THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

LE LAD

The Great Earthquake at Lisbon.

TERRIBLE earthquake
happened in the city
of Lisbon, in Novem-
ber, 1775. An
English gentleman
who was traveling
in that part of
the continent at
tay the time, gives
the following in-
teresting partic-
ulars of the dis-
aster, which will interest my readers :—
I happened to be in a brick passage,
when all of a sudden I heard a loud
rumbling noise attended with the shock
of an earthquake, and that by another,
and another. ‘Terrified with fear, I stood
praying to God, till the shocks increased
to such a degree that I was almost induced
to think it was the end of the world, and
was hastening to the street, when it fell
in under and over me. In an instant I
was buried in the ruins, the ground appear-
ing to open of itself, and darkness spread
around. About ten minutes after this, I
found myself stopped, and began to open
my eyes, but I saw that I was buried in
dirt and rubbish from my feet half up
my thighs, and was almost choked with
gravel and mortar in my mouth and ears.
Deal boards and broken pieces of timber
providentially disposed one across the oth-
er, prevented me from being entirely en-
tombed. I might have freed myself, but
a stone pillar standing almost over me, I
feared to move, lest pillar, mortar, timber
and rubbish, all should come upon me
and overwhelm me in an instant. Seeing
therefore no hope of extricating myself, I
began to call out as loud as I possibly

 
 
 
 
 
  

could, Help! or I must perish! Help!
Help! Four different persons came within
sight of me at different times, but per-
ceiving stones hang over their heads to a
very great height, they dared not venture
to render me any kind of assistance. I
expected every minute that some of the
impending stones would have fallen,
either by the least breath of wind, or by
the ensuing shocks; but by the protect-
ing hand of the Almighty, nothing more
fell upon me. Every moment my ear was
saluted with the dreadful sounds of many
poor wretches striking their heads against
the stones. From other places I heard
their dying groans; but soon they almost
all ceased, and I began to be certain that
death was approaching, from the acute-
ness of my own pain. Methought that
from my knees downwards I was in a
cauldron of boiling oil. The pain was so
extremely sharp, that darting now and
then to my heart and head, I expected
every moment to expire. In this state I
remained from a quarter before ten,
(which was the time when the earthquake
began) crying for help till about one
o'clock, at which time my spirits became
quite exhausted. No longer expecting to
be delivered, and thinking it in yain to
call any more for aid, I resigned myself
to die a martyr. In despair, therefore, I
turned my head, which was considerably
lower than my body, to look for a stone
or something whereon I might rest. I
perceived at length a broken piece of deal
board, which I laid across as well as I
could, and having no hope of deliverance,
I put my head upon it, waiting for death.
Having lain in this condition till half-past
four o'clock, I fancied I heard something