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whether I ſhould ſtay in the apartment, or run into the ſtreet, as the danger in both places ſeemed equal, and ſtill flattering myſelf that this tremor might produce no other effects than ſuch inconſiderable ones as had been felt at Madeira; but in a moment I was rouſed from my dream, being inſtantly ſtunned with a moſt horrid craſh, as if every edifice in the city had tumbled down at once. The houſe I was in ſhook with such violence, that the upper ſtories immediately fell, and though my apartment (which was the first floor) did not than ſhare the ſame fate, yet everything was thrown out of its place in ſuch a manner, that it was with no ſmall difficulty I kept my feet, and expected nothing leſs than to be ſoon cruſhed to death, as the walls continued rocking to and fro in the frightfulleſt manner, opening in ſeveral places, large ſtones falling down on every ſide from the cracks, and the ends of moſt of the rafters ſtarting out from the roof. To add to this terrifying ſcene, the ſky in a moment became ſo gloomy, that I could now diſtinguiſh no particular object; it was an Egyptian darkneſs indeed, ſuch as might be felt; owing, no doubt, to the prodigious clouds of duſt and lime, raiſed from ſo violent a conceſſion, and as ſome reported, to ſulphureous exhalations, but this I cannot affirm; however, it is certain I found myſelf almoſt choaked for near ten minutes.
'As ſoon as the gloom began to diſperſe, and the violence of the ſhock ſeemed pretty much abated, the firſt object I perceived in the room was a woman ſitting on the floor, with an infant in her arms, all covered with duſt, pale and trembling; I aſked her how ſhe got hither: but her conſternation was ſo great that ſhe could give me no account of her eſcape; I ſuppoſe, that when the tremor firſt began, she ran out of her own houſe, and
