Excerpt from Memoirs Read Before the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. 2: Being a New Series of the Boston Journal of Natural History Although no recent or noteworthy manifestation of either seismic or volcanic force has made the present an especially appropriate time to review the records of the past, and collect the scattered and imperfect accounts Of such seismic phenomena as have been no ticed in New England in the comparatively Short period covered by the observation of civilized nations, yet the steadily increasing interest in these studies Will, perhaps, render useful a compilation Of such facts as possess historical authenticity, which may serve as a basis for the Observations which must be made in the field. M. Alexis Perrey, the distinguished savant Of Dijon, has published1 in his series Of local catalogues a tolerably complete list Of the earthquakes which are Said to have taken place in the central and eastern part Of North America, but his work is not easily Obtained. Professor Williams, also, in the Memoirs Of the American Academy,2 has collected much valuable material; and Professor Mallet's catalogue,3 and many fragmentary scientific and historical papers contain nearly all the rest that is known of the surface indications of that power which has in ages long past done SO much to mould the surface Of New England. Indian tradition gives us nothing of any value, for people in an uncivilized state do not note the paroxysmal changes of Nature, though the weather signs are Often carefully Observed. The early settlers in New England were men Of little leisure, whose whole life was a battle against stubborn nature and Sinful man, and the earthquake Shock was a slight thing beside the abundant harvest of a cornfield, or the erection Of the town stocks. Where the hand of the Lord led them they were willing to go, and Where His hand was seen in the tremor Of the mighty earth a record was made, but much as the record Of some pest, or a great drought. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.