the Earthquakes in Italy in 1783. r 
hired for that purpofe a Maltefe Speronara for myfelf, and a 
Neapolitan Felucca for my fervants, and left Naples the 2d 
of May. I was furniffied, by command of his Sicilian Ma- 
j e %, with ample paflports, and orders to the commanding 
officers of the different provinces to give me every affiftance 
and protection in the purfuit of my obje<ft. I had a pleafant 
voyage in my Maltefe Speronara (which are excellent boats, 
and the boatmen very ifckful) along the Coaft of the Princi- 
pato Citra and Calabria- Citra, after having paffed the gulph of 
Policaftro. At Cedraro 1 found the firft fymptoms of the 
earthquake, fome of the principal inhabitants of that ; city 
having quitted their houfes, and living in new eredted barracks, 
though not a houfe in the whole town* as I could fee, had 
fuffered. At St.. Lucido I perceived that the baron’s palace and 
the church fteeple had fuffered, and that moil of the inhabi- 
tants were in barracks. The barracks are juft fuch fort of 
buildings as the booths of our country fairs, though indeed 
many I have feen are more like our pig-ftyes. As my objedt 
was to get as faft as poffible to the center of the mifehief, 
having little time, and much to fee, I* contented myfelf with a 
diftant view of Maida, Nicaftro, and Santo Eufemia, and 
pufhed on to the town of Pizzo in Calabria Ultra, where I 
landed on the evening of the 6th of May. This town, fituated 
on the fea, and on a volcanic tuffa *, had been greatly damaged 
by the earthquake of the 5th of February, but was completely 
ruined by that of the 2.8th of March. As the inhabitants of 
this town (amounting to about 5000) had fufficient warning, 
and had left their houfes, and taken to barracks on the firft 
ffiock the 5th of February, the mortality on the 28th of 
’ . c r 1 
* This was the only token of former volcanic explosions that I met with in 
Calabria. 
March 
