Greatly astonished was he at the
stories that he heard as to the land around him; how not
infrequently great subsidences, extending over very many square
miles, took place; and where towns and villages stood when the sun
went down, there spread in the morning a sea very many fathoms
deep. Hugh could hardly believe these tales, which he repeated to
Rupert, who in turn questioned Maria von Duyk, who answered him
that the stories were strictly true, and that many such great and
sudden catastrophes had happened.
"I can't understand it," Rupert said. "Of course one could imagine
a sea or river breaking through a dyke and covering low lands, but
that the whole country should sink, and there be deep water over
the spot, appears unaccountable."
"The learned believe," Maria said, "that deep down below the
surface of the land lies a sort of soil like a quicksand, and that
when the river deepens its bed so that its waters do enter this
soil it melts away, leaving a great void, into which the land above
does sink, and is altogether swallowed up."
"It is a marvellously uncomfortable feeling," Rupert said, "to
think that one may any night be awoke with a sudden crash, only to
be swallowed up."
"Such things do not happen often," Maria said; "and the districts
that suffer are after all but small in comparison to Holland. So I
read that in Italy the people do build their towns on the slopes of
Vesuvius, although history says that now and again the mountain
bubbles out in irruption, and the lava destroys many villages, and
even towns.
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