Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.3)

372 coxcEPCiON. March, 1835. these provinces, of running out of doors at the first trembUng of the ground, alone saved them. The mayor-domo at Quiriquina told me, that the first notice he received of the earthquake, was finding both the horse he rode, and himself, rolling together on the ground. Rising up, he was again thrown down He also told me that some cows, M'hich were standing on the steep sides of the island, were rolled into the sea. The great wave, however, was far more destructive in this respect : on one low island near the head of the bay, seventy animals were washed off and drowned. It is gene- rally thought that this has been the M^orst earthquake ever recorded in Chile ; but as the very bad ones occur only after long intervals, this cannot easily be known ; nor indeed would a much more severe shock have made any great difference, for the ruin is now complete. After vicAving Concepcion, I cannot understand how the greater number of inhabitants escaped unhurt. The houses in many parts fell outwards ; thus forming in the middle of the streets little hillocks of brickwork and rubbish. Mr. Rous, the English consul, told us that he was at breakfast when the first movement warned him to run out. He had scarcely reached the middle of the courtyard, when one side of his house came thundering down. He retained presence of mind to remember, that if he once got on the top of that part which had already fallen, he should be safe. Not being able, from the motion of the ground, to stand, he crawled up on his hands and knees ; and no sooner had he ascended this little eminence, than the other side of the house fell in, the great beams sweeping close in front of his head. With his eyes blinded, and his mouth choked with the cloud of dust which darkened the sky, at last he gained the street. As shock succeeded shock, at the interval of a few minutes, no one dared approach the shattered ruins ; and no one knew whether his dearest friends and relations might not be perish- ing from the want of help. The thatched roofs fell over the fires, and flames burst forth in all parts. Hundreds knew