132 EARTHQUAKES. Chap. VIII. 
from all parts of the cavity, and a vapour like a 
thick smoke covered the mountain. Three weeks 
after, there was an eruption from a crater about 
half a league from the summit. The boiling lava 
flowed down in streams, and for many days the 
surrounding country was in flames. A month 
after, the whole island of Kiu-siu was shaken by an 
earthquake, felt principally, however, in the neigh- 
bourhood of Simbara. It reduced that part of the 
province of Figo opposite to Simbara to a deplorable 
condition ; and even altered the whole line of coast, 
sinking many vessels which lay in the harbours.” 
The last visitation of any great violence occurred 
in 1854. In Yedo alone it is supposed that 
200,000 human beings were destroyed at this time, 
partly by the falling buildings and partly by fires, 
which were raging in all parts of the city, occasioned 
by the earthquake. The little town of Simoda, a 
few miles outside of Yedo bay, was laid in ruins at 
this time, and the Russian frigate ‘Diana’ was 
wrecked in the harbour. 
During my residence in Japan, earthquakes, 
although not of a violent character, were of fre- 
quent occurrence, and generally took place during 
the night. The sound of creaking timbers used to 
remind me of my experience in the cabin of a small 
steamer labouring in a heavy sea during or after a 
gale of wind. Then my bed used to move about 
in a most uneasy manner, as if some strong power 
was endeavouring to carry it bodily away, but, 
changing its mind, had set it down again. Bishop 
