the Earthquakes In Italy in 1783. ' 173 
reading at Catanzaro in the upper Calabria. The firft and the 
laft fhocks mu ft have been tremendous indeed, and only thefe 
two were feniibly felt in this capital. 
The accounts which this government has received from the 
province of Cofenza, are lefs melancholy than thofe from the* 
province of Calabria Ultra. From Cape Suvero to the Cape of 
Cetraro on the weftern coaft, the inland countries, as well as 
thofe on the coaft, are faid to have buffered. more or lefs in pro- 
portion to their proximity to the fuppofed center of the earth- 
quakes ; and it has been conftantly observed, that its greateft 
violence has been exerted, and {fill continues to be lo, on the 
weftern fide of the Appen nines, predfeiy the celebrated Sila of 
the ancient Brutii, and that all thofe countries lituated to thi 
eaftward of the Sila had felt the Ihocks of the earthquake, but 
without having received any damage from them. In the pro- 
vince of Cofenza there does not appear to be above 100 lives 
loft. In the laft accounts from the moft afflicted part of Cala- 
bria Ultra, two lingular phenomena are mentioned. At about 
the diftance of three miles from the ruined city of Oppido,. 
there was a hill (the foil of which is a handy clay) about 500 
palms high, and 1300 in circumference at its bafis. It was faid, 
that this hill, by the fhock of the 5th of February, jumped to the 
diftance of about four miles from the fpot where it ftood into 
a plain called theCampo di Baflano. At the fame time the hill 
on which the town of Oppido ftood, which extended about 
three miles, divided in two, and as its lituation was between - 
two rivers, its ruins filled up the valley, and flopped the 
courfe of thofe rivers ; two great lakes are already formed, 
and are daily increafing,- which lakes, if means are not found 
to drain them, and give the rivers their due courfe, in a fhort- 
time muft infeft the air greatly. 
From 
