So A VOYAGE TO Book VII; 



at 35 minutes afcer three in the evening. 4. The 

 1 2th of June at three quarters paft five in the morn- 

 ing. 5. The 14th of Odober at nine at night; all 

 which I carefully noted. And it muft be obferved 

 that thefe concufiions were the moll confiderable, 

 and lafted near a minute ; particularly that of the 

 27th of May, which continued near two minutes, 

 beginning with one violent fliock, and gradually 

 terminating in tremulous motions. Between thefe 

 above noted were feveral others, which I omitted, as 

 being neither fo lading nor violent. 



These earthquakes, tho' fo fudden, have their 

 prefages, one of the principal of which is, a rumb- 

 ling noife in the bowels of the earth, about a minute 

 before the (hocks are felt ; and this noife does not 

 continue in the place where it was firfl produced, 

 but feems to pervade all the adjacent fubterraneous 

 parts. This is followed by difmal howlings of the 

 dogs, which feem to have the firft perception of the 

 approaching danger. The beads of burden paffing 

 the ilreets, flop, and, by a natural inflindl fpread 

 open their legs, the better to fecure themfeives from 

 falling. On thefe portents the terrified inhabitants fly 

 from their houfes into the ftreets with fuch precipita- 

 tion, that if it happens in the night, they appear quite 

 naked ; fear and tlie urgency ot the danger, banifliing 

 at once all fenfe of decency. Thus the Ilreets 

 exhibit fuch odd and fingular figures, that might 

 even afford matter for diverfion, were it poffible, 

 in fo terrible a moment. The fudden concourfe is 

 accompanied with the cries of children waked out of 

 their fleep, blended Vv'ith the lamentations of the wo- 

 men, whofe agonizing prayers to the faints, increafe 

 the common fear and confufion : The men alio are too 

 much afi^eded to refrain from giving vent to their 

 terror ; fo that the Vv^hole city exhibits one dreadful 

 fcene of confternation and horror. Nor does this 

 end v/ith the fnock, none venturing to return to 



their 



