'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎291] (468/524)

OF THE 29TH APRIL 1864.
291
carriage, by saying “they are so elastic,” they mean they are so
flexible. Elasticity and flexibility are, in fact, opposites in some re
spects. A perfectly elastic solid is one that, after forcible alteration of
figure completely restores itself; if perfectly flexible, it would not
restore itself at all, and might be beat to any extent without. No such
bodies exist in nature. All terrestrial materials present variable combi
nations of elasticity and flexibility, neither being perfect.”
As the earthquake we are about to consider made its influence to
be felt over a large superficial area, it may be well to illustrate
what would be the probable chief features of the seismic influences
in their operation over the whole surface. But before attempting to
do this, it will be well to glance back at the history of the great earth
quake of Cutch, the first shock of which, and the most violent, took
place at a feAV minutes before 7 p* m. on the 16th June 1819, continuing
with shocks of inferior violence until the 20th, when the volcano
called Denodar, situated 30 miles North-west from Bhooj, burst into
action, and the movements of the earth at once ceased.
Captain Baird Smith in describing this earthquake says, “ We
have no accounts of the effect of this earthquake at any point further
Westward than in the Province of Cutch, although from its violence
it is probable that it extended to Sind and Mekran.”
The effects of the shock in the Western portion of the province
were remarkable and severe.
An extensive subsidence of the delta of the Indus took place, ana
says Mr. Lyell, “although the ruin of towns was great, the face of
nature in the inland country was not visibly altered.
“ In the hills some large masses only of rock and soil were detached
from the precipices, hut the eastern and almost deserted channel of the
Indus, which hounds the Province of Cutch, was greatly changed.
“ The estuary or inlet of the sea was before the earthquake ford
able at Lucput at high tide, then never being more than 6 feet, but
this was deepened after the shock to 21 feet. By these and other re
Hiarkable changes of level a part of the inland navigation of t at conn
fry, which had been closed for centuries, became again piactica e.
Another remarkable alteration effected by this. memorable con
vulsion was the upheaval of a mound of sand near Smdree, extending