THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 



327 



movement beneath each point thus affected ; but this is highly 

 improbable. May it not be caused by a tendency in each stone 

 to arrange itself in some particular position, with respect 

 to the lines of vibration, — in a manner somewhat similar to 

 pins on a sheet of paper when shaken ? Generally speaking, 

 arched doorways or windows stood much better than any 

 other part of the buildings. Nevertheless, a poor lame old 

 man, who had been in the habit, during trifling shocks, of 

 crawling to a certain doorway, was this time crushed to 

 pieces. 



I have not attempted to give any detailed description of 

 the appearance of Concepcion, for I feel that it is quite impos- 

 sible to convey the mingled feelings which I experienced. 

 Several of the officers visited it before me, but their strongest 

 language failed to give a just idea of the scene of desolation. 

 It is a bitter and humiliating thing to see works, which have 

 cost man so much time and labour, overthrown in one min- 

 ute ; yet compassion for the inhabitants was almost instantly 

 banished, by the surprise in seeing a state of things produced 

 in a moment of time, which one was accustomed to attribute 

 to a succession of ages. In my opinion, we have scarcely be- 

 held, since leaving England, any sight so deeply interesting. 



In almost every severe earthquake, the neighbouring waters 

 of the sea are said to have been greatly agitated. The dis- 

 turbance seems generally, as in the case of Concepcion, to 

 have been of two kinds: first, at the instant of the shock, 

 the water swells high up on the beach with a gentle motion, 

 and then as quietly retreats ; secondly, some time afterwards, 

 the whole body of the sea retires from the coast, and then 

 returns in waves of overwhelming force. The first move- 

 ment seems to be an immediate consequence of the earth- 

 quake affecting differently a fluid and a solid, so that their 

 respective levels are slightly deranged: but the second case 

 is a far more important phenomenon. During most earth- 

 quakes, and especially during those on the west coast of 

 America, it is certain that the first great movement of the 

 waters has been a retirement. Some authors have attempted 

 to explain this, by supposing that the water retains its level, 

 whilst the land oscillates upwards ; but surely the water close 

 to the land, even on a rather steep coast, would partake of the 



