the Earthquakes in Italy in 1783. 1S3 
down the valley, where it now {lands, with mod of the trees 
erect. Thefe two tenements may be about a mile Iona, and 
half a mile broad. I was {hewn feveral deep cracks in this 
neighbourhood, not one above a foot in breadth; but which. I 
was credibly allured, had opened wide daring the earthquake, 
and fwallowed up an ox, and near an hundred goats, but no 
countrymen, as was reported. In the valley above mentioned 
I law the fame fort of he ’lows in the form of inverted cones, 
out of which, I was allured, that hot water and fand had been 
emitted with violence during the earthquakes as at Rofarno; but 
I could not find any one who could pofitively affirm that the 
water had been really hot, although the reports which govern- 
ment received affirm it. Some of the find thrown out here with 
the water has a ferruginous appearance, and feems to have been 
acted upon by fire. I was told, that it had alio, when freffi, a 
ft ron g fimell of fulphur, but I could not perceive it. 
From hence I went through the fame delightful country to 
the town of Poliltene. To pafs through fo rich a country, and 
not fee a fingle houfe Handing on it, is moll melancholy in- 
deed ; wherever a houfe Hood, there you fee a heap of ruins, 
and a poor barrack, with two or three miferable mourning 
figures fitting at the door, and here and there a maimed man, 
woman, or child, crawling upon crutches. Infiead of a town, 
you fee a confufed heap of ruins, and round about them num- 
ber of poor huts or barracks, and a larger one to ferve as a 
church, with the church bells hanging upon a fort of low 
gibbet ; every inhabitant with a doleful countenance, and wear- 
ing fome token of having loH a parent. 
I travelled four days in the plain, in the midfl of fuch ml- 
fery as cannot be deferibed. The force of the earthquake was- 
fo great there, that all the inhabitants of the towns were buried 
A a 4 either 
