city, and 

 encamp on the adjoining plain. 



The shocks continued almost without interruption during the 27th; 

 and were regularly preceded by a rumbling and distant noise that added 

 to the horror of the scene. They were repeated at intervals until the 

 4th of April, when, at four in the afternoon, there was another as vio- 

 lent as that of the 26th of March, and of much longer duration. This 

 completed the destruction of those things which had escaped the former. 

 Of forty churches, only three escaped demolition, and even these were 

 very much damaged. Many other cities were deeply injured; particu- 

 larly Porto Cavallo, San Philip, and Laguira, in the latter of which only 

 three houses were left standing, the rest having been overturned on the 

 heads of their occupants. 



Some of the commotions were partial or local. Certain of them, for 

 instance, which were felt at Caraccas, were not perceived at Laguira ; 

 and vice versa. The sound preceding and accompanying them was 

 more sensible in high situations. This was aptly compared to the roar- 

 ing of thunder under ground ; and it was ascertained that there were 

 noises without shocks ; though this might arise from the extension of 

 the sound to a greater distance than that of the shock. 



As far as could be discovered, the rumours and tremors proceeded 

 from west to east. During the commotions, the atmosphere was ob- 

 served to have suffered various changes. As there was an almost unin- 



