the Earthquakes in Italy in 1783. 197 
rience of earthquakes) that all animals and birds are in a greater 
or lefs degree much more fenfible of an approaching fhock of 
an earthquake than any human being ; but that geefe, above 
all, feem to be the looneft and mod alarmed at the approach 
of a Ihock : if in the water, they quit it immediately, and there 
are no means of driving them into the water for fome time 
after. The mortality here, by the late earthquake of the <qh 
of February, corresponds with the apparent degree of damage 
done to the town, and does not exceed .1 26. As it happened about 
noon, and came on gently, the people of Reggio had time to 
elcape ; whereas, as 1 have often remarked, the Ihock in the un- 
happy plain was as inflantaneous as it was violent and deftrudtive. 
Every building was levelled to the ground, and the mortality 
was general, and in proportion to the apparent detfrudtion of 
the buildings. Reggio was deftroyed by an earthquake before 
the Marfian war, and having been rebuilt by Julius CaTar 
was called Reggio Julio. Part of the wall flill remains, and 
is called the Julian Tower ; it is built of huge mafles of ftone 
without cement. Near St. Peruto, between Reggio and the 
Cape Spartivento, there are the remains of a foundery, his 
prefent Catholic Majeffy, when King of Naples, having 
worked fiver mines in that neighbourhood; which were 
foon abandoned, the profit not having anfwered the expence. 
There are fome towns in the neighbourhood of Reggio that 
Rill retain the Greek language. About fifteen years ago, when 
I made the tour of Sicily, I landed at Spartivento in Calabria 
Ultra, and went to Bova, where I found that Greek was the 
only language in ufe in that diftridl. O11 the 14th of May I 
left Reggio, and was obliged (the wind being contrary) to have 
my boats towed by oxen to the Punta del Pezzolo, oppofite 
Medina, from whence the current wafted us with great expe- 
c - ditio» 
