198 Sir william Hamilton’s Account of 
dition indeed into the port of Medina. The port and the 
town, in its half ruined date, bv moon-light was drikingly 
picturefque. Certain it is, that the force of the earthquake 
(though very violent) was nothing at Medina and Reggio to 
what it was in the plain. I vifited the town of Medina the 
next morning, and found, that all the beautiful front of what 
is called the Palazzata, which extended in very lofty uni- 
form buildings, in the diape of a crefcent, had been in fome 
parts totally ruined, in others lefs ; and that there were cracks 
in the earth of the quay, a part of which had funk above a 
foot below the level of the fea. Thefe cracks were probably 
occafioned by the horizontal motion of the earth in the fame 
manner as the pieces of the plain were detached into the ra- 
vines at Oppido and Terra Nuova ; for the fea at the edge of 
the quay is fo very deep, that the larged fhips can lie along- 
fide ; confequently the earth, in its violent commotion, want- 
ing fupport on the fide next the fea, began to crack and fepa- 
rate, and as where there is one crack there are generally others 
lefs conliderable in parallel lines to the fird, I fuppofe the great 
damage done to the houfes neared the quay has been owing to 
fuch cracks under their foundations. Many houfes ftre dill 
danding, and fome little damaged, even in the lower part of 
Medina ; but in the upper and more elevated fituations, the 
earthquakes feem to have had fcarcely any effect, as I particu- 
larly remarked. A drong indance of the force of the earth- 
quake having been many degrees lefs here than in the plain of 
Calabria is, that the convent of Santa Barbara, and that called 
the Noviziato de’ Gefuiti, both on an elevated fituation, have 
not a crack in them, and that the clock of the latter has not been 
deranged in the lead by the earthquakes that have afflidled this 
country for four months pad, and which dill continue in fome 
degree. ' 
