+ EARTHQUAKE.
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We have been favoured with he follow.
ing extract of letter from the Cape Of
Good Hope, dated Dec. 1900


"Asy you viii pnobaoly have heard of the
earthquake, which has taken place here, !
wish to let you know that am perfectly
well, having escaped injury, much alarmed.
X took place on the fourth Of this month !;
the FIRST shock abou, quarter after ten at
night. We we're roussd up suddenly by a
most violent, loud, huAiSw, rumbiing, sub
terranecus sound. with considerable de-
gree of motion over the entire house (which
from It's cracking and rocking, we i'm agin.
ed it could not stand. The bells rung most
violently, we therefore made our escape
as far as possible into the open air. This
shock continued abou. minute, and after
momenl'. calm, was succeeded by sec.
ond one, much more alarming and heavy
than the 6rst,snd attended with all the same
symptoms, tu. in a much more tel rible de-
gree, aud proceeded like j, from the centre
of the Table Mountain, nearly duc south.
into the sea: the sky perfectly clear and
bright with stars and not cloud 10 be seen.
This shock continued about two minutes,
and Was mos, dreadful. There were three
others within the space Of half All hour from
the first, all comparatively slight. The
chief symptoms, during this mas, awful phe-
nomenon, were--ihe dogs barking & howl.
ing most terribly watches and clocks ei'
,her stopping entirely or else loosing time |;
the bells in all the houses ringing violently /;
hoases cracking from top to bottom the
earth dischargng water in places hitherto
d,y aud the stars shooting in every direc-
ton across the sky ~ We have had lesser
ones, either by night or day, ever since,
which leaves US in the most unpleasant
state of suspence.


ITO a.,emp, giving an idea of the con"
fusion and dismay OF the inhabitants and G.
very class ofpeorlc, is quite out Of my pow
er, Most Of them were in bed at the time,
and in moment the streets and govern.
men, gardens were filed with all ages, sex
es, and colours, nearly naked. screaming
and wringing their hands, in expectation Of
being swallowed up every moment. They
remained ont the whole night, since which
time they have pitched tents In the different
squares and open places, where they remain
during the night /; nor do think they will
be induced 10 sleep in their houses for some
time. Providensially, there were no lives
lost, as no houses were actually thrown
down, ba, many persons have been Obliged
to take theirs to pieces, in consequences OF
the injury they have sustained. The the
ome,er was, during the whole time, be.
tween n and IS.