A few weeks after Audubon's return to Hen-
dersonville, the western section of the state of Ken-
tucky and the banks of the Mississippi suffered from a
very severe shock of earthquake. In the month of
November, the Naturalist was riding along on horseback,
when he heard what he imagined to be the distant
rumbling of a violent tornado. " On which," says he, " I
spurred my steed, wdth a wish to gallop as fast as possible
to the place of shelter. But it would not do ; the animal
knew better than I what was forthcoming, and instead of
going faster, so nearly stopped, that I remarked he placed



An Earthquale. 53

one foot after another on the ground with as much pre-
caution as if walking on a smooth sheet of ice. I thought
he had suddenly foundered, and, speaking {o him, was on
the point of dismounting and leading him, when he all 01
a sudden fell a groaning piteously, hung his head, spread
out his four legs, as if to save himself from falling, and
stood stock still, continuing to groan. I thought my
horse was about to die, and would have sprung from his
back had a minute more elapsed ; but at that instant all
the shrubs and trees began to move from their ver}^ roots,
the ground rose and fell in successive furrows, like the
ruffled waters of a lake, and I became bewildered in my
ideas, as I too plainly discovered that all this awful
commotion in nature was the result of an earthquake.
