416 



VALDIVIA CHILOE. 



Feb. 



beyond its proper place, at that time of tide ; but each swelled 

 from time to time and again sunk down. This happened once 

 or twice in an hour. After the great convulsion, other slighter 

 shocks occurred at intervals of a few minutes during an hour. 

 In the afternoon, at about five, a smart shock was felt, which 

 made the people run out of their houses. ^ One man and one 

 woman were drowned by the sudden rise of the sea near Niebla: 

 it was supposed that they were upon the rocks gathering shell- 

 fish. Excepting in this instance, no injury was done at Valdi- 

 via. No noise preceded or accompanied any of the shocks. •(* 



This great earthquake extended to the island of Chiloe, 

 and probably still farther to the southward. The shock was 

 there slight, but lasted during six or eight minutes ; it was 

 neither preceded nor followed by any subterranean noise. At 

 about thirty-four minutes after eleven, J the beginning of the 

 shock was felt. The motion was undulating and not strong. 

 The swell of the sea was felt there, but I know not at what 

 time. A man was going to leave the shore § in his boat; he 

 went a short distance to fetch something, and returning found 

 the boat aground and immoveable : puzzled and vexed he 

 went away, but had not gone many yards before his son called 

 to him that it was afloat. 



* Although built of wood. 



t (Valdivia has since been ruined). " Valdivia, Nov. 7, de 1837. 



" El gran terremoto que ha esperimentado este pueblo en la mafiana 

 de este dia, sin tocarlos limites de la exajeracion, se puede asegurar sea 

 el mayor de los hasta aqui acontecidos. Dio principio a las 8 y 5 minu- 

 tos ; y termino a las 8 y quarto: advirtiendo que el movimiento de la tierra 

 en este espacio de tiempo fue tan extraordinario que con dificultad podia 

 un hombre sostenerse en pie. Continue en seguida hasta las 9 y media 

 con interrupcion solo de momentos, y desde esa hora hasta las 12 y tres 

 cuartos que son actualmente se esperimentan los mismos movimientos, 

 aunque no con igual fuerza. Las dos unicas iglesias que habia en este 

 pueblo, y todos los edificios fiscales, se ban arruinado completamente 

 y si no les ha caido igual suerte a las deraas casas de esta poblacion ha 

 contribuido sin duda la circumstancia de ser ellas de madera, aunque por 

 lo general ban sufrido grande detrimento. " Isidro, Vergara." 



" Al S*". Ynt°. de la prov. de Concepcion, Dn. Manuel Bulnes." — Ex- 

 tracted from the ' Araucano' of Chile, Dec. 8, 1837- 



X Mean time (exact?). § Point Arena — San Carlos. 



