1692.—Port Royal, Jamaica, destroyed by an earthquake; land sinking into the sea. Eruption on St. Kitts.
1718.—Terrible earthquake on St. Vincent, followed by an eruption.
1766-67.—Great shocks in northeastern South America, in Cuba, Jamaica, and the Antilles. Eruption on Santa Lucia.
1797.—Earthquake in Quito, loss of 40,000 lives. Concussions in the Antilles, eruption on Guadeloupe.
1802.—Violent shocks in Antigua. Eruption on Guadeloupe.
1812.—Caracas, capital of Venezuela, totally destroyed by earthquake. Violent shocks in the Southern States of North America, commencing on November 11, 1811. Eruptions on St. Vincent and Guadeloupe.
1835-36.—Violent concussions in Chili and Central America. Eruption on Guadeloupe.
1902.—April 19. Violent shocks, destroying many towns of Central America. Mont Pelée, on Martinique, in activity. Eruption on May 3. Submarine cables break, sea recedes. Renewed violent movements of the sea on May 8, 19, 20. Eruption on St. Vincent, cable destroyed on May 7. Violent eruption of Mont Pelée on May 8. Destruction of St. Pierre. Numerous smaller earthquakes.
This table distinctly marks the restless state of affairs in that part of the earth, and how quiet and safe matters are comparatively in old Europe, especially in the north. Some parts of Central America are so persistently visited by earthquakes that one of them, Salvador, has been christened "Schaukelmatte." It is not saying too much to assert that the earth is there incessantly trembling. Other districts which are very frequently visited are the Kuriles and Japan, as well as the East Indian islands. In all these countries the crust of the earth has been broken and folded within comparatively recent epochs (chiefly in the Tertiary age) by numerous fissures, and their compression is still going on.
