121 
on the IG^A of^ June 1819. 
ground, — the crash of the buildings, — and the dismay and ter- 
ror which appeared in every countenance, produced a sensation 
horrible beyond description. The shock lasted from two to 
three minutes, and during that short period the city of Bhooj 
was almost levelled with the ground. The walls, front the san- 
dy nature of the stone, were crumbled into dust ; nearly all the 
towers and gateways were demolished; and the houses, which were 
left standing, were so shattered as to be uninhabitable. The fort, 
which stands at some distance from the city, is so breached as 
to be rendered useless as a place of defence. It is calculated 
that nearly 2000 persons have perished in Bhooj alone. Among 
the sufferers is the mother of the deposed Rajah, who was bu- 
ried in the ruins of the palace. The surviving inhabitants were 
obliged to forsake the city, and encamp outside of the walls on 
some sandhills. Their situation was truly distressing. Bruised, 
maimed, and in sorrow, they resorted daily to the city to extii- 
cate the mangled remains of wives, children, and relations. In 
this melancholy labour, they were nearly exhausted by the 
stench arising from the putrid bodies of their friends, and from 
the carcases of the cattle, which had perished in great numbers. 
At the date of the last accounts, between 1000 and 1500 per- 
sons had been dug out of the ruins. 
The devastation was general throughout Kutch. From Luck- 
put Bunder to Butchao,in every town and village, more or less lives 
were lost by the falling in of the houses ; and in the towns of Man- 
davie, Moondria, and Anjar, very extensive damage has been sus- 
tained. Accounts from Anjar state, that the fort wall was almost 
completely destroyed, not 100 yards of it remaining in one spot, 
and guns and towers hurled in one common mass of ruin. 
Scarcely a fourth part of the town is standing, and the houses 
that do remain are considerably injured, In one word,” says 
the writer of the account, a flourishing population has been 
reduced iri one moment to wretchedness and misery ; and I fear 
we shall have to lament the loss of upwards of 100 people, be- 
sides those hurt.” 
The destruction occasioned by this terrible visitation was 
not confined to Kutch. From Ahmedabad, the capital of 
Guzerat, we have the following description : This city is 
justly celebrated for its beautiful buildings of stone and other 
materials, and for the famous shaking minarets, which were ad- 
