EARTHQUAKE.

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down. Cristofaro and I then sat down to supper, anddrank falernian and champagne till day-light. During thenight I bethought me of trying my rope escape, but hadscarcely touched the ground, when I was seized by a passingpatrol of soldiers, who took me at first sight for a robber.Cristofaro’s vociferations from above calling me master,and my appearance, procured my immediate release, so Ireturned home by the way I had left it.

No further shock occurred, the damaged houses were soonrepaired, and after a few weeks the nerves of the inhabitantswere tranquillized.

Not so upon the district which was the centre of thecommotion.

Frosolone appears to have been the very centre of themovement. It is situated in the Appennines , betweenTerra di Lavoro and the country of Molise. Isernia is thenearest town of importance to the western edge of themain field of commotion, it is about forty miles due northof Naples. The track subverted, extended from Isernia toIelzi, forty miles in length; and of the breadth fromMonterodoni to Cerreto, fifteen miles, thus including aspace of six hundred square miles, along the Matese chainof mountains. Upon this extent of territory there existedsixty-one towns or villages, containing about fifty thousandpeople; and of all that number of towns, two only,—San Giovanni, in Galdo, and Castropignano , although builton the sides of the mount Matese, were left standing. Sixthousand persons perished under circumstances and casesvery similar to those exhibited at the great earthquake ofCalabria in the year 1783, a few particulars of which I shalltrace in the following pages, on the strength of their neverhaving yet been published in this country. During thisearthquake of 1804, which is usually called “ of Molise, ”the movements were very various, as well as the effects,