翻刻
未三月廿五日 御普請方 高木兵八印
同見習 西村覚内印
信濃国大地震之儀先温届申上候書付
一当月廿四日昼夜快晴暖気二而至極穏之日二御座候処同夜四ッ時頃
大地震二而信州中之余村私陣屋構練塀所々ゆり倒し其外陣屋
先許近辺 村々震ひ家手弱之分は下家廻り捻倒し厳敷震動致し
暫相立止り候処夫ゟ少々宛之間を置不絶震動陣屋より北之方江当り
雷鳴之如き響き有之夜明迄之内二は凡八十度余之地震翌朝少々
静かに相成候得共今以震動相止不申支配所水内拾村々之内二は潰家
厳敷怪我人等も有之由二御座候得共未タ訴出不申追々風聞之趣承候処
同国川中嶋辺より善光寺夫ゟ南二当り山中と唱江候一郷辺重々地震
と
相見へ川中嶋辺民家一村不残又は過半震倒其上出火二而不残焼失
致し候村々も有之一村三四拾人位ゟ弐三百人程も即死怪我人有之善光寺
は家並大体不残ゆり倒し其上焼失致し大造之即死怪我人有之都而
往還筋は此節善光寺供養ニ付夥敷旅人泊合居候故死人も多分二
御座候由山中辺は手遠片寄候故 様子難分候得共犀川上手二而山崩有之
川中留切流水更二無之丹波嶋渡舟場干上り歩行渡り二相成候由二御座候越
後国表之儀は如何御座候哉様子相分不申候右は風聞迄之儀二而聢と難
相分候間早速手代差出支配所潰家其外見分吟味之上外最寄村々
損亡をも風聞相糺し委細之儀は追而々可申上候且御預陣屋附同国佐久郡
現代語訳
未年三月二十五日 御普請方 高木兵八（印）
同見習 西村覚内（印）
信濃国大地震の件、先の臨時届として申し上げた書付
一、当月二十四日は昼夜ともに晴天で暖かく、至って穏やかな日でございましたところ、同夜四つ時頃に大地震が発生し、信州中之余村の私どもの陣屋の練り塀があちこちで揺れ倒れ、その他陣屋の周辺近隣の村々でも揺れが生じ、造りの弱い家は下家周りが捻れ倒れるほどの激しい震動がございました。しばらくして揺れが止まりましたが、その後も少しずつ間を置かずに震動が続き、陣屋より北の方角にあたって雷鳴のような響きがあり、夜明けまでの間におよそ八十度余りの地震がございました。翌朝には少々静かになりましたが、今もって震動は止まず、支配所の水内十ヶ村の内には家屋の倒壊や深刻な怪我人なども出ている由でございますが、まだ訴え出てきてはおらず、次第に風聞として聞こえてくる様子によりますと、
同国川中島辺りから善光寺、さらにそこから南に当たり「山中」と称される一帯において、地震が特に激しかったと見受けられ、川中島辺りの民家は一村残らず、あるいは過半数が揺れ倒れ、その上出火により一村残らず焼失した村々もあり、一村につき三・四十人から二・三百人ほどが即死し怪我人も出ており、善光寺では家並みがほぼ残らず揺れ倒れ、その上焼失し、多数の即死者・怪我人が出ました。総じて往還筋は、この時期善光寺の供養のために夥しい旅人が宿泊していたため、死者も多数にのぼっている由でございます。山中辺りは遠隔で片寄った場所であるため様子はよくわかりかねますが、犀川の上手で山崩れがあり、川が留め切られて流水が全くなくなり、丹波島の渡し場が干上がって歩いて渡れるようになったとのことでございます。越後国の状況はいかがでございましょうか、様子は分かっておりません。以上はあくまで風聞によるものであり、確かなことは分かりかねますので、早速手代を差し出して支配所の倒壊家屋その他を見分・吟味した上、近隣村々の損害についても風聞を糺し、詳細については追って申し上げます。なお、お預かりの陣屋付き、同国佐久郡（以下次ページへ続く）
英語訳
Minouru [Year of the Ram], Third Month, 25th Day Gofushinkata [Construction Official]: Takagi Heihachi (seal)
Same, Apprentice: Nishimura Kakuuchi (seal)
A written notice submitted as a preliminary urgent report regarding the great earthquake in Shinano Province.
Item: The 24th day of this month was clear throughout the day and night, warm and thoroughly calm, when around the Hour of the Pig [approximately 10 p.m.], a great earthquake occurred. At our administrative outpost (jinya) in Shinano Nakanoyomura, the mud-plastered walls were toppled in various places, and in the surrounding villages near the outpost, the shaking caused weaker structures to be twisted and collapsed. After a violent trembling, the shaking subsided briefly, but thereafter continuous tremors followed with only brief intervals between them. A roaring sound like thunder was heard in the direction to the north of the outpost, and until dawn there were approximately eighty or more tremors in total. The following morning things became somewhat quieter, but the tremors have not yet ceased, and we have heard that within the ten villages of Mizuchi under our jurisdiction, there are collapsed houses and seriously injured persons; however, no formal reports have yet been submitted, and we have only been receiving the information gradually through rumor. According to what we have heard:
In the area stretching from Kawanakajima in the same province through Zenkoji and further south to the area known as "Yamanaka," the earthquakes appear to have been particularly severe. In the Kawanakajima area, entire villages without exception — or at least the majority of houses — were shaken down, and on top of that, fires broke out and entire villages burned to the ground. In some villages, anywhere from thirty or forty to two or three hundred persons were instantly killed, with many more injured. In Zenkoji, almost all the houses were toppled and subsequently burned, with a great number of immediate fatalities and injured persons. As the main roads were at this time packed with large numbers of travelers who had lodged there for the Zenkoji memorial service (kuyo), the death toll is reported to be considerable. The area called Yamanaka is remote and difficult to access, so the situation there is unclear; however, it is reported that a landslide occurred in the upper reaches of the Sai River, damming it completely so that the water flow ceased entirely, and the Tanbajima ferry crossing dried up, becoming passable on foot. As for the situation in Echigo Province, this is not yet known. Since all of the above is based on rumor and cannot be confirmed with certainty, we will promptly dispatch agents to inspect and investigate the collapsed houses and other damage in our jurisdiction, as well as to look into the damage in nearby villages through inquiry, and we will report the details in due course. Furthermore, regarding the attached outpost in Saku District of the same province (continued on next page)...