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XL An Account of the Earthquakes which happened in Italy* 
from February to May 1783. By Sir William Hamilton, 
Knight of the Bath , F. R. S. ; in a Letter to Sir Jofeph 
Banks, Bart, P. R. & 
Read July 3, 1783. 
Naples, May 23, 1783. 
I AM happy now to have it in my power to give you, and my 
brethren of the Royal Society, lome little idea of the in- 
finite damage done, and of the various phenomena exhibited, 
by the earthquakes (which began the 5th of February lad, 
and continue to be lenfibly, though lets violently, felt to this 
day) in the two Calabrias, at Medina, and in the parts of 
Sicily neared to the continent. From the mod authentic re- 
ports, and accounts received at the offices of his Sicilian Ma- 
jedy’s fecretary of date, we gathered in general, that the part 
of Calabria, which has been mod affe&ed by this heavy cala- 
mity, is that which is comprehended between the 38th and 
and 39th degree, that the greatedj force of the earthquakes 
feemed to have exerted itfelf from the foot of thole mountains 
of the Apennines called the Monte Deio, Monte Sacro, and 
Monte Caulone, extending wedward to the Tyrrene fea ; that 
fche towns, villages, and farm-houfes, neared thefe mountains, 
fituated either on hills or in the plain, were totally ruined by 
the fird Ihock of the 5th of February about noon ; and that the 
Vol. LXX 1 IL Z greateft 
