350 
THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
had the greatest proof of the effects of erosion 
from mineral waters acting chemically & mecha- 
nically upon the soil below the doomed town, and 
the same forces are still at work on the bottom of 
the sea and on land wherever an earthquake 
centre exists. 
In 1887 and 1890 I wrote papers upon earth- 
quake origin with the object of proving that by 
the aid of submarine telegraphy a new era had 
opened for the developement of seisraological 
research. Both previously and subsequently many 
facts have occurred to support the accuracy of 
my deductions and jirhna facie proof at least is 
given that my theory is sound in every respect. 
In those papers I cited several'instances showing 
that these non-volcanic earthquakes are the 
result of a purely mechanical force exercised by 
the movement of vast bodies of matter thrown 
from; a slight to a greater depth on the sea’s bot- 
tom, and that they are specially frequent where 
large bodies of alluvial deposits are formed upon 
clay; and when we seriously consider the remar- 
kably uneven bed of those seas which constitute 
the earthquake centres of the world with the 
the known existence of overhanging banks — 
mushroom shaped cliffs — whose bases are ever 
being eroded by under currents and chemical 
action the wonder is not that earthquakes occur 
so often in those regions but rather that they are 
not at least of diurnal occurrence. 
Before submarine cables were laid the effects of 
those mechanical forces could only be vaguely 
assumed but now whenever any of these masses 
which, in falling away cause the earthquake to 
originate, is in the direct path of any cable lying- 
on the sea’s bottom the result is a total inter- 
ruption of telegraphic communication .tv, the 
cable is invariably found ruptured by the sudden 
tension due to a vast subsidence, or it is buried 
completely by some thousands of cubic ton. of 
matter precipitated upon it. 
In no single case has absolute proof been want- 
ing to confirm this — and when it is considered 
that no less than nine cables radiate from the 
island of Zante, laid along the course of known 
earthquake centres, some idea may be formed of 
the unique advantage I enjoy of prosecuting this 
research. Not only am I in a position to practi- 
cally* and electrically determine the exact centre 
of the shock with a broken cable such position 
being invariably confirmed bv h i data) >.ut I 
am able to prove the absolute non-existence of 
volcanic agency by the thorough absence of any 
increase in the temperature of the water at or 
near the point of rupture and this is a question of 
the most vital importance. 
I have already stated that the recent earthquake 
had precisely the same characteristics as that i«f 
1873 the centre of which was some eigi:. miles due 
east of Zante town. 
The centre of the present shock was probably 
not more than six miles off — at a i oiut where 
some, very great irregularities of the sea - bottom 
exist viz two miles E. N. E. — of cape Vassilikb 
some recent soundings gave no bottom at 300 fa- 
thoms where originally 3 existed. Very • ’ <e 
to this sounding two or rhang g 
their depth being under 250 fathoms ., h altli ai. 
our cables run clear of this place there is : ot the 
slightest doubt but that the quake originated 
here. No shock was felt at the sir b 1 > 30 n lies 
S. of Zante nor were our Malta >v Cretan cables 
affected by it. 
At Catacolo and Pyrgos 25 mires E.S.E. of Zante 
all our shocks were felt strongly but did no dr - 
mage. 
At Gastouni 15’miles due E. — considerable da- 
mage occurred, but to the north only a very feeble 
shock was felt. The same applies to Oepha’onia 
and therefore the accuracy of tie seisin .^graph's 
registry is fully confirmed by these observations. 
Now it is very evident that this question of the 
inequalities of the sea’s bottom, the chemical and 
eleetrolitical action due to the exposure after ero- 
sio of the metallic masses contained in the earth, 
underwater, the couseq ( mation f immense 
caverns and resultant slips 
release large deposits or if, is s, and to the ex ster.ee 
of underground rivers— -having frequently inter- 
communication with the sea— has never been suffi- 
ciently taken into account. 
With the exception of Santo ri no there is very 
little ground for attributing volcanic origin to the 
islands of Greece and the Archipelago or to those 
parts of the mainland where seismical disturban- 
ces are so frequent ; but there is direct evidence 
of these ICata/ithra — underground rivers with 
strong eddying currents — all over the Mcditerra- 
