This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1834 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IV. DESCRIPTION OF AN EARTHQUAKE. From the Rev. Mr. Burchers, minister of Stellenbosch, I received the following account of the first of the two late earthquakes: -- "The church of Paarl, about eight miles distant, was then vacant. The governor desired me to preach once a month there. On a Saturday, before setting off to that place, I felt exceedingly dull and indolent. On sabbath morning, my wife and I went to Paarl: on reaching it, I felt very feeble, and asked for some water, but could not drink it, for it was luke-warm. They said it was brought from the fountain. I sent my own slave to the fountain, but what he brought was warm also. I went myself, and found it the same. We could not account for this. While preaching, I found myself so dull, I hardly knew what I said. I mentioned my feelings to some of the people, after sermon, who said they felt in the same way. Next morning we returned to Stellenbosch, All day my family, myself, and slaves, and even the dogs, were unwell. At ten o'clock at night we were all alarmed, with a noise resembling that of a thousand wagons running along the streets. We did 1 not know what it was, but my family were terrified. A great light shone into the room. Supposing it had been thunder, I told them not to be afraid, for the danger was over, the lightning being gone. While talking, the same noise as before was repeated, and every thing shook. Oh! said I, it is an earthquake; come all out of the house into the garden. We felt as if there had been no life in us, as the scriptures express it. There was a third shock, which was inferior to the two former. The noise was not only awful because of its loudness, but also from the nature of the sound; it was a kind of melancholy groan or howl. The dogs...