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⟨the⟩ ruins! The stench arising from the ⟨dead⟩ bodies, is intolerable—such of them ⟨as⟩ could be come at, have been thrown into ⟨the⟩ sea, or collected into heaps and burned ⟨to⟩ ashes.
It is imagined that seven-eights of the ⟨houses⟩ in this city are demolished, and of ⟨those⟩ which still stand there are not perhaps ⟨twenty⟩ that will be found tenable. The ⟨customhouse⟩, which was built very strong, ⟨is⟩ not much injured—the house which I ⟨occupy⟩ is three stories high, and was likewise very strong—it stood the shock without falling, but it was so ⟨much⟩ injured that ⟨I⟩ do not intend to sleep in it, especially as we are continually kept in a state of alarm ⟨by⟩ the frequent shocks which have daily ⟨taken⟩ place ever since the 26th ult. When ⟨the⟩ first great shock occurred, I ran out of ⟨my⟩ house, and in my amazement, I turned ⟨round⟩, and beheld it rocking like a cradle, ⟨which⟩, with the roaring of the earthquake, ⟨the⟩ screams of the people, and the crashing ⟨perhaps⟩ of a thousand buildings, made the ⟨scene⟩ horrible beyond description!”
