পাতা:ভূকম্প.djvu/৫৪

[ 41 ) Some say the the inierior of the earth is full of various melals and salis (i. e. gold, copper, sulphur, sulphates and nitrates de ). Some of them undergo various changes and are ultimately lost in the course of nature. This, they hold, causes hollows and cavities in the intorior of the earth, and the pressure of the animals moving about on the surface causes the upper layers of the earth to subside, thereby causing earthquake. The earth is noi cerłainly a new creulion. Ii came into existence several thousands of years ago and surely long before the age of ihe Puranas or the Ramayana. We have seen that neither in the Puranas nor in the Ramayana cun be found any description of this phenomenon. Had there been in those days any incidents like those which Յre now-a-days happening in India, Japan and other paris of the world, then we could have traced some description of them in the Puranas or in the Epics of lhe country. Thał slight remors were fell before can, however, be proved from the fact that, in our Hindu Sasiras, earthquake has been described as an evil omen, and it has been said that all auspicious works should be abandoncq if an earthquake inlervenes. But severe earthquakes can never have happened before as otherwise