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Art. Y[. ^Account of the Earthquake which desolated the Island 
of Zante^ on the 29/A December 1820. In a Letter to M. De 
Ferussac from Count Mercati 
Some days before this frightful event, the atmosphere ap- 
peared dreadfully disturbed on every side, and created the most 
serious alarm. Clouds of the blackest hue, and colours either of 
the deepest red, or that of burning sulphur, occupied the horizon, 
and appeared to be in a state of electrical activity. On the 29th 
of December last, the day of the earthquake, the atmosphere be- 
came still more frightful. The wind blew from the SSE. 
Fahrenheifs thermometer stood at 65°, or the same temperature 
that we feel in advanced spring weather, and the barometer 
at 27.4, The clouds appeared to be in groups, and in a per- 
petual state of agitation. The lightning played without ceasing. 
The wind began to blow more violently, and, from two o’clock in 
the morning, it was so strong as to remind us of an American hur- 
ricane. Having resolved not to go to bed, I proceeded to exa- 
mine the atmosphere, and the convulsive motions with which it was 
agitated. Towards midnight, I heard a dull and broken sound, 
which seemed to issue from the bosom of the earth. It resem- 
bled the noise of a distant drum, beat from time to time in a 
vault. It was heard by almost every body who was awake at 
the time. We passed the night in this horrible state; and, at 
ten minutes before four in the morning, a sudden gust of wind, 
of most extraordinary violence, made us believe that the end of 
the world had arrived : and, what completed our surprise, it 
grew calm in a moment. As if I foresaw the misfortune that 
threatened us, I felt within me the most melancholy presentiments. 
My soul was agitated with feelings that I cannot express. I threw 
myself on my bed, and was absorbed in the sullen and gloomy 
silence of nature, when all at once I was confounded with the 
most dreadful subterraneous roaring, which formed the commence- 
ment of our terrible catastrophe, The motion of the earth was 
felt at that instant. I rose immediately ; but the violence of the 
shocks threw me back again on my bed. There were three shocks. 
Translated from the Journal de Physique^ Juin 1821, tom, 92, p. 466. 
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