The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1854-06-24

slsSsts.. - !
ally In q stream Mko: melted lead, { as many
travellers have attested. At imminent peril;
have walked |f0f miles oyeF fields of lava
thrown from the volcano of Popocatapetl -
The geography OF the. heayons ia as farnil.
ier to science as tho geography Of the earth.
Eclipses Sare foreknown and foretold with
most exact accuracy. Comets are the only heay.
enly visitors that come ;unannounced. But no
subterranean gcographer has explored the
realms of tho earthquake, or the secrets Of the
great caldron the bowels of the earth. 1t is
q terra ;neogrita too remote and deep and inac.
cessible for all but the eye of reason. j
My object was only to describe tho effect and
sensation of an earthquake as felt By myself,
but have, in attempting to account for their
cause, boen drawn off too widely and too long
from my object
Tho first earthquake which 4 felt though
very violent one, which continued for some
minutes strange to say, so confused and sicken.
cd me, that had no idea that it was an earth.
quake If I could have reasoned, and had
not been under strong delusion, could not
have been 30 mistaken.
1t was in October, 1847, that was ono of the
army in the city of Mexico. was at tho time
in the command of q small guard at the quar-
ters Of Gen. Pillow. It was early in the morn.
ing, and had just taken drink Of atole, which
l bought from an old Mexican woman, and star
ted to my room at the palace, about half mile
of, to get breakfast Before had gone far I
began to feel sickness at tho stomach, and eiddi-
ness in tho head, and staggered and reeled SO
that 1 could scarcely keep my feet 1 mado
several efforts to brace up and walk straight
but so far from walking straightIy, tottered and
staggered m every direction, and came very
near falling. thought of the old woman and
the atole, and felt certain that slie had poisoned
me. Atole ia drink, in consistence and ap-
pearance, between soup and musll. It is made
OF corn meal and sweetenod with sugar, and is
very pleasant and popular drink. The first
living thing astir in the morning, Is the old wo-
man sitting ut the street corner Awaiting to re-
tail atole to the passer-by.
I knew there was nothing Intoxicating in
atole, and could not account for the inexplica.
bic state Of affairs by the consoling conviction
that was drunk ~. : =.
There was but ono conclusion, which was
that I was poisoned, and that one fastened so
| strongly upon my mind as to exclude any 9th
er Iexpected to bo dead in few, moments,
and hastoned to get to my room, and write
few hasty lines before died. The earth shook
and reeled beneath my feet, but still kept on
my dubious way, attributing it to a delusion
of my senses by poison. reached the Grand
fiaza, and five or six thousand people were un-
covered upon their knees. praying vehemently,
While hundred bells were ringing and scores
of priests were running about in hurry land
alarm, gesticulating, praying, and going through
variety of ceremonies which I did not under.
stand. Such an extraordinary spectacle, to-
gether with the heaving of the earth, might
have suggested to me the idea of an earthquake
Yet it did not. 1 came up to pool Of water,
and it was violently agitated, and running From,
side to side. A large fountain Of water wss in
tho centre of the Plaza, and nearly oil of it was
dashed out by the violent shaking of the earth.
stopped and tried to reason. A stagnant
pool of water running violently from side to
side, and even in the confusion Of nv senses at
the time, seemed to provo TINT it.was the earth
| shat reeled and not my senses. Yet |, was 90
sick ut my stomach, 80 giddy at my brain, SO con-
fused, and 50 strongly deluded with the convic.
ton that was poisoned aud dying, that if the
cathedral before me had, fallen to the ground,
should not probably have thought Of an Garth.
quake. - .s,...l =. Z.
! Before ], reached the palace, tho shocks had
ceased, and began to feel better, and to walk
more firmly. Il asked tho sentinel at the door
what was the cause Of al, the stir and furry
in tho Plaza, which he answered BY wondering
if I did not know what an earthquake wasi--
An earthquake 81 breathsd more freely. IL
was only an earthquake and WA NOT poison.
sdnnd dying. Blessings, and NOT e,trsesS On the
old woman and her satola How long the earths
quake lastsd, 4 can. by Tie faSf
thnt e continued while walked fout, hundred
ynrds, which must have been two OF three min;
ntes -, Z. .lls4s q &: s.. ~ g
The nausea at tho stomach, and the eidd diness
in the brain were Produced ~ the earthquake
end mot the atole. 81. q ST.
It wasthe mosts syiioieaat earth thauakat had
yisited the eity foz many it did .ssti;:ss
|ousinjufy % tho mo- SSsioiid paBiie sd;lis
town about forty miles was Burfssd inl
the ruins. S 4 =
S This Il an descli liptioaofa & faet
given ssaseufatelsa 90 my Iasinor sreosilsif
lapss q fssi,early sayens pears
q lind to staftls and sslf apSn sfhs
mind and even nowI .rsmembe II I6ost Sisidly.]l
~ have many adventures and spsrsonaEIfss
,aS,fhyanCaS =, A ysJy ~ i3sx