THE

Univerfalift's Mifcellany

For MARCH, 1799.

H

NATURAL HISTORY.

(Continued from p. 38.)

AVING hired a boat," fays Father Kircher, "in company with four more----two friars of the order of St. Francis and two feculars---we launched, on the 24th of March, from the harbour of Meflina, in Sicily, and arrived the fame day at the promontory of Pelorus. Our deftination was for the city of Euphemia, in Calabria, where we had fome bufinefs to tranfact, and where we defigned to tarry for fome time. However, Providence feemed willing to cross our defign; for we were obliged to continue for three days at Pelorus, upon account of the weather; and though we often put out to fea, yet we were as often driven back. At length, however, wearied with the delay, we refolved to profecute our voj age; and although the fea feemed more than ufually agitated, yet we ventured forward. The gulph of Charybdis, which we approached, feemed whirled round in fuch a man- ' ner, as to form a vaft hollow, verging to a point in the centre. Proceeding onward, and turning my eyes to Etna, I faw it caft forth large volumes of fmoke, of mountainous fizes, which entirely covered the whole ifland, and blotted out the very shores from my view. This, together with the dreadful noife, and the fulphureous ftench, which was ftrongly perceived, filled me with apprehenfions that fome more dreadful calamity was impending. The fea itself feemed to wear a very unusual appearance: those who have feen a lake in a violent VOL. III. shower

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fhower of rain,, covered all over with bubbles, will conceive fome idea of its agitations. My furprife was ftill encreased 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. I therefore warned my companions, that an earthquake was approaching; and, after fome time, making for the fhore with all poffible diligence, we landed at Tropoea, happy and thankful for having escaped the threatening dangers of the fea.

"But our triumphs at land were of fhort duration; for we had scarce arrived at the Jefuit's College in that city, when our ears were stunned with a horrid found, refembling that of an infinite number of chariots driven fiercely forward, the wheels rattling, and the thongs cracking. Soon after this, a most dreadful earthquake enfued, fo that the whole tract upon which we ftood feemed to vibrate as if we were in the fcale of a ballance, that continued wavering. This motion, however, foon grew more violent; and, being no longer able to keep my legs, I was thrown proftrate upon the ground. In the mean time, the universal ruin round me redoubled my amazement. The crash of falling houses, the tottering of towers,and the groans of the dying, all contributed to raise my terror and defpair. On every fide of me I faw nothing but a scene of ruin and danger threatening wherever I fhould fy. I commended myself to God as my laft refuge. At that hour, Oh, how vain was every fublunary happiness! Wealth, honour, empire, wifdom, all mere useless founds, and as empty as the bubbles of the deep! Juft ftanding on the threshold of eternity, nothing but God was my pleafure; and the nearer I approached, I only loved him the more. After fome time, however, finding I remained unhurt amidft the general concuffion, I refolved to venture for fafety; and running as faft as I could, reached the fhore, but almoft terrified out of my reafon. I did not fearch long here till I found the boat from which I had landed, and my companions alfo, whofe terrors were even greater than mine. Our meeting was not of that kind where every one is defirous of telling his own happy escape; it was all filence, and a gloomy dread of impending terrors.

"Leaving this feat of defolation, we profecuted our voyage along the coaft, and the next day came to Rochetta, where we landed, although the earth ftill continued in violent agitations. But we were scarce arrived at our inn, when we were once more obliged to return to the boat; and in about half an hour we saw the greateft part of the town, and the inn at which we

had

had set up, dashed to the ground, and burying all its inhabitants beneath its ruins.

"In this manner, proceeding onward in our little veffel, finding no fafety at land, and yet, from the fmallness of our boat, having but a very dangerous continuance at fea, we at length landed at Lopizium, a caftle midway between Tropoea and Euphemia, the city to which, as I faid before, we were bound. Here, wherever I turned my eyes, nothing but fcenes of ruin and horror appeared: towns and caftles levelled to the ground----Strombalo, though at 60 miles distance, belching forth flames in an unusual manner, and with a noise which I could diftinctly hear. But my attention was quickly turned from more remote to contiguous danger. The rumbling found of an approaching earthquake, which we by this time were grown acquainted with, alarmed us for the confequences: it every moment feemed to grow louder, and to approach more near. The place on which we ftood now began to shake moft dreadfully, fo that, being unable to ftand, my companions and I caught hold of whatever fhrub grew next us, and fupported ourselves in that manner.

"After fome time, this violent paroxyfm ceafing, we again stood up, in order to profecute our voyage to Euphemia, that lay within fight. In the mean time, while we were preparing for this purpose, I turned my eyes towards the city, but could fee only a frightful dark cloud, that seemed to rest upon the place. This more furprised us, as the weather was fo very ferene. We waited, therefore, till the cloud was paffed away; when turning to look for the city, it was totally funk! Wonderful to tell! nothing but a difmal and putrid lake was seen where it ftood! We looked about to find some one that could tell us of its fad catastrophe, but could fee none! All was become a melancholy folitude! a fcene of hideous defolation! Thus proceeding penfively along, in queft of fome human being that could give us fome information, we at lenth faw a boy fitting by the fhore, and appearing ftupefied with terror. Of him, therefore, we enquired concerning the fate of the city, but he could not be induced to give us an answer. We entreated him, with every expreffion of tenderness and pity, to tell us; but his fenfes were quite wrapt up in the contemplation of the danger he had efcaped. We offered him fome victuals, but he seemed to lothe the fight. We ftill perfifted in our offices of kindness; but he only pointed to the place of the city, like one out of his fenfes; and then running up into the woods, was never heard of after. Such was the fate of the

city of Euphemia! and as we continued our melancholy courfe along the fhores, the whole coaft, for the space of 200 miles, prefented nothing but the remains of cities and men scattered, without any habitation, over the fields. Proceeding thus along, we at length ended our diftrefsful voyage by arriving at Naples, after having escaped a thousand dangers both at sea and land."

From the whole of thefe accounts we may gather that the moft concomitant circumstances are these :

A rumbling noise before the earthquake. This proceeds from the air, or fire, or both, forcing their way through the chafms of the earth, and endeavouring to get free, which is alfo heard in volcanoes.

A violent agitation, or heaving of the fea, fometimes before and fometimes after that at land. This agitation is only a fimilar effect produced on the waters with that at land, and may be called, for the fake of perfpicuity, a Jeaquake; and this alfo is produced by volcanoes.

A fpouting up of waters to great heights. It is not eafy to defcribe the manner in which this is performed; but volcanoes alfo produce the fame---Vefuvius being known frequently to eject a vaft body of water.

A rocking of the earth to and fro, and fometimes a perpendicular bounding, if it may be fo called, of the fame. This difference chiefly arifes from the fituation of the place with refpect to the fubterranean fire. Directly under, it lifts---at a farther diftance it rocks.

Some earthquakes feem to travel onward, and are felt in different countries, at different hours, the fame day. This arifes from the great shock being given to the earth at one place, and that being communicated onward by an undulatory motion, fucceffively affects different regions in its progrefs. As the blow given by a ftone falling in a lake is not perceived at the fhores till fome time after the first concuffion.

The fhock is fometimes inftantaneous, like the explosion of gunpowder; and fometimes tremulous, and continuing for feveral minutes. The nearer the place where the fhock is first given, the more inftantaneous and fimple it appears. greater diftance the earth redoubles the firft blow with a fort of vibratory continuation.

At a

As waters have generally fo great a fhare in producing earthquakes, it is not to be wondered that they fhould generally follow thofe breaches made by the force of fire, and appear in the great chafms which the earthquake has opened.

Thefe

These are some of the moft remarkable phenomena of earthquakes, presenting a frightful affemblage of the most terrible effects of air, earth, fire, and water.

The valley of Salfatara, near Naples, feems to exhibit, in a minuter degree, whatever is feen of this horrible kind, on the great theatre of nature. This plain, which is about 1200 feet long, and 1000 broad, is embosemed in mountains, and has, in the middle of it, a lake of noifome blackifh water, covered with a bitumen that floats upon its furface. in every part of this plain caverns appear, fmoking with fulphur and often emitting flames. The earth, wherever we walk over it, trembles beneath the feet. Noifes of flames, and the hifling of waters, are heard at the botom. The water fometimes spouts up 8 or 10 feet high. The moft noifome fumes, fœtid water, and fulphureous vapour, offend the fmell. A ftone thrown into any of the caverns, is ejected again with confiderable violence. These appearances generally prevail when the fea is any way disturbed; and the whole feems to exhibit the appearance of an earthquake in miniature. However, in this faller scene of wonders, as well as in the greater, there are many appearances for which, perhaps, we fhall never account; and many queftions may be afked, which no conjectures can thoroughly refolve. It was the fault of the philofophers of the laft age to be more inquifitive after the caufes of things, than after the things themfelves. They feemed to think that a confeffion of ignorance cancelled their claims to wifdom; they therefore had a folution for every demand. But the prefent age has grown, if not more inquifitive, at least more modeft; and none are now afhamed of that ignorance which labour can neither remedy nor remove.

(To be continued.)

THE RESTITUTION OF ALL MEN DEFENDED.

SIR,

To the Editor of the UNIVERSALIST'S MISCELLANY.

N perufing your Mifcellany, I found a Letter from a Minif ter to his, fon against the Univerfal Doctrine; on which I beg leave to make a few remarks.

The author of this letter admits, that the Univerfal Doctrine " is not a new fentiment." True, it is not; for advocates of the reftitution of all things may be found many ages before Stackhoule