Page:Account of several remarkable earthquakes, which happened in various quarters of the world.pdf/7

 been at once discharged. The birds flew about astonished; the cattle in the fields ran crying, &c. His and his companions horses stopped short, trembling; so that they were forced to alight. They were no sooner off, but they were lifted from the ground above two palms, when casting his eyes towards Catania, he with amazement saw nothing but a thick, cloud of dust in the air. This was the scene of their calamity, for of the magnificent Catania, there was not the least footstep to be seen. So Bonajutus assures us, that of 18900 inhabitants, 18000 perished therein.

''This, and the two preceding accounts are taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, 3a Edit. vol 6—EAR.''

HERE never was a finer morning seen than the first of November (1755); the sun shone out in its full lustre; the whole face of the sky was perfectly serene and clear, and not the least signal or warning of that approaching event, which has made this one flourishing, opulent, and populous city a scene of the utmost horror and desolation, except only such as served to alarm, but scarcely left a moment's time to fly from the general destruction.

'It was on the morning of this fatal day, between the hours of nine and ten, that I was sat down in my apartment, just finishing a letter, when the papers and table I was writing on began to tremble with a gentle motion, which rather surprized me, as I could not perceive a breath of wind stirring; whilst I was reflecting with myself what this could be owing to, but without having the least apprehension of the real cause, the whole house began to shake from the very foundation, which at first I imputed to the rattling of several coaches in the main street, which usually passed that way, at this time, from Belem to the palace; but