( ) 
A NOTE ON THE EARTHQUAKES OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN 
TABLE-LAND, 
By J. R. Sutton, Sc.D., F.R.S.S.Af. 
(Read July 17, 1912.) 
Occasional shocks of earthquake are felt on the South African Table- 
land. As a rule, although they extend over vast areas at a time, they 
are too slight to do much harm ; but they may at times attain to some 
violence, and cause damage and loss of life. One, felt last February, was 
sufficiently severe to be recorded by seismographs in Europe. They seem 
to have some sort of relationship to barometric disturbances, and there- 
fore in this respect are akin to the mud-rushes which were common in 
the Kimberley mines some years ago. Since the establishment of the 
observatory at Kenilworth there have been four earthquakes of sufficient 
intensity to be plainly felt. The following are the daily average values 
of the barometric pressure (from hourly I'eadings) for a few days before 
and after these shocks : — 
1. Earthquake at 10.13 p.m., July 31, 1903. 
Barometer. 
July 28 26-332 inches. 
29 -299 
30 -278 
31 -274 
Aug. 1 -323 
2 -300 
3 -276 
