Universal Geography, Or, a Description of All the Parts of the World, on a New Plan (Volume 1); Mathematical, Physical and Political Principles of Geography (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1822. Excerpt: ... there, farms with their gardens, lifted without separating, become attached to distant villages. In one quarter, new lakes are formed in the midst of the earth, in another, rocks hitherto invisible, suddenly rear their wet summits from the bosom of the foaming sea. Springs are stopped, rivers disappear and lose themselves under ground; others, choked up by fragments of rocks, spread out into vast marshes. New springs gush out from the shattered sides of the mountain, incipient rivers struggle with youthful impetuosity, and endeavour to hollow out a channel for themselves amid the ruins of towns, palaces, apd temples. Presages of What makes earthquakes still more dread ul is, that there earthquakes. are no sjgns wnicn unequivocally indicate either their approach or their termination. They happen at all seasons, and under every constitution of the atmosphere. A subterraneous noise indeed is their infallible forerunner; but it is scarcely heard before the earth gives way. Animals, particularly horses, dogs, and fowls, shew by their terror a pre, sentiment h of its coming. The baroqicter falls extremely low. Earthquakes act with astonishing rapidity. It was one single shock which, on the 5th February, 17&3, overthrew Calabria, and destroyed Messina in less than two minutes. But these agitations are sometimes repealed fpr the space of months and whole years, as in 1755. Direction The direction of earthquakes is one of tie most remarkof earth-able facts in physical geography. Som.etjmes we remark a, -iu- es. centra p0int where the shpcks are most violent, and this centre sometimes changes its place, as if the subterraneous, force rebounded from one point to anothgf, sometimes we pan distinguish a certain line along which this force seems to move. The...