Count Mercati on an Earthquake in the Island of Xante. 21 
sage along the canals, which were obstructed by the ruins of the 
houses, overflowed and inundated the whole town, which at 
day-light presented the most dreadful spectacle ; and two unfor- 
tunate persons, who had not time to escape from death, were 
carried away with their houses. 
The rain during all this time was overturning on every side 
the walls of the houses, already shattered in every part, so that 
from the derangement of the roofs, and the dangerous state of 
the buildings, w^e had not a corner in which shelter could be 
found. The churches were our only asylum, for owing to their 
particular construction, they were preserved from the general 
ruin. 
It appears that the earthquake, from the direction of the 
shocks being SE. and NW., had its origin in the sea, and that 
it was felt at the distance of nearly 250 miles round. On the 
6th of January, just nine days after the first, we experienced a 
second earthquake, which was not preceded by any perceptible 
bellowing, and it was a very weak one in comparison with the first. 
It lasted nearly twenty-four seconds. The oscillations, which were 
widely extended, appeared to have the same direction as those 
of the first. Its effect was most powerful to the west of the 
town, and in the rest of the island, where it made great havoc ; 
but though it was weak in comparison with the first, it could 
not but produce the most distressing effects upon our town, on 
account of the general ruin occasioned by the former. 
I should be deficient in gratitude, were I to pass over in si- 
lence the generosity and humanity of Lord Viscount Strang- 
ford, Ambassador Extraordinary from his Britannic Majes- 
ty to the Ottoman Porte, who was in our port at the time, — of 
the Besident of the Lord High Commissioner to his Majesty, 
Sir P. Ross, and of many other English, who assisted the un- 
fortunate during this frightful catastrophe. 
I shall proceed now to describe to you a phenomenon which 
happened previous to the first earthquake. 
Three or four minutes before, there was seen at the distance 
of two miles from the point or promontory of Geraca, which is 
to the SE. of the island, a kind of meteor, burning, and almost 
swimming, on the sea, and which continued luminous five or six 
minutes. At the distance from which it wa^^ seen it seemed 
