Page:Account of several remarkable earthquakes which have happened in various quarters of the world (1).pdf/4

 burying all its inhabitants beneath its ruins. Proceeding onward in our little vessel, we at length landed at Lapizium, a castle mid-way between Tropæa and Euphemia the city to which we were bound. Here, wherever I turned my eyes, nothing but scenes of ruin and horror appeared; towns and castles levelled to the ground; Stromboli, though at sixty miles distance, belching forth flames in an unusual manner, and with a noise which I could distinctly hear. But my attention was quickly turned from more remote to contiguous danger. The rumbling sound of an approaching earthquake, which by this time we were grown acquainted with, alarmed us for the consequences. It every moment seemed to grow louder, and to approach more near. The place on which we stood now began to shake most dreadfully; so that, being unable to stand, my companions and I caught hold of whatever shrub grew next us, and supported ourselves in that manner. After some time, the violent paroxysm ceasing, we again stood up, in order to prosecute our voyage to Euphemia, which lay within sight. In the mean time, while we were preparing for this purpose, I turned my eyes towards she city, but could see only a frightful dark cloud, that seemed to rest upon the place. This the more surprised us, as the weather was so very serene. We waited, therefore, till the cloud was passed away; then turning to look for the city, it was totally sunk; and nothing but a dismal and putrid lake was to be seen where it stood.