翻刻
救不被下候而者何とも可仕様無御座候以上
未四月 高木清左衛門
私在所信州松代先達而先御届申上候通大地震にて更
級郡山平村林村之内岩倉山抜崩犀川江押埋弐ケ所堰
留追々数十丈水溜候得共堰留候場所江水乗り未弐尺余
も有処俄ニ押破候と相見昨十二日夕七時比右山之方大ニ
鳴動致し引続瀬鳴音高く相聞候処一時二激水右川筋
江押出し忽左右之堤押切或ハ乗越防方も届兼候と川方
役人共より追々注進致し候処間も無之川中島数十ケ村
一円ニ水押入千曲川江流込逆流致し既ニ居城際迄水多
く押上暮時比より夜九ッ時迄千曲川平水ゟ弐丈計相増川
中島ハ勿論高井郡水内村々内川添村々水中ニ相成瀬筋
相立候様二相見候処も数ヶ所有之作物泥冠り勿論押埋候
ヶ所夥敷可有之難見極夜半過ニ及ひ漸水丈も相定候
様子ニ候処暁ニおよひ次第ニ引水ニ相成申候兼而村方之
者共水防手当申付置候得共俄二押出し未曾有迅速之大水
存之外之儀にて流家ハ勿論溺死も数多有之哉其上多少
之損耗も出来可申と心配罷在候委細之儀ハ追而取調可申上
候得共先此段御届申上候以上
現代語訳
救済いただけなければ、何ともしようがございません。以上
未四月 高木清左衛門
私の在所である信州松代では、先だって先にお届け申し上げた通り、大地震にて更級郡山平村林村の内の岩倉山が抜け崩れ、犀川に押し込んで埋まり、二ヶ所で堰き留められ、追々数十丈も水が溜まりましたが、堰き留められた場所に水が乗り、まだ二尺余りもある処で俄かに押し破ったと見え、昨日十二日夕七時頃、右の山の方で大いに鳴動し、引き続き瀬鳴りの音が高く聞こえたところ、一時に激流がその川筋に押し出し、たちまち左右の堤防を押し切り、あるいは乗り越えて防ぎ方も届かないと、川方役人どもより追々注進してきたところ、間もなく川中島数十ヶ村
一円に水が押し入り、千曲川に流れ込んで逆流し、すでに居城際まで水が多く押し上がり、暮れ時頃より夜九ッ時まで千曲川の平水より二丈計り相増し、川中島はもちろん高井郡水内の村々のうち川添いの村々が水中となり、瀬筋が立ったように見えるところも数ヶ所あり、作物が泥に覆われることはもちろん、押し埋められたところも夥しくあるであろうが見極め難く、夜半過ぎに及んでようやく水丈も定まったような様子でしたが、暁に及んで次第に引き水となりました。かねてから村方の者どもに水防の手当を申し付け置きましたが、俄かに押し出した未曾有の迅速な大水で、思いの外のことにて、流家はもちろん溺死も数多あるのか、その上多少の損耗も出来ると心配しております。委細のことは追って取り調べ申し上げますが、まずこの段をお届け申し上げます。以上
英語訳
Without receiving relief assistance, there is nothing that can be done. The above concludes my report.
4th month of the Sheep year Takagi Seizaemon
At my domain of Matsushiro in Shinano Province, as I previously reported, due to the great earthquake, Mount Iwakura in the villages of Yamataira and Hayashi in Sarashina County collapsed and slid down, burying and blocking the Sai River in two places. Water gradually accumulated to several tens of jō in depth, but when the water level reached over two shaku above the blocked area, it suddenly burst through. Yesterday on the 12th at around 7 PM, there was great rumbling from that mountain area, followed by the loud sound of rushing water. Then suddenly torrential water burst forth along that river course, immediately breaking through or overflowing the embankments on both sides, beyond what flood control measures could handle, as reported continuously by the river officials. Soon after, water rushed into dozens of villages throughout the Kawanakajima area,
flowing into the Chikuma River and causing backflow. Water surged up extensively, reaching even near the castle. From evening until the ninth hour of night (around midnight), the Chikuma River rose about two jō above normal water levels. Not only Kawanakajima but also riverside villages in the counties of Takai and Minochi were submerged, with several locations where new rapids appeared to have formed. Crops were naturally covered with mud, and there must be numerous places that were completely buried, though it was difficult to assess in the darkness. After midnight, the water level finally seemed to stabilize, but by dawn it gradually began to recede. Although I had previously instructed village officials to prepare flood defenses, this was an unprecedented and extraordinarily rapid flood that caught everyone off guard. I am concerned that in addition to houses being swept away, there may be many drowning deaths and various other losses. I will investigate the details and report further, but I first submit this preliminary report. The above concludes this matter.