the Earthquakes in Italy in 1783. 1 $7 
bottom of the ravine about three feet in depth, fo that the 
poor people that had been thrown with their houfes into the 
ravine from the top of it, and had efcaped with broken bones* 
were now in danger of being drowned. I was allured, that 
the water was fait, like that of the fea ; but this circumlfance 
feems to want confirmation. The fame reafon I have given for 
the fudden difappearing of the river Metauro at Rofarno will 
account for the like phenomenon here, and in every part of 
the country where the rivers dried up at the moment of the 
earthquake. The whole town of Mollochi di Sotto near Terra 
Nuova, was likewife detached into the ravine, and a vineyard 
of many acres near it lies in the bottom of the ravine as I law 
in a perfect order, but in an inclined Situation : there is a foot- 
path through this vineyard, which has a lingular effefl, conf- 
dering its prefent impracticable fituation. Some water mills, that 
were on the river, having been jammed between two fuch de- 
tached pieces as above defcribed, were lifted up by them, and are 
now feen on an elevated lituation, many feet above the level of 
the river. Without the proper explanations it is no wonder that 
fuch fafts fhould appear miraculous. I obferved in feveral 
parts of the plain, that the foil with timber trees and crops of 
corn, confiding of many acres, had funk eight and ten feet 
below the level of the plain ; and in others again I perceived it 
had rifen as many. It is neceflary to remember, that the foil of 
the plain is a clay mixed with find, which is ealily moulded into 
any fhape. In the plain, near the fpots from whence the above 
mentioned pieces had been detached into the ravine, there were 
feveral parallel cracks, fo that had the violence of the fhocks of 
the earthquake continued, thefe pieces alfo would have probably 
followed. I remarked conftantly in all my journey, that near 
every ravine, or hollow way, the parts of the plain adjoining 
B b 2 were 
