388 
Earthquake near Delhi. 
[Dec. 
There is certainly some variety of report upon the subject of its habit/it : but 
the above is the substance of my latest and best information. By Biitdn, Major 
Smith probably means Bhote ; though the Deva Dharma Raja’s cis-Himalayan 
dominions alone constitute ButAn. Major Smith’s “ C hand rang, North-west of 
Dig archly in the Himalaya mountains,” is scarcely so pardonable an error. 
I do not remember ever having contributed a paper to the “ Oriental Miscel- 
lany.” The dimensions of the Chiru, taken from that work, by Major Smith, are 
very inaccurate, erring chiefly by being too large. The neck, in particular, is 
extremely faulty. Major Smith is, no doubt, correct in conjecturing that the 
Chirii is devoid of suborbital sinuses and moist muzzle. In the account furnished 
to you I gave its sinuses — an error which I ought, ere this, to have corrected ; 
having done so in the copy I sent home. It is not worth while to mention here 
the grounds of this error, having given them publicity elsewhere. 
Major Smith alludes to, and draws his information from a variety of odd sour- 
ces. How comes it that he never turned to the brief but authentic notices by 
Dr. C. Abel, in the Government Gazette of the day, reporting the Asiatic Society’s 
Proceedings ? — not, I am sure, to deprive me of the honour therein done me ; 
though, by the way, Major S. seems to disallow my pretensions ! That is a matter 
of little moment ; but, query, who was likely to be best informed upon it ? the 
Nomenclator, a zealous Naturalist, on the spot — or, Major A. Smith, an able 
Zoologist indeed, but, at the distance of 12000 miles from us ? 
NipAl, July , 1831. I am, Sir, &c. &c. H. 
VI . — Earthquake near Delhi. 
To the Editor of the Gleanings in Science. 
Sir, 
I beg leave to send you a short account of a smart shock of an earthquake 
which occurred in my neighbourhood on the 24th October, at half past noon. I 
am encamped in north latitude 28° 34' 00 ", and longitude 78° 04' 26” east from 
Greenwich. The wind was west, from which quarter it has been blowing stea- 
dily for some days, but just previous to the earthquake was in strong gusts; the 
horizon was hazy, but there were no clouds, and no noise was heard ; the motion 
was apparently perpendicular, if any thing from the north to the south ; it conti- 
nued for a full minute, and was the most severe, many persons in my camp say, they 
ever felt. Books moved from their places on the table, and the tent was literally 
shaken, and the mango trees appeared as violently shaken, as if a branch was seiz- 
ed and shaken, for the purpose of throwing ofF the fruit ; a palanqueen near the tent 
moved, as if shaken ; and it was with difficulty 7 we could stand on the ground. 
My bearer actually laid hold of the kandts of the tent, and every one got sick, as 
if we had been at sea ; but the most extraordinary circumstance is, that though the 
earthquake was equally strong, and perceptibly felt to the southward, none of 
my parties who were detached to the northward three or four miles, felt it. The 
shock was so strong and continued, that I sent to the village distant about a quarter 
of a mile to know if any accident had occurred, and was informed, that although the 
people were much alarmed, no damage was sustained. 
From all the information I can hear, I am inclined to believe, that though so 
awfully alarming at this spot, it was very partial and confined, tending to P rov ® 
the theory of some French philosophers, that partial tremblings of the earth o 
this nature, are caused by the subsiding of the matter of the earth into a t u0ie 
