Page:Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857 Vol 2.djvu/249

188 and ran into the country, perceived at the second shock a strong smell of bitumen and sulphur, probably issuing from the numerous fissures in their path.

These phenomena only (besides the straying away of gregarious animals) apparently preceded or accompanied the violent shocks. I shall add, on the chance of science discovering a relation between distant phenomena, that exactly a month before the earthquake—that is, on the 16th of November—long and loud explosions in the air were heard by the inhabitants of this valley, who ascribed them to the repeated echo of Vesuvius in eruption. We have frequently heard similar explosions since the fatal 16th, which were not always followed or accompanied by a shock of earthquake. During the night of the 16th till break of day, twenty or more undulations of the ground were perceived, often accompanied by a deep sound overhead. The sky was very clear, the temperature mild, and I saw hundreds of falling stars during the night. On the succeeding days the springs appeared to give forth their water most abundantly and clearly. A little stream, called Al Varco di Ponzio, disappeared for some days, but burst forth again on the 3rd. The water in the river Sciara and Moglio flowed most copiously but muddily; the sky maintained its serenity. From that time to the present a continual clucking of hens has been remarked, such as usually occurs at a change in the atmosphere. I have also been informed that dogs barked hoarsely before the shocks subsequent to the 16th, and that on that fatal night horses were observed to raise their mane, and pull away from the halter, and that a mule was observed to roll on the ground with terror at each of the shocks on that night."

As to the phenomena observed in Montemurro, owing to my office of Inspector of Prisons, I had an opportunity of questioning at my convenience a large number of prisoners (not all of the lower class) belonging to that commune imprisoned soon after the earthquake. They all agreed in saying that circles of fire were seen in the air some hours before the great disaster; one man affirmed that he had seen similar meteors several evenings before the 16th. They added that these lights appeared at the time of the shocks, and also on the following days. A cowboy told me, that