A natural history containing many not common observations extracted out of the best modern writers / by Sir Thomas Pope Blount, Baronet.

Observations concerning EARTH∣QVAKES.

EARTHQUAKES are too evi∣dent Demonstrations of the Hollowness of the Earth, being the dreadful Effects or Consequen∣ces of it; for if the Body of the Earth was sound and compact, there would be no such thing in Nature as an EARTHQUAKE. They are commonly accompanied with an heavy dead Sound, like a dull Thunder, which ariseth from the Vapours, that are striving in the Womb of Nature when her Throes are coming upon her. And that these Caverns where the Va∣pours lie are very large and capo∣cious, we are taught sometimes by sad Experience; for whole Cities and Countries have been swallow'd up into them, as Sodom and Go∣morrah, and the Region of Penta∣polis, and several Cities in Greece. and in Asia, and other parts.

Whole Islands also have been thus absorpt in an EARTHQUAKE; the pillars and props they stood upon being broken, they have sunk and saln, in as an House blown up. I am also of Opinion, that those Islands that are made by divulsion from a Continent, as Sicily was bro∣ken off from Italy, and great Bri∣tain, as some think, from France, have been made the same way; that is, the Isthmus or Necks of Land that joyn'd these Islands with their Continents before, have been hollow, and being either worn by the Water, or shak'd by an EARTH∣QUAKE, have sunk down, and so made way for the Sea to overflow them, and of a Promontory to make an Island.

For it is not at all likely, that the Neck of Land continu'd stand∣ing, and the Sea overflow'd it, and so made an Island; for then all those Passages between such Islands, and their respective Continents, would be extreamly shallow and unnavi∣gable,

which we do not find them to be. Nor is it any more wonder, if such a Neck of Land should fall, than that a Mountain should sink, or any other Tract of Land, and a Lake rise in its place, which hath often happen'd. Plato supposeth his Atlantis to have been greater than Asia and Africa together, and yet to have sunk all into the Sea: whether that be true or no, I do not think it impossible that some Arms of the Sea or Sinus's might have had such an Original as that: and I am very apt to think, that for some Years after the Deluge, till the Fragments were well settled and adjusted, great alterations wou'd happen as to the Face of the Sea and the Land; many of the Frag∣ments would change their posture, and many would sink into the Water that stood out before, the props failing that bore them up, or the Joynts and Corners where∣by they lean'd upon one another; and thereupon a new Face of Things

would arise, and a new Deluge for that part of the Earth. Such re∣moves and interchanges, I believe, would often happen in the first Ages after the Flood; as we see in all other Ruines there happen lesser and Secondary Ruines after the first, till the parts be so well pois'd and settled, that without some vio∣lence they scarce change their po∣sture any more.

But to return to our EARTH∣QUAKES, and to give an instance or two of their Extent and Vio∣lence: Pliny mentions one in the Reign of Tiberius Caesar that struck down Twelve Cities of Asia in one Night. And Fournier gives us an Account of one in Peru, that reach'd Three Hundred Leagues along the Sea-Shore, and Seventy Leagues Inland; and levell'd the Mountains all along as it went, threw down the Cities, turn'd the Rivers out of their Channels, and made an Universal havock and Confusion; And all this, ••e saith,

was done within the space of Se∣ven or Eight Minutes. There must be dreadful Vaults and Mines under that Continent, that gave passage to the Vapours, and liberty to play for Nine Hundred Miles in length, and above Two Hun∣dred in breadth. Asia also hath been very subject to these Desola∣tions by EARTH-QUAKES; and many parts in Europe, as Greece, Italy, and others. The Truth is, our Cities are built upon Ruines, and our Fields and Countries stand upon broken Arches and Vaults, and so does the greatest part of the outward Frame of the Earth, and therefore it is no wonder if it be often shaken; there being quanti∣ties of Exhalations within these Mines, or Cavernous passages, that are capable of rarifaction and in∣fl••mation; and upon such Occasi∣ons, requiring more room, they shake or break the Ground that covers them. THO. BVRNET's

Theory of the Earth. Pag. 119, 120, 121.

Many have written of the Cau∣ses of these dreadful Effects of Na∣ture, of these Tremblings and Shi∣verings of the Earth, or rather Aguish shaking Fits, whereunto we find her Body is as subject as the Body of Men, or Lions, who are observ'd to have their Mont•• Paroxisines.

The Babilonian Philosophers think the Cause of these impetuous Mo∣tions happeneth by the force of some Planet meeting with the Sun in the Region of the Earth; Others hold it to be a Vapour a long time engendring in some Concavities of the Earth, and restrain'd from Sal∣lying forth into the Air; Others affirm, that it is a Wind penn'd up in the Entrails of the Earth; Pliny says, that the Earth never quaketh, but when the Sea is very Calm, and the Air so still and clear, as the Birds can hardly bear them∣selves up, and that the Winds are

then shut up in the Bowels of the Earth, their improper S••ation. He addeth further, that an EARTH∣QUAKE is nothing else but as Thun∣der in the Air, or an overture and Crevice in the Earth, or as Light∣ning breaking forth violently and making irruptions from the midst of the Clouds, the Wind inclos'd therein, and struggling to come forth by force. The Stoicks speak of divers Sorts of EARTHQUAKES that cause the gapings of the Earth, the swellings of the Water, and bolling of the same; a horrid con∣fus'd Sound commonly proceedeth and accompanieth this Quaking, sometimes like to the roaring of a Bull, sometimes to the lamentable Cry of some Humane Creature, or like the Clattering of Armour, according to the quality of the Matter which is inclos'd, or accor∣ding to the Form of the Cave, and Hole, or SPELUNCA, through which it passeth, which resounds in Vaulty and hollow places: It wax∣eth

hot, in sharp and dry places and causeth defluxions in those that are moist and humid. Now a∣mongst all EARTHQUAKES, the Agitation of the Waters is most dangerous, for Lightning is not so hurtful, nor the shaking of Build∣ings, or when the Earth is pus••'d up, or falleth down by an inter∣changeable Motion, because the one keepeth back the other. The saf∣est Buildings are those upon Vaults, the Corners of Walls, and on Bridges leaning one against ano∣ther; beside, Brick Buildings are less dangerous in such Accidents. Your skilful Navigators can foretel these EARTHQUAKES, at such time as they p••rceive the Waves to swell on a sudden without a Wind; and likewise those on Land may also foretel them, when they behold Birds in a maze to stay their flight; or when Waters in Wells are troubled more than or∣dinary, having a bad unsavoury smell: All these are Presages of

such hidious Motions: Pherecydes the Syrian drawing Water out of a Well, ••oretold an EARTHQUAKE; and so did Anaximander Milesius; And the truest Signs are, either when the Wind blows not; Or when the Sea and Region of the Air are Calm, for an EARTH∣QUAKE never happeneth, when the Wind blows, or the Sea swells. IAMES HOWELL's Hist. of Ve∣nice, Pag. 75, 76.

If we may Credit Aristotle, he tells us that EARTHQUAKES are most frequent in Spring and Au∣tumn; which remark, though slighted by G••ssendus, who gene∣rally affects to contradict that Phi∣losopher, is notwithstanding con∣firm'd by that great Naturalist Pliny, and several other Learned Men in all Ages; who do not deny but that EARTHQUAKES may, and have several times happened both in Summer and Winter, tho' not so commonly as in the other Two Seasons, in which there is

generally a greater abundance of Moisture sucked up, more Vapours and a larger quantity of Nitrè, as Experience doth demonstrate, all which Ingredients may conspire to the producing of an EARTH∣QUAKE. For if we consider, how capable they are of a large Ex∣pansion, how forcible they are when ratified in Vessels closed, and placed over the Fire; in Aeolypiles, or vents, from which they break out, with forcible Blasts, or in Winds, which frequently proceed from the rarisaction of such Prin∣ciples, we may suppose that those Vapours, which produce such great Commotions in the Air, may cause a considerable Disturbance in the Earth, when pent and locked up by Cold, or any such like Accident.

It is generally observ'd, that some little time before an EARTH∣QUAKE, there is not only a great Calmness, but likewise a sud∣den Coldness and Chillness in the Air; which was observ'd just be∣fore

the EARTHQUAKE that happen'd at Oxford, and the parts adjacent Sept. 17. 1683. And the like Observations of Cold preceed∣ing are in Dr. Wallis's Account of an EARTHQUAKE, Numb. 10. of the Philosophical Transactions, as al∣so in that of Mr. Boyle, Numb. XI. concerning the same EARTH∣QUAKE, THOMAS PIGOT's Ac∣count of the EARTHQVAKE at Oxford, &c. Sept. 17. 1683. in the PHILOS. TRANSACT. Numb. 151. Pag. 312, 313.

In EARTHQUAKES the tremu∣lous Motion sometimes extends so very far, that, tho' it seems high∣ly probable that the Shake that is given to one part of the Earth by the Firing and Explosion of Subter∣raneal Exhalations, (if that be the true and only cause of EARTH∣QUAKES) is not capable of reach∣ing near so far as divers EARTH∣QUAKES have done, but that the Fire passes through some little Sub∣terraneal Clefts, or Channels, or

hidden Conveyances, from one great Cavity or Mine to another; yet 'tis not improbable, but that the vehemently tremulous Motion does oftentimes reach a very great way beyond the places where the Explosions were made. Since, tho' Seneca would confine the Extent of EARTHQUAKES to two Hun∣dred Miles, yet Observations made in this and the last Century war∣rant us to allow them a far greater spread.

The Learned Iosephus Acosta af∣firms, that in the Kingdom of Peru, in the Year 1586. an EARTH∣QUAKE reached along the Shoar of the Pacifick Sea 160 Leagues; And adds, that sometimes it has in those parts run on from South to North 300 Leagues. And in the beginning of this our Age (Anno Dom. 1601) good Writers relate a much larger EARTHQUAKE to have happened, since it reached from Asia to that Sea that washes the French Shoars, and, besides

some Asiatick Regions, shock Hun∣gary, Germany, Italy and France, and consequently a great part of Europe. And if that part of the Narrative be certain, which relates, that this lasted not much above a quarter of an Hour, it will be the more likely, that this EARTH∣QUAKE shook great Tracts of Land beyond those places, to which the fired Matter, passing from one Cavity to another, could reach in so short a time: As you will the more easily guess, if you try, as I have done, that in Trains of Gun-powder it self, the Fire do••s not run on near so swiftly as one imagines. ROB. BOYLE 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the great Effects of even LANGVID MOTION, Pag. 49, 50, 51.

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where they ••age with the greatest Violence.

HURRICANES are no strangers to the Moluccas, and Philippines, and we have most incredible Relations of the Storms in the way to Ia∣pan, which have carried Ships a considerable distance from the Sea, up the D••y-Land: Some have been miserably wrack••, and buried in the Waves, others split in a Thou∣sand pieces against the Rocks, that scarce one Ship in five escapes these Disasters in the Tempestuous Months about Autumn, or at the Change of the Monsoons. From thence we may collect this Conside∣rable Remarque, That they never happen but on the Eastern Shoars, where they are Fatal to the Chinese and Caribbee-Seas, and so as far as the River of Plate; likewise to that part of Afric from the Cape to St Lawrence, and the Adjacent Isles: When they are altogether unknown to the African Ocean, from the Canaries to Cape Bon Espe∣rance,

nor are they ever heard of at New-Spain, or the Coasts of Peru, nor towards any other Western parts of America, because there the Winds, which blow off from Land, make no Opposition against the Ge∣neral Brise, but comply with the constant Motion of the Air between the Tropiques, from East to West▪ For the shifting of the Trade-Wind from the Easterly Points, is usually the first On-set of an approaching HURRICANE.

Yet, however these Suspicions of Mine be receiv'd, I think it can∣not be rationally disputed, but that those diresul Tempests have their first Rise from the Western Conti∣nent: For we seldom meet them very remote from Land, and the Experienc'd Masters of Ships are never jealous of HURRICANES in the Spacious Ocean; Or, i•• they perceive them coming, imediately make out to Sea, where their Fury is much less, than near the Shoa••s.

HURRICANES are most to be dreaded about the end of Summer, in the Months of Iuly and August: For both the Winds and Seas imi∣tate the Motions of the Sun, and being dilated by the Celestial Heat, annually revert from North to South; and from South to North again; So that the Sun hastening from one Tropique to another, cau∣ses the like suddain Conversions in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Winds; and being the mo•••• V••iversal Efficient, must nee••s •••• principally concern'd in all Vic••••••••udes of the Sublunary World.

HURRICANES are usually pre∣ceeded by an extraordinary Tran∣quillity of the Heavens and Seas: Possibly. some Counter-Winds may for a short space ballance one another, and bring the Air to an equal pois••. So that ••••ose who h••ppen to be in the Center of the Whirl-Wind are at first sensible of no disturbance; as we see in Eddys or Whirl-Peo's of Water, that, while the Circumference is vio∣lently

agitated, in the middle it continues for some time quiet and calm. R. BOHVN's Disc. of the ORIGINE and PROPERTIES of WIND, Pag▪ 255, 256, &c.

This following Account of the Nature of HURRICANES, is gi∣ven us by an Ingenious Frenchman, in his History of the Caribbe-Islands; quoted by the aforesaid Mr. Bohun, Pag. 280, 281, &c.

HURRICANES are terrible and violent Tempests, which may be term'd the true Images of the last Conssag••ation of the World: Formerly they happen'd but once in Five or Seven Years; but they are now become more frequent, since the Antilles were inha••••ted, for there was One in 51, ano∣ther in 52, Two in 53, and Two in 50: (Nay, in the Islands of Gardaloupe▪ lying about the 16 degree of N. Latitude, there hap∣pen'd no less than three HURRI∣CANES in one Year.) The Man∣ner of them is, as fo••l••••••th.

Ordinarily the Sea becomes Calm on a sudden, and smooth as Glass: Then presently a••ter, the Air is Darkned, and fill'd with thick and gloomy Clouds; after which, it's all (as it were) on Fire, and opens on every side with dreadful Lightnings, that last a considerable time: After which follow wonderful Claps of Thun∣der, that seem as i•• the Heaven was re••t asunder.

The Earth trembles in many places, and the Wind blows with so great Imperuosity, that it Roo••s up the tallest and greatest Trees which grow in the Woods; beats down almost all the Houses, and tears up the Vegetables; de∣stroying every thing that grows upon the Earth; and very often compels Men, whilst this dread∣ful Tempest lasts, to catch hold of the Trunks of Trees, to secure themselves from being carried a∣way by the Winds; some lye in the Caves of the Rocks, or retire

into the Huts of the Negroes and Caribbians, which are built ex∣ceeding low on purpose to elude the Shocks of these Tempests.

But that which is most dan∣gerous of all, and which causes the greatest Mischief, is, that in Four and Twenty Hours, and sometimes in less space, it makes the whole Circle of the Compass; leaving neither Road nor Haven secure from its raging force; so that all the Ships that are at that time on the Coast, do perish most Miserably.

At the Island of St. Christophers, several Ships in the Harbour, being laden with Tobacco, were all cast away by an HURRI∣CAN; and afterwards the To∣bacco poyson'd most of the Fish on their Coasts.

When these Storms are over, a Man may behold the saddest Spectacles that can be imagin'd. There may be seen Pieces of Mountains shaken by the Earth∣quakes,

and Forrests overturn'd; Houses beaten down by the Vio∣lence of the Winds; abundance of poor Families undone by the loss of their Goods, and the Mer∣chandize in their Cottages; of which they can save but very little. There one may see the poor Sea-Men drown'd and rowl∣ing in the Waves, with many brave Ships broken in pieces, and batter'd against the Rocks. 'Tis a thing so Woful and Deplerable, that should this Disorder happen often, I know not who could have the Heart or Confidence to go to the Indies.

A Letter from a Sea-Captain, to Mr. R. BOHVN.

SIR.

IN Answer to your Request, con∣cerning the HURRICANE, I can say little of its Effects more, than what concerns our particular dammage, and terrour. It happen'd upon the 18th of August last (1670) Sixteen Hours after the New-Moon, in the 14th Degree of North Lati∣tude, about Ninety Leagues from Barbadoes; It succeeded a Storm of 48 Hours continuance at North-East; an unusual way of its appearing, for it commonly follows a Calm: Its presage being a shifting of the Wind about the Compass, with the Appear∣ance of a troubled Sky, the only advantage we have to prepare for its reception. The Fury of it beg••n about 10 at Night, and continu'd till 12 the next Day. I'ts observ'd that the HURRICANES of the New-Moon begin at Night, and

those at the Full in the Day; as was noted two Fears since, when the Lord Willoughby perisht with Eight Ships, and near a Thousand Persons.

During its 14 Hours Fury with us, it shifted 14 Points, from the N. E. to the S. S. West, keeping a Method of Changing One P••int an Hour; and then shifted backward, and in its retreat still abated, until it returned to the Original Point, where it wholly ceas'd.

In the height of it, we had some H••••l, the Stones whereof were very great, which seem'd to be thrown upon us for the space of the twentieth part of a Minute, and then an in∣termission of Five or Six Minutes, before any more came. The Sea in the Night seem'd as a real Fire, and I believe we might have distinct∣ly perceiv'd any Object at a great distance: In the day time we seem'd rather to S••il in the Air than Wa∣ter, the Wind forcing the Sea so high that we could scarce make a distinction of either Element.

The Terrour of it was such, that I thought it the Emblem of Hell, and the last D••ssolution of all things; especially the first two Hours, which were attended with so much Thunder, and Lightning, so as••onishing, as if we had been wrapt up into the Clouds, or the whole Air set on Fire. The strength of the Wind was so great, that it blew a Boat of 18 Foot long (fastned to four Ring-••olts, and each bolt through a Ring of the Ship) clear off the Deck: I•• blew away a piece of Timber of great Substance and Weight, called the Cross-Piece of the Bits, to which we fasten our Cables: It tore off the Sails from the Yards, though fast furled; the Yards from the Masts, and the upper Masts from the lower: It blew away four Men of F••ve, who were upon the Fore-Yard, three of which, by a Strange Providence, were thrown in again upon the Deck by the Sea, and saved. The last re∣main of its Fury was a Weighty Grinding Stone, which it left fastned

between two Timber Heads, but it blew away the Trough from under it▪ I had several Accounts from Parti∣cular Friends how terrible it was in other places, but to me it seem'd beyond all Expression.

These HURRICANES are most frequent between the AeQUINOCTI∣AL, and the Tropique of CANCER: They more rarely happen between the LINE and the Tropique of CAPRI∣CORN But that which to me is the greatest Wonder, is, that they should be so terrible among the Ca∣ribbe-Islands, that, in some of them, they have neither l••ft House, Tree, nor Plant in the Ground, beginning at St. JOHN De Porto Rico, and so running Eastward: but the I∣SLANDS of HISPANIOLA, CU∣BA; and JAMAICA are never trou∣bled with them, though within few Leagues of the Rest.

There are some Old INDIANS that have given notice of them three or four Days before their Coming: By what R••les, I was never curious

to understand; It being enough for us to study how to defend our selves and Ships from them, rather than by any nice Enquiries to s••arch into their Causes: Only thus much I ob∣serv'd, that they have an influence upon the SEA, as well as the MOON, both upon them and it; for I found by Observation of the SUN and STARS, that there was a Cur∣rent tending so violently Northward, that in 24 Hours it would force us as many Leagues from our Easterly Course; which did so confound us, having neither Card nor Compass left to Steer by (which, with several other Goods, were swept away in a Breach which the SEA made into our Ship) that I think it was as great a difficulty for me to find out BAR∣BADOS (this place being nearest for our relief) as COLUMBUS, who first discover'd those Countries▪ Sir, I have been as modest as I could in giving you this Relation, because I know many who are ac∣quainted with the violence of these

Tempests, will be incredulous; But I should be sorry, that all who will not believe this Account, should have the same Confirmation which I had▪ If there be any thing in it worth your notice, it may engage me here∣after to recollect some more Particu∣lars; In all things I shall endeavour to assure you that I am, &c.

Were it not sufficient, that a Relation much of this Nature was presented to his Majesty; and that the Ship, after it return'd, lay at Anchor a long time in the River of Thames; not without Signal Marks of the HURRICANE, I might have been scrupulous enough, to have desir'd the Subscriptions of several others, who could at••est the Truth of this Narrative. I should only wish that some of those Reflections, which the Ingenious Captain is pleas'd to make upon this Occasion, were enquir'd into, by those who live in any of the Caribbe-Islands: Whether the HUR∣RICANES

of the NEW-MOON begin constantly by Night, and those at the Full in the Day? Which would be remarkable, tho' I never remember to have met with the like Observation in any other Description: However, w•• can by no means exclude the Ope∣rations of this Influential Planet; which has a very great Dominion over both the Winds and Tydes; whether from its Pressure, or by what means soever it produces these Effects: Some have thought that the MOON has an Atmosphere of its own, and sends out Efflu∣vium's to the Neighbouring World; and therefore acts more powerful∣ly in the Perigaeum, when it ap∣proaches nearest the Earth.

That wonderful Light which ap∣pear'd during this HURRICANE, might be from the Collision of the Lucid Salts, with which the Sea-Water is so deeply impregnated: Light happily being nothing else

but the Motion of some Subtil Mat∣ter.—

Not only the Winds, but the Currents are observ'd to change, and run round in Eddys, before the beginning of the Tempest.—It's likewise esteem'd a sure Progno∣stique, that the Birds (led by an instinct of Nature) come down be∣fore hand in Flocks from the Moun∣tains, to secure themselves in the Vallies against the injury of the Weather.

I believe, there might be excel∣lent use made of the Barometer for predicting of HURRICANES, and other Tempests, especially at Sea; since I am credibly inform'd, that a Person of Quality, who lives by the Sea-side, (though happily there may not be so considerable Altera∣tions in the gravity of the Atmo∣sphere far off at Land) can by the Barometer almost infallibly foretel any great Tempest for several Hours before it begins.

I find no mention of Salt Rains in any of the English Narratives; but the most Inquisitive of the French and Dutch have reckon'd it as a very infallible Presage, that the Rain, which falls a little before, is bitter, and Salt as the Sea-Water: Which happily may argue a Col∣lection of some Saline and Sulphu∣reous Spirits, in the Regions of the Air, that encountring each other, may by their violent Displosion be principally concern'd in the Pro∣duction of HURRICANES. R. BO∣HVN, Ibid.

Dr. Stubbes says, that he had enquir'd of some, that had been in HURRICANES, if it were so Cold then, as Vincent le Blanc relates it? They said, they had not found it to be so Cold; but yet in Compa∣rison of other times, it was much colder then. He also enquired of the Nature of those Tempests, whether the Wind varied all the Points of the COMPASS as 'tis said? They answer'd, No; but it

began always with a North-Wind, and when it came EAST, it ceas'd: But betwixt the NORTH and EAST-Point it varied so fast, and with such a violent Gust always, that it was impossible for any Ship in the Water to answer the Veering of the Wind. PHILOS. TRANS∣ACT. Numb. 36. Pag. 706.