From the Sandwich Islands we have no news of earthquakes save one, which is here inserted: “A very severe shock of earthquake was felt at Kawaihae, Hawaii, on the twenty-fourth of February, the most severe that the residents there have had for many years.”
The arrival of the whaling fleet from the Northern seas brings no intelligence of the occurrence of these phenomena, as was the case of the preceding year; hence, the presumption is, that subterranean action has not been violent in those distant regions during the year just passed.
On the coast of Mexico, and inclusive between the twenty-fifth and thirty-second parallels, we have received intelligence of the occurrence of one earthquake, which appears to have been felt on both shores of the Gulf of California for a distance of nearly two hundred miles, both north and south. We have no records south of that point.
The shocks which we can authenticate within the limits of our own State, are as follows:
January 9th.—This shock was felt from Sacramento to the southern boundary of the State. It was preceded by three smart shocks the night and morning previous. At Santa Barbara water was thrown over the surface from a shoal well, seven feet deep, the water in which was less than three feet in depth.
January 18th, 9h.—A light shock at Martinez and Benicia.
January 20th, 8h. 30m.—A smart shock was felt at Santa Cruz and Mission San Juan.
January 21st, 23h.—On the evening of this day a smart shock was felt at Mariposa. The wave and sound seemed to travel from north-west to south-east. It was accompanied with a report like that of a distant gun.
February 5th, 7h.—A smart shock was felt in San Francisco, which shook the buildings that are situated on made-ground very severely, while those situated on firmer bottoms were affected. This shock was felt at Oakland and Stockton, but was not felt at San José or Sacramento, as reported at the time.
March 14th, 15h.—A severe shock was felt at Santa Barbara and Montecito. It was momentary in duration, attended with a loud report.