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E . A R T II 
tured forward. Tlie gulph of Charybdisi which we ap¬ 
proached, feemed whirled round in fnch a manner as to 
form a vail hollow, verging to a point in tlie center. 
Proceeding onward, and turning my eyes to mount Etna, 
I faw it call forth large volumes of linoke, which covered 
the ill,aid, and blotted out even the fhoresfrom my view. 
This, together with the dreadful noife, and the fulphu- 
reous flench, which was ftrongly perceived, filled me 
with apprehenfions that fome more dreadful calamity was 
impending. The fea itfelf feemed to wear a very un- 
ufual appearance ; thofe who have feen a lake in a violent 
ihower of rain all covered over with bubbles, will have 
fome idea of its agitations. My furprife was- ftill in- 
creafed by the calmnefs and ferenity of the weather ; not 
a breeze, not a cloud, which might be fuppofed to put 
all nature thus into motion. 1 therefore warned my com¬ 
panion, that an earthquake was approaching ; and, after 
fome time, making for the fltore with all pofiible dili¬ 
gence, we landed at Tropaea. But we had fcarce arrived 
at the jefuits college in that city, when our ears were 
dimmed with an horrid found, refembling that of an infi¬ 
nite number of chariots driven fiercely forward, the 
wheels rattling and the thongs cracking. Soon after this, 
a mod dreadful earthquake enfued ; fo that the whole 
track upon which we flood feemed to vibrate, as if we 
were in the fcale of a balance that continued waving. 
This motion, however, foon grew more violent-; and be¬ 
ing no longer able to keep my legs, I was thrown prof- 
trate upon the ground. Leaving this feat of defolation, 
we profecuted our voyage along the coafi:; and the next 
day came to Rochetta, where we landed, although the 
earth Hill continued in violent agitations. But vVe were 
fcarcely arrived at our inn, when we were once more 
obliged to return to our boat-; and in about half an hour 
we faw the greateft part of the town dallied to the ground, 
burying its inhabitants beneath its ruins. Proceeding on¬ 
ward in our veffel, we again landed at Lopizium, atfaflle 
midway between Troptea and Euphemia, the city to 
which we were bound. Here, wherever I turned my eyes, 
nothing but fcenes of ruin and horror appeared; towns 
and callles were levelled to the ground; Stromboli, 
though fixty miles diftant, belched forth flames with fuch 
uncommon violence as to be diftindlly heard. But my 
attention was quickly turned to more contiguous danger. 
The place on which we flood now began to lhake ; fo 
that, being unable to (land, we caught hold of whatever 
flirub grew next us, and.iupported ourfelves in that man¬ 
ner. After fome time, the concuflion ceafing, we again 
ltood up, in order to profecute our voyage td Euphemia, 
then within fight. But while we were preparing for this 
purpofe, I turned my eyes towards the city ; but could 
fee only a frightful dark cloud, that feemed to reft upon 
the place. This tlie more furprifed us, as the weather 
was fo very ferene. We waited, therefore, till tlie cloud 
was palled aivay : then turuing to look for the city, it was 
totally funk ; and nothing but a difmal and putrid lake 
was to be feen where it flood.” 
In 1693 an earthquake happened in Sicily, which may 
juftly be accounted one of the moil terrible of which we 
have,any account. It Ihook the whole iflund : and not 
only that, but Naples and Majta partook of the fhock. 
It was impoflible for any body to keep on their legs ; and 
even thofe that lay on tlie ground were tolled from fide 
to fide as 011 a rolling billow. Fifty-four cities and towns, 
befide an incredible number of villages, were either de- 
ftroyed or greatly damaged. We (hall only inflance the 
fate of. Catania, once the refrdence of feveral monarchs, 
and an univerfity. Father Antony Serrovita, being on 
his way thither, and at tlie diftance of a few miles, ob- 
ferved a black cloud like night hovering over the city ; 
and there arofe from the volcano of Montgibello great 
fpir.es of flame, which fp read all around. The fea all at 
once began to roar, as in a violent fempeft ; accompanied 
with a noife as great as' if all tlie artillery in the world 
had been difchurged at one fignal. His horfes flopped 
QUAKE. 
fliort, as if petrified ; fo that they were forced to alight. 
They were no fooner off, but they were lifted front the 
ground above two palms ; when cafting his eyes towards 
Catania, lie with amazement faw nothing but a thick 
cloud cf dull in the air. This was the fcene-of their ca¬ 
lamity ; for of the magnificent Catania, there was not 
the leaft footilep to be feen. S. Bonajutus aifures us, 
that of 18,9.00 inhabitants, 18,000 periIhed therein! 
The next great earthquake was felt on tlie id of No¬ 
vember 1755. At Lifbon, the capital of Portugal, its 
effects were mod fevefie. I11 1750, there had been a fen- 
fible trembling of the earth felt in this city: for four 
years afterwards, there had been an exceffive drought; 
infomuch that fome fprings, formerly very plentiful of 
water, were dried and totally loft. The predominant 
winds were north and north-eaft, accompanied with va¬ 
rious, though very fmall, tremors of the earth. The 
year 1 755 proved very wet and rainy ; the fummer cooler 
than ufual; -and for forty days before the earthquake, the 
weather was clear, but not remarkably fo. The lad day 
of October, tlie fun was obfcured, with a remarkable 
gloominefs in the atmofphere. The firft of November, 
early in the morning, a thick fog arofe, which was foon 
diflipated by tlie heat of the fun ; no wind was (tirring ; 
the fea was calm ; and the weather as warm as in June 
or July in this country. At thirty-five minutes after nine, 
without the leaft warning, except a rumbling noife, a 
mod dreadful earthquake (hook, by quick vibrations, the 
foundations of all the city, fo that many buildings in- 
ftantly fell. Then, with fcarcely a perceptible paufe, the 
nature of the motion was changed, and the lioufes were 
tofled from fide to fide, with a motion like that of a wag¬ 
gon violently driven over rough Hones. This fecond 
iliock laid almoft the whole city in ruins, with prodigious 
daughter of the people. The earthquake laded in all 
.about fix minutes. At the moment of its beginning, 
fome perfons on the river, near a mile from the city, 
heard their boat make a noife as if it Jiad run aground, 
though they were then in deep water; and at the fame 
time they faw the houfes falling on both (ides of tlie ri¬ 
ver. The bed of the Tagus was in many places raifed 
to its furface. Ships were driven from their anchors. 
A large new quay funk to an unfathomable depth, with 
feveral hundreds of people who were upon it ; nor was 
one of the dead bodies ever found. The bar of the har¬ 
bour was at firft feen dry from Ihore to ftiore : but fud- 
denly the fea came rolling in like a mountain ; and about 
Belem Caftle the water rofe fifty feet almoft jn an inftant- 
About noon there was another Ihock ; when the walls of 
feveral houfes that yet remained were feen to open from 
top to bottom more than a quarter of a yard, and after¬ 
wards clofed again fo exailly that fcarcely any mark of 
the injury was left. 
At Colares, about twenty miles from Lifbon, and two 
miles from the fea, on the firft of November, the day broke 
with a ferene fky, the-wind continuing at eaft; but about 
nine o’clock the fun began to grow dim; and about half 
ail hour after was heard a rumbling noife like that of cha¬ 
riots, which increafed to fuch a degree that it became 
equal to the explofions of tlie larged cannon. Immedi¬ 
ately a fliock of an earthquake was felt, which was quickly 
fucceeded by a fecond and third ; and at the fame time 
feveral light flames of fire iffued from the mountains, re- 
fembling the kindling of charcoal. In thefe three ihocks’, 
the walls of the buildings moved from eaft to weft. 
At Oporto, the earthquake began alpout forty minutes 
pad nine. Tlie fky was very ferene ; when a hollow 
noife like that of thunder, or the rattling of coaches at a 
diftance, was heard, and almoft at the fame inflant the 
earth began to fliake. In the fpace of a minute or two, 
the river rofe and fell five or fix feet, and continued to do 
fo for four hours. It ran up at firft with lo much vio¬ 
lence, tiiat it broke a (hip’s hawfer. In fome parts the 
river opened, and feemed to difcharge vail .quantities of 
air ; and tlie agitation in the fea was fo great about a 
league 
