ISIl. 
SNOW. — SECOND EARTHQUAKE. 
157 
ature of the air around the lower part of the mountains is never 
cold enough to allow snow to fall there. It is, therefore, only by 
what they see at a distance on these summits, that those who reside 
always in Cape Town can become acquainted with this phenome- 
non. 
June 2nd. This day the warmth was greater than is usual at 
this season, the thermometer having risen to 70° (16°8 R. ; 21°1 C.) 
A thick haze filled the atmosphere, yet did not weaken the power of 
the sun, which shone with the more effect, as the air continued un- 
disturbed by the least breath of wind. This state of the weather 
brought to mind the earthquake of the preceding year ; and it after- 
wards appeared, that those who thought so were not mistaken in 
their interpretation of the symptoms. 
The weather, during the forenoon, had been warmer than usual ; 
(the thermometer 75°) and the air was calm and perfectly tranquil. 
At this time I was in my room occupied in preparations for the 
journey : a part of the garrison, having been exercising on Green- 
Point, were returning to their barracks, when a sudden and violent 
explosion shook the whole house, with a noise as loud as that of a 
cannon fired close at the door. In three or four seconds after 
this, another report, still more violent and sharp, like the loud- 
est clap of thunder, shook the building more forcibly than the first ; 
and at the same moment I felt a strange and unusual motion. The 
atmosphere at that instant was agitated by a dreadful concussion. 
The whole of this occurrence did not take up more than the 
time of five or six seconds ; the day still continuing very fine and 
the sky perfectly cloudless. There remained a dead calm, and the 
air was sufflised with a misty vapor, such as may often be seen in 
hot, damp weather. At the first explosion, it was naturally thought 
that one of the field-pieces, which were then passing by the house, 
had by some accident exploded ; but the second being too violent 
for the effect of a cannon, I immediately supposed that one of the 
powder magazines had blown up ; and even imagined that the report 
might have been occasioned by two of my barrels of gunpowder, 
which I had received from the magazine the day before. 
