During  the  Andalusian  earthquake  in  1884  the
river  Cogollos  suddenly  altered  its  course,  and  all
the  streams  and  rivulets  around  the  village  of
Guevjar  disappeared,  while  the  bed  of  the  river
Almachar,  in  the  same  district,  was  riven  asunder,
and  its  waters  inundated  the  surrounding  country,
which  it  was  no  longer  possible  to  irrigate.
At  times,  the  water  of  rivers  and  large  lakes
rises  like  a  mountain  to  a  great  altitude,  and  in
falling  back  submerges  the  surrounding  country.
The  fall  of  this  mass  of  water  is  always  ac-
companied by  a  terrible  crash,  and  it  buries
everything  which  comes  in  its  way.  Thus  upon
the  26th  of  August,  1856,  during  a  violent  under-
ground earthquake  in  Honduras,  a  lake  several
leagues  in  extent  suddenly  overflowed,  and  did
more  damage  than  the  earthquake  itself.
The  underground  scourge  also  has  a  very  pre-
ponderating influence  upon  the  vast  and  peaceful
system  of  springs,  the  beneficent  action  of  which
animates  and  maintains  organic  life  upon  the
surface  of  the  planet.  An  earthquake  shock  will
cause  some  springs  to  dry  up,  and  others  to
increase  in  volume,  while  in  some  cases  fresh
springs  are  brought  into  play.  Thus  in  Greece,


EARTHQUAKES.  41.
which  has  suffered  more  from  earthquake  than  any
other  country  in  Europe,  a  great  number  of  springs,
some  still  in  existence,  others  since  exhausted,
have  been  born  in  the  midst  of  earthquakes.
As  a  rule,  an  underground  shock  disturbs  the


Violent  upheaval  of  the  waters  of  a  river  during  earthquake  shocks.
