翻刻
【一枚目】
弘化四未年三月
信州大地震之手紙
当三月廿四日之夜四ツ時頃俄に大地震有之
中之条陣屋構塀大半ゆり崩し候得共建
家別条無之元村にも同様庇等震動候得共
潰家幷怪我人等無之陣内に而も庭中野陣
を張本家に住居いたし候もの無之同夜暁
迄に八九十度も大小震動致し日に百七拾度
又は百度程も其内大地震五六度有之
当月朔日ゟ五日迄は日に三四度程も間遠
に相成候得共其内大地震弐三度有之今に震動
相止不申候未た村々に而も野宿いたし居候
者多分御座候
一支配所は水内郡之内に六ヶ村民家皆潰
同様死人多き場所に候得共其余は破損
之分多く見分手代遣し置候得共未た取
調出来兼申候
一松代領水内郡に山中と唱候一郷有之三万
石余之場所に候処右村之別而地震強く
山崩れ村毎に有之家居悉く潰死人夥
敷同郡水内橋之下犀川之両縁に手林
長井と申両村有之右枝郷之山両方ゟ
崩れ落岩石犀川を塞き人家木立とも
右崩落候土上に其儘有之大土手築き候
姿に而敷八丁程も有之自然之山を現し候
如く川下え水一滴も落不申川上瀬水之
如く数ヶ村水下たに相成中六七丁又は十四五
丁長さ五六里余 廿四日ゟ今日迄十日
余に相成候得共未た水落不申右崩落候場
所是迄之手水ゟは大凡八九十間も高く
候処追々水 三十間余も水上え有之此節
照続候故歟犀川減水致候右広場えたゝ
へ候水嵩一昼夜に弐三尺位も之由此上大雨
に而も有之候得は格別無左候而は二三十日
相過不申候而は流れ落申間敷哉之由然る処
川下村々に而は一時に切れ落亡村に可相成と
食物に携山上え逃登或一村不残他所え
立退抔騒居候風聞に付見分之者差遣し
水上之様子為見届候処当時之姿に而は易
容に切れ落可申様子は無之仮令満水に而も
銚子之口之如く自然流れ落可申哉之由に御座候
一松代城下町は潰家弐た通り有之由に候得共
場所に寄強弱有之領分一体に而は夥敷
潰家死人に而是迄届有之候分弐千人余右山
中郷之分未相見分不申候得共大凡壱万人
程之死失に而も可有之由同藩之噂にも御座候
【二枚目】
一善光寺町は此節開帳中に付諸国ゟ
参詣之道者夥敷同夜之地震俄にゆり
に而逃げ出し候者も押潰二た足とも歩行致
候間合せ無之押潰拾人之家内六七人死失
又は一家不残死亡も有之死人之山を築候
由其上三四ヶ所より出火致烈風に而焼払ひ
町家九分通り焼失本堂山門本坊は
相残候而已其余不残類焼前代未聞
之大変に而追々承り候へは寺領八千人之
人割三千人余死且参詣之道者凡弐千人余
死失其外右道中筋に而同様死候者
何千人と申事相知不申候由
一飯山城下幷上田領稲荷山村右善光寺
町同様地震之上出火に付土地之者は勿論
止宿之道者も夥敷死亡其外水内郡更
科郡両郡之内北国往還筋は同様潰家
幷死人も有之未た取片付け出来兼候場所も
有之丹波嶋ゟ善光寺辺今に臭気甚
敷往来之者鼻を掩候由に御座候
一此度之地震之模様は信濃国水内郡根本
と相見へ山崩れ地破夥敷又壱村皆潰之
場所も有之高井更科 【埴脱ヵ】料【科誤ヵ】筑摩安曇
之五郡は同様山崩れ潰家多分之場所に候へ共
先つ枝葉之姿其内にも地脈寄候哉所々
強弱有之小県佐久両郡は余勢而已に而及
潰候程之家居無之夫に而も平常之地震に
引くらへ候得は大地震とも可申哉之由
一越後国も同様大地震之由に候へとも風聞に而
事実一向相分り不申候以上
弘化四未三月
信濃国
支配所 御代官
高五万石之内 高木清右衛門
一弐千百十五軒 潰家
内 拾軒 焼失
内拾六軒 土中埋
一七百八十弐軒 半潰
一拾弐ヶ所 潰高札場
一弐拾六ヶ所 潰堂宮
一三百三拾壱ヶ所 潰土蔵
一五百拾八人 即死
一千四百六拾人 怪我人
一百五十六匹 死馬
一弐 疋 死牛
右之通に御坐候依之御届け申上候以上
未四月 御代官高木清右衛門
現代語訳
【一枚目】
弘化四年（1847年）未年三月
信州大地震の手紙
当三月二十四日の夜四つ時頃（午後10時頃）、突然大地震が発生しました。
中之条陣屋の構内の塀は大半が揺れ崩れましたが、建物には別状ありません。元村でも同様に庇などが震動しましたが、潰れた家や怪我人はありません。陣内でも庭に野陣を張り、本家に住居している者はいません。同夜明け方まで八、九十回も大小の震動があり、一日に百七十回、または百回程度、そのうち大地震が五、六回ありました。
当月一日から五日までは一日に三、四回程度と間遠になりましたが、そのうち大地震が二、三回あり、今も震動は止みません。まだ村々でも野宿をしている者が多数います。
一、支配所は水内郡の内の六か村で民家がすべて潰れ、同様に死人が多い場所ですが、その他は破損の部分が多く、見分の手代を派遣していますが、まだ取り調べができません。
一、松代領水内郡に山中と称する一郷があり、三万石余りの場所ですが、この村は特に地震が強く、山崩れが村ごとにあり、家屋はことごとく潰れ、死人が非常に多数出ています。同郡水内橋の下、犀川の両岸に手林、長井という両村がありますが、これらの枝郷の山が両方から崩れ落ち、岩石が犀川を塞ぎ、人家や木立とともに崩落した土の上にそのまま残り、大きな土手を築いたような姿で幅八町程もあり、自然の山を現したかのようで、川下へ水が一滴も流れません。川上は瀬水のように数か村が水没し、中六、七町または十四、五町、長さ五、六里余り。二十四日から今日まで十日余りになりますが、まだ水は流れ落ちません。崩落した場所は、これまでの平水位より大凡八、九十間も高いところですが、追々水が三十間余りも水上にあります。この節照り続いているためか、犀川は減水しており、その広場に溜まった水の嵩は一昼夜に二、三尺位とのことです。この上大雨でもあれば格別ですが、そうでなければ二、三十日経たなければ流れ落ちないのではないかということです。しかし川下の村々では一時に切れ落ちて滅亡の村になると、食物を携えて山上へ逃げ登ったり、ある一村は残らず他所へ立ち退くなど騒いでいる風聞により、見分の者を差し遣わし、水上の様子を見届けさせたところ、当時の姿では容易に切れ落ちる様子はなく、たとえ満水でも銚子の口のように自然に流れ落ちるだろうということです。
一、松代城下町は潰れた家が二通りあったということですが、場所により強弱があり、領分全体では夥しい潰れ家と死人で、これまで届け出があった分は二千人余り、その山中郷の分はまだ見分けできませんが、大凡一万人程の死者があるのではないかと同藩の噂でもあります。
【二枚目】
一、善光寺町はこの節開帳中により諸国から参詣の道者が夥しく、同夜の地震で突然揺れ、逃げ出した者も押し潰され、二つの足とも歩行できる間もなく押し潰され、十人の家内で六、七人が死亡、または一家残らず死亡もあり、死人の山を築いたということです。その上三、四か所より出火し、烈風で焼き払い、町家の九分通りが焼失しました。本堂、山門、本坊は残りましたが、その他は残らず類焼し、前代未聞の大変事です。追々聞くところでは、寺領八千人の人割で三千人余りが死に、参詣の道者凡そ二千人余りが死亡、その外、街道筋で同様に死んだ者が何千人かは分からないということです。
一、飯山城下並びに上田領稲荷山村は、善光寺町同様地震の上出火により、土地の者はもちろん宿泊の道者も夥しく死亡しました。その外、水内郡、更科郡両郡の内、北国往還筋は同様に潰れ家並びに死人もあり、まだ取り片付けができない場所もあり、丹波島から善光寺辺りは今も臭気が甚だしく、往来の者は鼻を覆うということです。
一、この度の地震の模様は信濃国水内郡が根本と見え、山崩れ、地割れが夥しく、また一村すべて潰れた場所もあります。高井、更科、埴科、筑摩、安曇の五郡は同様に山崩れ、潰れ家が多分の場所ですが、先ず枝葉の姿で、その内でも地脈によるのか所々強弱があり、小県、佐久両郡は余勢のみで潰れるほどの家屋はありませんが、それでも平常の地震に比べれば大地震とも言えるでしょう。
一、越後国も同様大地震だったということですが、風聞で事実は一向分かりません。以上
弘化四年未年三月
信濃国
支配所 御代官
高五万石の内 高木清右衛門
一、二千百十五軒 潰れ家
内 十軒 焼失
内十六軒 土中埋没
一、七百八十二軒 半潰
一、十二か所 潰れ高札場
一、二十六か所 潰れ堂宮
一、三百三十一か所 潰れ土蔵
一、五百十八人 即死
一、千四百六十人 怪我人
一、百五十六匹 死馬
一、二匹 死牛
右の通りです。これにより御届け申し上げます。以上
未年四月 御代官高木清右衛門
英語訳
【First Page】
Kōka 4 (1847), Year of the Sheep, Third Month
Letter about the Great Earthquake in Shinshū
On the night of the 24th of this third month, around the fourth hour (approximately 10 PM), a great earthquake suddenly occurred.
Most of the walls around the Nakanojō magistrate's office compound collapsed from the shaking, but the buildings were undamaged. In Motomura as well, eaves and such shook similarly, but there were no collapsed houses or injured people. Even within the magistrate's compound, temporary shelters were set up in the gardens, with no one residing in the main house. From that night until dawn, there were eighty to ninety tremors large and small, with 170 or sometimes about 100 per day, of which five or six were major earthquakes.
From the first to the fifth of this month, it decreased to about three or four times per day at longer intervals, but among these there were still two or three major earthquakes, and the tremors continue to this day. Many people in the villages are still sleeping outdoors.
1. In the administrative territory, six villages within Minochi District had all their private houses collapse. Similarly, there are many dead in these locations, but in other areas there is mostly damage. We have dispatched assistants for inspection, but the investigation is not yet complete.
1. In Matsushiro domain's Minochi District, there is a village called Yamanaka, a location of over 30,000 koku. This village experienced particularly strong earthquakes, with landslides occurring in every village, all houses completely collapsed, and an enormous number of deaths. In the same district, below Minochi Bridge, on both banks of the Saigawa River, there are two villages called Tebayashi and Nagai. The mountains of these branch villages collapsed from both sides, rocks blocked the Saigawa River, and houses and trees remain buried under the collapsed earth, creating what looks like a massive embankment about eight chō wide, resembling a natural mountain. Not a drop of water flows downstream. Upstream, several villages are submerged like shallow waters, spanning six to seven chō or fourteen to fifteen chō in the middle, with a length of over five to six ri. From the 24th until today, over ten days have passed, but the water still hasn't flowed down. The collapsed area is about eighty to ninety ken higher than the previous water level, but gradually water has accumulated over thirty ken above. Perhaps due to the continuing clear weather, the Saigawa has decreased in volume, and the water accumulated in that wide area rises about two to three shaku per day and night. If there were heavy rain, it would be different, but otherwise it may not flow down for twenty to thirty days. However, the villages downstream are in an uproar, with people carrying food and fleeing to the mountaintops or entire villages evacuating elsewhere, fearing that it might suddenly break through and destroy their villages. We sent inspectors to assess the upstream situation, and they reported that in its current state, it doesn't appear likely to break through easily, and even if it becomes full, it would probably flow down naturally like the spout of a teapot.
1. In Matsushiro castle town, there were collapsed houses in two districts, but the intensity varied by location. Throughout the domain territory, there were numerous collapsed houses and deaths. Reports received so far indicate over 2,000 deaths, and the portion from Yamanaka village has not yet been assessed, but it's rumored within the same domain that there may be about 10,000 deaths in total.
【Second Page】
1. Zenkōji town is currently holding its special exhibition, so there were numerous pilgrims from various provinces. During that night's earthquake, those who tried to flee were also crushed, unable to move either foot before being crushed to death. In families of ten people, six or seven died, and some entire families perished, creating mountains of corpses. Furthermore, fires broke out in three or four locations, and with fierce winds, nine-tenths of the town houses burned down. Only the main hall, mountain gate, and head temple remained; all else was consumed by fire in an unprecedented disaster. We gradually hear that of the temple territory's 8,000 people, over 3,000 died, and approximately over 2,000 visiting pilgrims perished. Additionally, how many thousands died along the highways is unknown.
1. Iiyama castle town and Inariyama village in Ueda domain experienced earthquakes followed by fires like Zenkōji town, with numerous deaths among both local residents and lodging pilgrims. Furthermore, along the Hokukoku highway within both Minochi and Sarashina districts, there were similarly collapsed houses and deaths, with some areas still not cleaned up. From Tanbajima to the Zenkōji area, the stench remains terrible, and travelers cover their noses.
1. The pattern of this earthquake appears to have originated in Minochi District of Shinano Province, with extensive landslides and ground fissures, and some places where entire villages collapsed. The five districts of Takai, Sarashina, Hanishina, Chikuma, and Azumi similarly have many locations with landslides and collapsed houses, though these are secondary effects. Even within these, there are variations in intensity depending on geological conditions. Chiisagata and Saku districts experienced only aftershocks without houses collapsing to that extent, though even these could be called major earthquakes compared to ordinary tremors.
1. Echigo Province also experienced a similar major earthquake, but this is only hearsay and the facts are completely unclear. The above.
Kōka 4, Year of the Sheep, Third Month
Shinano Province
Administrative Territory Magistrate
Of 50,000 koku Takagi Seizaemon
1. 2,115 houses Collapsed
Of which 10 Burned
Of which 16 Buried in earth
1. 782 houses Half-collapsed
1. 12 locations Collapsed notice boards
1. 26 locations Collapsed temples and shrines
1. 331 locations Collapsed storehouses
1. 518 people Immediate deaths
1. 1,460 people Injured
1. 156 horses Dead
1. 2 cattle Dead
The above is accurate. We hereby submit this report. The above.
Year of Sheep, Fourth Month Magistrate Takagi Seizaemon