52 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
are subject to shocks, occurring about the same time, tbe same 
shocks do not extend from one island to another. As an 
instance, I may mention a case that came under my own 
observation: — In the early morning of Saturday, the 21st 
March, while sleeping at Attane on the west side of Santa 
Maura, I was disturbed by a distinct shock of an earthquake, 
which also woke everyone in the house. I felt my bed rock 
under me ; but although attention was naturally directed to 
the subject, no other shock was felt. At the same time as at 
Attane, or within a few minutes, a shock threw down some 
buildings in the town of Santa Maura, at a distance of more 
than twelve miles to the north-east. On the same day also, 
but towards noon (many hours later in the day), there were 
several shocks felt at Argostoli, in Cephalonia, less than forty 
miles in a direction a little to the west of south, accompanying 
a frightful electric storm and a cyclone which tore up a large 
number of old olive-trees by the roots, and so severely shook 
the walls of some barracks that they had to be taken down 
immediately. I heard of many other similar cases, in which 
the interval was longer, amounting to one, two, or three days. 
It is also on record, that many of the earthquakes that have 
desolated the islands have been preceded by great atmos- 
pheric disturbance. 
Earthquakes of moderate intensity are very frequent in the 
islands of Santa Maura, Cephalonia, and Zante, but have 
proved most mischievous in the towns of the. first and last 
named. Santa Maura was greatly injured and almost de- 
stroyed in the early part of this century, and the houses and 
other buildings since erected are provided, accordingly, with 
very large stone posts buried six feet in the rock, and rising 
about as much above ground. On the framework thus prepared 
a construction is placed, chiefly of wood, which is kept low, 
and supports a light roof, so that, in case of a shake, as little 
damage shall be done as possible. With the same view, the 
bell-towers of the churches are placed away from the building, 
and scarcely any of the buildings are more than one story 
above the ground. 
Zante has, perhaps, suffered more than any of the islands 
from severe earthquake shocks. In the year 1514 there was 
a great shock that is said to have split asunder the castle hill 
bcliind the town from top to bottom. The old town of that 
date was then, no doubt, destroyed. A succession of dis- 
turbances of a smaller kind took place at intervals till 1840, 
when, once more, the whole island was affected. During the 
latter part of this year (1840) the great volcanic district of the 
Eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor was greatly shaken, 
and the disturbances extended far into Persia and the East. 
