<3 i b hat I)fra Ctitdr stana 
 
 , nm^tm^OottuniJuntotmKs/Inesb’rrse. 
 
 J&jGbris 
 
u 
 
 THE 
 
 HISTORY and PHILOSOPHY 
 
 O F 
 
 EARTH Q_U A K E S, 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 Remoteft to the prefent Times: 
 
 Collected 
 
 From the beft Writers on the Subjeft. 
 
 With a particular account of 
 
 The Phenomena of the great one of November 
 the ift 1755, in various Parts of the Globe. 
 
 By a Member of the Royal-Academy of Berlin .. 
 
 Fhilojophia genus empiricum quod in paucorum experimentorum angufeijs et ob* 
 Jcuritate fundatum eft.---'Turn <vero de fcientiarum progrejfu bene fundabitur, 
 quum in hifeoriam naturdem recipientur et aggrcgabuntur complura expert - 
 menta , et obfervationes, qua in ft nullius feint ufiu , fed ad inventionem cau - 
 farum et axiomatumfadmit. Verulam. Nov. Organ. 
 
 A moll general help to difcovery in all kinds of philofophical inquiry is^ 
 to attempt to compare the working of nature, in that particular which 
 is under examination, to as many various mechanical and intelligible 
 ways of operations, as the mind is fumifhed with. 
 
 Dr, Hooke's Method of improving Natural Philofophy . 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed for J. Nourse over-againft Katberine-Jlreet 
 in the Strand, mdcclvii. 
 
 b 5 ?- 
 
p 
 
 o 
 
 E F 
 
 r>> 
 
 T~% 
 
 ? | ' H E memorable earthquake which fpreacj 
 I defolation along the Atlantic coaft in 
 1755, and the late frequency of fuch.cpmmoi 
 tions, in a leffer degree, all over Europe, put 
 the editor of thefe fheets up n exhibiting 
 fuccinCt accounts of the like events in paft 
 times, with the feptiments of the beft natu- 
 ralifts as to their caufes: In the courfe whereof 
 he has retained entirely the fadts, arguments 
 and conclufions of the authors from whence 
 he has extracted his collections, and that almoft 
 in their own words; without ever prefuming 
 to criticife any hypothecs, much lefs to obtrude 
 one of his own. 
 
 Thus, he hopes, he has furni(bed a repertory 
 of all that has been written of earthquakes and 
 their caufes, to be read over at leifure, or rea¬ 
 dily confulted, by the help of a very copious 
 index. 
 
 In the annexed account of the laft great 
 earthquake he has cholen a kind of alphabe¬ 
 tical arangement, for the eafier turning to its 
 phenomena in particular places; all which, he 
 has very carefully collected from the Philofo- 
 phical Tran factions of the Royal Society, and 
 other litterary memoirs and authentic vouchers; 
 and which, as our very fagacious Dr. Hooice 
 rightly obferves, Jhould ever be regijlred as foon 
 as the objervations occur ; becaufe of the frailty 
 op the memory , and the great fgnificancy there 
 may be m J'ome of the meanejl and fmallef cir- 
 cumfances. 
 
 A LIST 
 
A L I S T of the feveral Pieces from 
 whence thefe Collections are ex¬ 
 tracted. 
 
 I. jj Methodical Account of Earthquakeshy Joh. Christ. 
 
 Sturmius, Profeflor of Phyfics and Mathematicks 
 at Alterff in Germany , Page r 
 
 II. Of the Nature of Earthquakes by Martin Lister, 
 
 M. D. Fellow of the Royal Society, 5$ 
 
 III. Difcourfes concerning Earthquakes by Robert HooK e , 
 
 M.D. Fellow of the Royal Society, 68 
 
 IV. Earthquakes caufed by fome accidental Objlruftion of a 
 
 continual fubterranean Heat y by John Woodward, 
 M. D. Fellow of the Royal Society, 176 
 
 V. A Phyfico-chymical Explanation of fubterraneous Fires y 
 
 Earthquakes , &c. by M. Lemery of the Royal Aca¬ 
 demy of Sciences at Parity 183 
 
 VI. Of the Volcanos and Earthquakes in Peru, by M. Bou- 
 guer of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Parisy 193 
 
 VII. The Natural Hijlory of Volcanos and Earthquake j, by 
 
 M. Buffon of the Royal Academy of Sciences at 
 Parity 209 
 
 VIII. A Summary of the Caufes of the Alterations which 
 
 have happened to the Face of the Earthy by Mr. John 
 Ray Fellow of the Royal Society, 240 
 
 IX. Some Confiderations on the Caufes of Earthquakes , by 
 
 the Reverend Stephen Hales, D. D. Fellow of the 
 Royal Society, 243 
 
 X. The Philofophy of Earthquakes , by the Reverend Wil¬ 
 
 liam Stukbeey, M. D. Fellow of the Royal So- 
 ciety, ' 253 
 
 Added by the Editor, 
 
 Phanomena of the Great Earthquake of November I, 
 1755, in various Parts of the Globe , 280 
 
 The vatt Extent of the fame, 332 
 
 A Me- 
 
 I 
 
3m 
 
 ix- 
 
 y 
 
 1ST, 
 
 •ticki 
 
 A 
 
 Tp S 
 
 Methodical Account 
 
 O F 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 
 
 
 
 PHENOMENA, or FAC T S. 
 
 N the 7th of July 1686 about day¬ 
 break, between two and three in 
 the morning, a great part of Ger¬ 
 many and the neighbouring parts 
 of Italy felt a tremulous commotion. At Altorff 
 and the neareft towns of Bavaria and Suevia t 
 Ratijlon , Memmingen , Nordlingen , with many o- 
 thers, the inhabitants were awakened out of 
 their deep, and grievoufly terrified by the rock¬ 
 ing of their beds and jarring of their windows. 
 In other places, as Infpruck and Venice , the tot¬ 
 tering edifices threatened immediate deftruftion: 
 And at Hall the walls, with many towers and 
 flately buildings were fhattered, and feveral of the 
 inhabitants buried or opprefs’d in the ruins ; the 
 
 B con- 
 
 
 
O' 
 
 2 A Methodical Account of 
 
 confternation caufing mod of the reft to betake 
 themfelves to the open fields, where they continued 
 wandering about for fome days, under the molt 
 terrible apprehenfions. 
 
 A difmal and horrible phaenomenon of nature 
 this! though not unfrequent at other times and 
 places-, and therefore highly defenring the confi- 
 deration of natural philofophers, in order to in 
 veftigate its true caufes. 
 
 May we not juftly exclaim with the eloquent 
 Seneca, a “ When the world is ftiaken, and the 
 “ folid parts of it drop afunder, when the fixed 
 “ b<-fes of the rocks are rooted up, where can 
 “ we hide our heads in fafety ? Where fly for 
 “ refuge, when the globe is falling to pieces ? If 
 “ the ftage which fupports us, and on which ci- 
 “ ties are eredted, gives away, what can admi- 
 “ nifter help? Or how can comfort be found 
 “ where our fears oppofe our flight? Walls may 
 “ repel an enemy, and lofty towers flop the pro- 
 “ grefs even of armies: Havens may afford fuc- 
 “ cour in a tempeft, and houfes fhelter from 
 “ ftorms and wind: Conflagrations overtake not 
 “ the hafte of thofe that fly them: Subterrane- 
 “ ous vaults and caverns can fecure againft thun- 
 “ der and lightning, a lmall quantity of earth 
 “ bring proof againft this celeftial fire, and whole 
 “ countries were never ruin’d by it: A peftilence 
 “ may deftroy the citizens, yet leaves the city 
 “ {landing: But an earthquake is a wide-waft- 
 “ ing, implacable, unavoidable calamity 1” 
 
 * Lib. vi. qusft. nat. cap. i. 
 
 Phan. II. 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 3 
 
 Phan. II. That a natural earthquake never ex¬ 
 tended over the whole globe, is according to Sto- 
 baus b , an obfervation of Plato , which Ariftotle 
 alfo alTerts in very fignificant terms c . The fame 
 thing is remarked by Metrodorus , and other anci¬ 
 ent philofophers mentioned by Plutarch d , and Se¬ 
 neca, e who at the fame time explode the opinion 
 of Thales, and with reafon; that the earth may be 
 liable to fluctuations, becaufe it fwims in water, 
 and that thofe are earthquakes. 
 
 Seneca *s words are, “ If the waters fupported the 
 “ earth, it would be liable to univerfal concufli- 
 “ ons, and it would be a greater wonder that it 
 “ Ihould ever be at reft, than if it were perpe- 
 “ tually in motion.” Sure enough it muft be 
 fhock’d throughout, and not in any part alone; 
 for no fhip can be toffed by halves. We conclude 
 then, that there is no fuch thing as an univerfal 
 earthquake, but that they are all particular or 
 partial. 
 
 Phan. III. As to the difference of earthquakes 
 happening at different times, or of one and the 
 fame with regard to various places; at fome times, 
 and in fome particular places, they occafion a la¬ 
 titudinal and, in a manner, horizontal trembling 
 
 Eclog. phyf. cap. I. Mu/to recenjitorum ibi modorum mo- 
 veri terram ftatuit, fed in ru iravla^odev iVolafk tutpim* 
 /*£V£iv dxUrJon. totthc aulrig xas f olgxio'rvloc rcoXiwrSott. 
 h. e. Earn in aquabilijjimo undequaque loco pojitam immotam ma- 
 nerc, loca autem ejus aliqua rariora concuti. 
 
 C L , ib '. iL _ meteor ca P- 47- xxloi y-ioos at ylyovlai It 
 riUTpoi rri? yjzi 7r0XX0ty.11; £ 7 rl [aix^qv tottov. 
 
 Lib, iii. de placit. cap. 15. e Nat, quasft. lib, vi. cap. 6, 
 
4 
 
 
 A Methodical Account of 
 
 in fome particular part of the earth, and its in¬ 
 cumbent cities and buildings, with a certain de¬ 
 gree of concuffion or fhock, which, by a peculiar 
 name, Arijlotle calls rfopov, and Seneca, tremor.. 
 Sometimes and in certain places, the impetus is 
 imprefs’d upwards, rather in a perpendicular direc¬ 
 tion. Arijlotle calls it crQvyft®*, or Pul/us, and Se¬ 
 neca, JuccuJJicn. 1 his makes the earth to rock, like 
 
 a fhip at fea, which Seneca calls inclinatie, and 
 Gar cans, from Pliny , arietatio , efpecially when the 
 inclination is from fide to fide ; and then it is alfo 
 named \itudJvfaf, inclinator. In all thefe cafes 
 whole buildings, and even cities are frequently 
 fubverted •, and fometimes, efpecially in the fecond 
 cafe, the earth is violently burft afunder (^kJi j?) 
 or proje&ed aloft, (fyxm) and according to Am- 
 mianus MarceMinus, Brafmutias, or collapfes inwards, 
 the xxcpct'ilctg of Marcellinus, and the lobes, ruina, 
 &c. of others. 
 
 Phan. IV. Thefe diftinftions are to be found in 
 Seneca f , and Pliny % , who likewife give their 
 names’ 1 . As alfo does Ammianus Marcellinus l . 
 The earthquake we mentioned, Phan. I. affords 
 an example of thefe varieties. Here at Allorf, 
 and in the neighbouring parts, we found the tremor: 
 At Venice, Infpruck, &c. they felt the pulfe, or 
 fuccuffion-, at Hall the fubverfton. Gajfendus takes 
 notice of one wherein nothing but a tremor was 
 fenfible, on the 13th of January 1617. On the 
 
 f Lib. vi. quaeft. nat. cap. 4. 
 
 * Lib. ii. hill. nat. cap. So. 
 
 h Senec. cap. 21. Plin. cap. 82. 
 
 1 Lib. xvii. cap. 13. 
 
 6th 
 
 a. 
 
 
u 
 
 EARTH Q^U A K E S. 5 
 
 6th of April 1580, all the Lozv Countries were 
 fliaken with a fuccujfwn which was felt as far as 
 Paris, and York in England: And the town of 
 Artric was rocked to that degree, that fcones were 
 forc’d out of the walls of towers and churches k . 
 Gafpar Scbcttus was at Rome when another hap¬ 
 pened there in 1654'. The fymptoms of the in¬ 
 clination, and th« arietation are defcribed by Sene¬ 
 ca m , and Pliny n , which latter gives in the fame 
 place an account of the clafhing together of two 
 huge mountains with a mod horrible noife, and 
 of their receding afunder again : And the former 
 relates a thing very ftrange, of the parting of the 
 fquare marble ftones in the pavement of a bath, 
 through whofe interfaces quantities of water ifiued 
 and returned, and of their fettling in clofe order 
 again. The fame authors give many inflances of 
 fubverfions and ruins ; as at Nicomedia in Bithynia, 
 where a vail number of perfons were buried under 
 fallen edifices °. Garcaus p gives the names of 
 twelve cities of AJia, which Seneca q and Pliny r re¬ 
 late to have been fubverted in one night, in the 
 reign of 'Tiberius: Tacitus f affirms the fame, with 
 this addition, that thofe who attempted to efcape 
 into the fields, the gaping earth fwallowed up, and 
 that whole mountains quite fubfided, and new 
 ones arofe out of the plains: We read in Sene¬ 
 ca 1 oi ■a commotion throughout Campania, which 
 
 k Meterranus. lib. x. 1 Meehan, hydr. p. 62. m Lib. 
 vi. cap. 31. 11 Lib ii. cap. 82. 0 Ammian. Marcellin, lib. 
 
 xvii. cap. 13. p Meteor, p. 304. q Cap. i. r Lib. ii. 
 cap. 84. * Lib. ii. annal. 1 Lib. fupr. cit. 
 

 6 ^ Methodical Account of 
 
 fliook down federal towns about Naples. JohnJlon 
 u tranfcribes Cambden's account of a miferable de¬ 
 flation which happened in England in 157 on 
 the 21 ft of March: Gajfendus deicribes, frorn 
 Fernerius x ; the memorable ftroke given, in one 
 quarter of an hour, to all the towns, mountains 
 and rivers near Lima in Peru , on the 25th of No¬ 
 vember 16041 And laftly, Athanajius JGrcher ^ af¬ 
 firms that he was an eye-witnefs, not without great 
 peril to himfelf, of the fad difafter which befell 
 the fine town of Euphemia in Calabria , being funk 
 as it were in the twinkling of an eye, and covered 
 over with a lake of ftinking water, the latter end 
 of March 1638; who adds that earthquakes ra¬ 
 vaged up and down for fourteen days together a- 
 bout that time. 
 
 Phan. V. After thefe inftances of paft times, 
 it may be proper to give a fuccinft account of 
 fome late ones, out of my colleftions at large, 
 from the moft approved Dutch , French , Ita¬ 
 lian and German writers. The Rimini gazettes 
 related that on the 18th of April 1662, during di¬ 
 vine fervice, a terrible earthquake threw down 
 twelve churches, and fhattered other parts of that 
 city •, that it continued ’till the next Saturday and 
 Sunday , whereby thirty one palaces and publick 
 edifices were demolifhed, and above 700 perfons 
 killed, betides many more ladly maimed and 
 that the neighbouring cities of Fare, Pefaro , Sini- 
 
 11 Admir. meteor, cap. 7. 
 w Animadverf. in Diog. Laert. x. p. 1049. 
 x Hydrog. lib xv. cap. 18. 
 
 3 Mund. fubterran. lib. ii. 
 
 gaglia. 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 7 
 
 gaglia y &c. were not without a fhare of the cala¬ 
 mity. The Journal des Sfavans for the month of 
 May 1678, mentions a terrible earthquake which 
 began February the 5th 1663, about half an hour 
 after five in the evening, and raged throughout all 
 Canada ’till July following, tho’ but for a quarter 
 or half an hour together, almoft every day or night. 
 Its effefts were horrible, as mountains clafhing to¬ 
 gether, and tumbling partly into the river St. Law - 
 rence y and partly removed to vaft diftances with 
 their trees (landing upon them. Letters from 
 Cornelius Frank , prefident and counfellor at Ler- 
 nate z y to JVilliam Maetfuyker , counfellor at Banda % 
 dated Augufi 22, 1673. make mention of two un¬ 
 heard of miracles •, the one of the burfting afunder 
 and difperfion of the very high mountain Gammac - 
 norra , with a violent earthquake, and fo prodigi¬ 
 ous an ejection of alhes, that on the 21ft of May y 
 being Whit-Sunday , the air became thereby fo dark¬ 
 ened, that people could fcarcely difcern one another: 
 The other oi a fecond and moft ftupendous earth¬ 
 quake which the inhabitants of Ternate were fur- 
 prized with in the night of the enfuing Augufi , a- 
 bout a quarter of an hour after eleven: It fplit the 
 mountain of T ernate quite from the bottom to the 
 top on the fouth fide, and levelled the ftrong pa¬ 
 lace of King Mandarfahas with the ground. At 
 the fame time the fea raged fo furioufly, that 
 all the veflels in the port were in the utmoft dan¬ 
 ger of being loft, and the fhocks were ft ill violent 
 
 2 One of the Molucca iflands. 
 
 * Another ifland in the Indian fea. 
 
 b 4 
 
 on 
 
CJ 
 
 8 A Methodical Account of 
 
 on the firft of September, when other letters came 
 away. An Italian letter of Antonio Bulifon, to the 
 captain general of the kingdom of Sicily, contains 
 a narrative of an earthquake at Naples on IVhitfun 
 Eve , June the 5th, 1688, fo powerful that it fhook 
 even the foundations of that city. The houfes 
 at firft feemed to be lifted up, and then inftantly 
 were rocked backwards and forwards with incon¬ 
 ceivable violence, and to that degree, that in fome 
 towns the bells rang of themfelves; that particularly 
 belonging to the clock of St. Angelo, was thrown 
 a full palm out of its gudgeon. What greatly 
 augmented the confirmation was a horrible 
 rumbling all the while, as if the world were turn¬ 
 ing upfide down. In the month of June 1690 news 
 arrived from the ifland of St. Chrijlopher in America, 
 and likewife from Charles Town, of feveral ftone 
 houfes being overfet by an earthquake, and then 
 fwallow’d up; in fome places, of the earth rifing up 
 in large hills, and of the finking of trees into chafms 
 7 or 8 feet wide in others. The Jefuits College, and 
 all other free ftone buildings in St. Chrijlophers 
 were razed to the ground. Letters from Naples and 
 Romeo f the 3d and 7th of February 1693, brought 
 advice of the ruin of the cities of Catanea, Agofla, 
 and Syracuse, in Sicily ; alio of Reggio, and ieveral 
 other places in Calabria ; and that as to the reft 
 of Sicily, near one half was overturned, above 
 t 00000 fouls being loft under the ruins of no lefs 
 than 27 great towns. That a t Agojla, Taormina, 
 Syracufe and Latanea, there are fcarce any marks 
 of the walls and fortifications to be feen, in which 
 Jaft city alone, at leaft 18000 perfons perifhed ; 
 
 and 
 
i 
 
 m came 
 \ to the 
 contains 
 i Whitjtt 
 
 '■ it Ihook 
 e houfes 
 inftantly 
 :h incon- 
 t in fome 
 rticularly 
 s thrown 
 t greatly 
 horrible 
 ere turn- 
 190 news 
 heriu, 
 al ftone 
 nd then 
 ifing up 
 1 chafers 
 $e, and 
 llcphirs 
 >les and 
 rought 
 
 everal 
 e reft 
 above 
 00 Jefs 
 mite, 
 marks 
 which 
 ilhed; 
 and 
 
 EARTH QJU A K E S. 9 
 
 and that the head of the neighbouring mountain, 
 at leaft 600 feet high, funk within its hollow, 
 and left a gap fix Italian miles broad. 
 
 Phan. VI. Thefe fhocks and burftings of the 
 earth are accompanied with moft hideous crafli- 
 es and bellowings, called by the author of the 
 book de Mnndo erenrpo), and by Anmianus 
 
 Marcellinus , Mycematia : The like noiies alfo fre¬ 
 quently precede a ffiock, and have been known to 
 happen even when no fenfible commotion follow¬ 
 ed. Pliny fays, “ They are preceded or accom- 
 “ panied with a difmal found, which fometimes 
 “ refembles the lowings of cattle, fometimes 
 “ the outcries of men, and at others, the din of 
 “ clafhing arms b .” And Ariftotle gives the like 
 account, adding, with Pliny , art yy avev csicruuv y 
 7TH ysyovoccriv V7ro rrjv yyv c . Vefuvius , AEtna, 
 and Hula confirm this; the laft of which is faid 
 to utter fuch a plaintive kind of founds, that many 
 of the credulous inhabitants take them for the 
 doleful wailings of wicked finners in hell. During 
 the 11 days earthquake in Sicily in the year 1537, 
 the whole ifland was perpetually alarmed with hor¬ 
 rible bellowings, and claps refembling the dil- 
 charge of large ordnance d ; and Kircher affirms 
 the ? like of Calabria e . 
 
 Phan. VII. Through thefe chafins and Tend¬ 
 ings of the earth, it is no uncommon thing for 
 flames and fmoaky exhalations to afcend, and dif- 
 perfe themfeives to confiderable diftances; and 
 
 k Lib. ii. cap. 80. c Lib. ii. meteor, t. 46. * Vartn. 
 
 lib. i. geograph, cap. to. prop. 5. c Loco. fupr. c'.t. 
 
 v 
 
 with 
 
 
io A Methodical Account of 
 
 with them ftones, and torrents of a kind of melt¬ 
 ed metal are often ejedled. Sometimes thefe are 
 fore-runners of the fhock, and they frequently 
 continue after it, efpecially from the mouths of 
 volcano’s f . Tacitus fpeaking of the great earth¬ 
 quake which happened in the reign of Tibe¬ 
 rius, remarks effulfiffe inter ruinas ignes s . So in 
 the earthquake which we faid raged eleven days 
 together in Sicily , the earth opened with a mighty 
 chafm, from whence fire and flames ifiued with 
 fuch violence, that every thing within the diftance 
 of five leagues from ALtna was totally burnt up 
 in the fpace of four days: A fhort time after 
 which the bafin threw out an inconceivable quan¬ 
 tity of fire, fparks and afhes h . Arijlotle produces 
 fome examples of ancient times *. And Hieron. 
 Welf chins, one of a later date, of which himfelf 
 was an eye-witnefs. “ On the 16th of December 
 “ 1631, when a very great earthquake was felt, 
 “ and terrible thunderings were heard at Naples, 
 “ a little before the next day-break Vefuvius was 
 “ feen to blaze out, being burft open in feveral 
 “ places, notwithftanding the thunder and earth- 
 “ quake ftill continued 11 .” But befides /Etna, now 
 Monte Gibello, and Vefuvius, or Vefeuvus, now 
 Monte or Montagna di Somma, Hecla in lfland, and 
 others, feveral more ignivomous mountains or vol¬ 
 cano’s have been difcovered within a few centu¬ 
 ries. The Sulfero hill, or rather the field fum- 
 
 f Senec. lib. vi. nat. qua.ll. cap. 4. 1 Loc. citat. h Va- 
 ren. ubi fupr. 5 Meteor, lib. ii. t. 42. k Itiner. 
 fui. p. 8o. 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 11 
 
 ing and burning with fulphur near Puzzoli, called 
 the Solfatara , as likewife Stromboli or Strongylus , 
 according to Weljchius \ was quite burnt out, fallen 
 flat, and covered with the fea about 30 years ago, 
 before which it was furrounded with 8 other ful- 
 phury hills (by the ancients called Inful<e ALoli<e y 
 and Vulcanite and Lipare <*,) one of which the fame 
 IVelfchius faw burning, together with Strongylus m . 
 Several have been found in the iflands of the Eafi 
 Indies. One for example in Java burft out in the 
 year 1586, with a violent eruption of burning ful¬ 
 phur. Mount Gonnapi in one of the Bandan if¬ 
 lands, after it had continued burning feventeen 
 years, was then rent afunder, with an impetuous 
 difcharge of ftones and fulphureous matter. In 
 the Molucca iflands are many volcano’s, the chief 
 of which is the Caminus Ternatenfis before fpoken 
 of: All of which Varenius recounts at large from 
 Maffei-, and adds, that one of prince Maurice's 
 iflands, near the Molucca's , is frequently vifited 
 with earthquakes and eruptions of fire and allies. 
 The like fort of volcano’s alfo abound in Ja¬ 
 pan and its neighbouring ifles, and in the Philip¬ 
 pines •, but moft of all in America ; nor have they 
 been wanting, tho’ at this time extinguifhed, in 
 the Flanderkin iflands n . 
 
 Phten. VIII. Sometimes vaft torrents of water 
 flow out at thefe ruptures, forming lakes and ri- 
 
 1 Itiner. p. 104. m Itiner. p. 195. ” See Varen. 
 
 gtog. lib. I. cap. 10. prop. 5. Athan. Kircber. Mund. fubter- 
 ran. lib. ii. cap. 11. lib. iv. feft. i. cap. 5 and 7. and prxf. 
 cap. 3. alfo Bern. Ceefius lib. i. de mineral, cap. 8. feA. 2. 
 
TU 
 
 12 A Methodical Account of 
 
 vers where there were none before; and drowning 
 whole cities and iflands, which is confirmed by 
 Seneca 0 . And Arifiotle affirms, “ that waters have 
 “ burft forth from the ground at the time of 
 “ earthquakes p ”. And the treatife de Mun- 
 do fays, “ Some earthquakes have opened foun- 
 “ tains where there were none before' 1 ”. For 
 examples of this kind read Kircher on the {linking 
 lake which covers the city of Euphemia r , and Gaf- 
 fendus, and Furnerius on the Peruvian earthquake, 
 as above cited. Of the overwhelming of Bura 
 and Helice in the Corinthian gulph Pliny makes 
 mention f , as alfo Seneca 1 after Califthenes. Con¬ 
 cerning the deluging the ifland Atalanta , fee alfo 
 Seneca from the account of Thucydides u . And 
 Plato's Timaus, and Kircher w of the Atlantis over¬ 
 whelmed in like manner by an earthquake. They 
 were fuch phtenomena’s as thefe, that pofiefs’d 
 Democritus and the ancient poets with the notion, 
 that the fubterranean waters were the original caufe 
 of earthquakes, and made them give Neptune the 
 appellation of evvocAyaiov Kali ceutIxQovx, the mover 
 and Jhaker of the earth , according to A. Gellius x . 
 
 Phan. IX. Winds and flatus’s have alfo been 
 obferved to forego or accompany ruptures of the 
 earth. 
 
 In earthquakes, fays lord Verulam y , “ A cer- 
 
 Lib. citat. 4. p HJw kki I'lxla, d.vippd'yn yiyof/.ivccv 
 «*«*“>»• Meteor, ii. t. 48. V. el 1Tvya; 7r f drf ? ov a* 
 
 r Tern. i. pag. 77. tom. ii. pig. 257. r Lib. i. 
 cap. 92. ' Cap. 23. “ Cap. 24. * L ib ii. Mund. 
 
 fubterran. cap. 12. x No£t. Attic. lib. ii. cap. 28. Hill, 
 of winds. 
 
 “ tain 
 
 
i 
 
 downing 
 rmedby 
 ters have 
 time of 
 it Mm- 
 ;d font 
 For 
 ftinking 
 and Gef 
 thquake, 
 of Bin 
 ij make 
 f. Con- 
 fee alfo 
 \ And 
 lis over- 
 They 
 poflefs’d 
 : notion, 
 lal cauls 
 i tmt tie 
 re met 
 •llius 1 . 
 fo been 
 of the 
 
 A cer- 
 
 Mund. 
 
 pat 
 
 “ tain 
 
 V—7 
 
 EARTH Q_U A K E S. 13 
 
 “ tain unufual and unwholefome wind has been 
 “ obferved before the eruption, as a fweltering 
 “ fmoak breaks out before, and remains after 
 “ great fires.” And Seneca fays z , “ that often- 
 “ times, when earthquakes are attended with any 
 “ opening, wind will ifiiie for many days, which 
 “ thing is faid to have happened in the earthquake 
 “ of Chalcis , as may be feen in Afclepiodorus , who 
 “ ftudied natural philofophy under Poffidonius: 
 “ And other writers will inform you, that when 
 “ an aperture has been made in the earth, wind 
 “ has ilfued out of it foon after, or, in other words, 
 “ it efcaped by a paflage which it procured itfelf.” 
 
 Of this examples have been given above, and 
 Seneca himfelf fays % “ that there was fomething 
 “ of a venomous nature in the blafts which ac- 
 “ companied the earthquake in Campania , (which 
 “ was the occafion of his writing his fixth book 
 “ of Natural Quefiions ) whereby a flock of 600 
 “ flieep w r as deftroyed in the Pompeiana Regio 
 Phan. X. On the other hand rivers, fountains 
 and lakes have vanifhed away from the places they 
 formerly poflefs’d; feas have deferted their wonted 
 Chores, at leaft for a feafon; and new iflands have 
 emerged where the waters ufually flowed without 
 interruption. I call Seneca for a witnefs b , who 
 aflerts that in his own days the ifland of Therafia 
 arofe out of the JEgaan fea, in the fight of feveral 
 mariners c . To which may not improperly be 
 referred the origin of Sicily on the Italian , Rubs a 
 
 a Lib. vi. cap. 17, b Lib. citat. cap. 4. 
 
 a Cap. 1. c Cap. 21. 
 
 2 on 
 
O' 
 
 1 
 
 ■-X 
 
 
 14 A Methodical Account of 
 
 on the Boeotian, and Cyprus on the Syrian coaft, 
 of which Pliny d , after he had proved the prefent 
 pofition in a preceding chapter. Of the difap- 
 pearing of rivers and lakes in modern times, we 
 have already mention’d a notable inftance in Peru, 
 from Gaffendus and Furnerius: And there is a fig- 
 nal and a recent example of new iflands, formed 
 about the beginning of July 1686, as may be feen 
 in Gajfendus e . Thus the volcano of Sicily has pro¬ 
 duced a kind of offspring, or new little moun¬ 
 tain, thence called Volcanello, as we learn from 
 Kircber f . And the fame hiftorians relate that the 
 ocean receded and returned with a great fwell foon 
 again, before the often mentioned earthquake in 
 Peru-, and further, that the fame thing happened 
 in the port of Naples before the raging of Vefuvius 
 in 1631; infomuch that Hieronymus JVelfcbius, a 
 fpedlator of this uncommon fcene, fays, “ that 
 “ feveral fhips were in great danger of perifhing, 
 “ by being fuddenly let down on land by the 
 “ retreat of the fea s . 
 
 Phan. XI. Sometimes the duration of earth¬ 
 quakes is exceeding fhort, confifling of no more 
 than a few pulfes. Some again have 1 ailed whole 
 days, and even months and years, by fits. “ If 
 they are not foon over, fays Pliny h, they may 
 probably laft 40 days, and even longer, for 
 “ have not wholly ceas’d in lefs than one, 
 
 and fometimes two years; and this he repeats 
 
 4 Lib. ii. cap. 88. I Itiner. p. 81. 
 
 In x. Laert. p. 1051. h Lib. ii. cap. 82. 
 
 f Loco cicat. 
 
 in 
 
 £ 
 
O 
 
 EARTH QJLJ A K E S. i $ 
 
 «* in another place V* Arifiotle fpeaking of the 
 more violent fort k , maintains, with Pliny , that 
 they do endure about that fpace'. Notwithftand- 
 ing, this is what rarely happens •, and although the 
 earthquake of Campania , whereof he writes ™, did 
 indeed continue feveral days, yet it does not ap¬ 
 pear to have held out altogether fo long, nor did 
 that other which overfpread Sicily in 1537, exceed 
 1 x days; and laftly, that which GaJJendus obferved 
 at Aix in 1617, the night following the 13th of 
 January , was quite over in lefs than three quarters 
 of a minute. 
 
 Phan. XII. They do not attack one Angle 
 place, but for the moft part extend themfelves to 
 feveral cities and countries very diftant from one 
 another, tho’ they exert various degrees of vio¬ 
 lence at the very fame time; and this was abun¬ 
 dantly confirmed in our late inftance. For all 
 accounts agree that it was firft felt at the very 
 fame inftant of time, at Lindau , Kempten , and 
 many other places, as at the cities and towns a- 
 bovementioned; but in how different a manner 
 it difplay’d itfelf according to their feveral di- 
 ftances from Hall , where the feene was moft 
 dreadful, may be collected from the beginning of 
 this difeourfe. The fame was obfervable in that 
 of Campania , which Seneca deferibes n . “ Pcmpeij , 
 “ a confiderable city of Campania , fays he, was 
 “ thrown down by an earthquake, and the fhock 
 
 1 Lib. ii. meteor. k 'ItX'J otcryyel; yivrUxt a - uvpac, &c. 
 text. 45. 1 7rfft rtoTtp xM'jrx tiptfjwv. ra Cap. 
 
 30. n Lib. vi. quteft. nat. cap. x. 
 
~ 
 
 • l > 
 
 16 A Methodical Account of 
 
 “ was perceived at the fame time through all 
 “ the adjacent country : And a little after part 
 “ of the town of Herculaneum fell, and what con- 
 “ tinued Handing, remains in a tottering condi- 
 “ tion; and notwithflanding none of the inhabi- 
 “ tants of Nuceria loft their lives, yet their mif- 
 “ fortunes were to be pitied : Naples had but a 
 “ fmall fhare in the difafter, and the villages ele- 
 “ vated on the adjacent hills, were fenfible of the 
 “ ftroke, without any damage at all.” In ano¬ 
 ther place ° he fays, “ when Chalets was fhaken, 
 “ 'Thebes continued unmoved; jEgium reel’d two 
 “ and fro, at the fame time that Patra , its near 
 “ neighbour, felt not the leaft motion, {5V.” and 
 concludes, “ that fuch motion never is extended 
 “ to the diftance of 200 miles.” Which if it always 
 held true in thofe days, it no longer does fo now: 
 For GaJ/endus takes notice, in the place above ci¬ 
 ted, that “ not far from Lima (which, if I rightly 
 “ remember, had then lately fuffered an almoft to- 
 “ tal fubverfion) there happened an earthquake 
 “ which ran 300 leagues along the coaft, and 
 “ more than 70 into the continent,” to which 
 add fome other particulars which will be found 
 under Ob/. I. cited from Meterranus and Kircber. 
 
 Phan. XIII. Mountainous places near the fea 
 are chiefly expos’d to the moft violent earthquakes; 
 whilft flat, marfhy, inland countries, feldom or 
 never feel any fhocks, at leaft no original ones. 
 The ancients, as Arijlotle , Pliny , &c. looked upon 
 Agypt, Gaul , the ifle of Delos, &c. as quite ex¬ 
 empt from fuch vifitations: Yet Seneca p aflerts 
 
 0 Cap. 2j. r Cap. 26. 
 
 on 
 
 --- 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 17 
 
 on the contrary, and experience proves earth¬ 
 quakes happened in all thefe places, tho’ feldom, 
 and in a milder degree. At Alexandria near the 
 Nile in AEgypt, for example, about the year 551, 
 and near Bourdeaux in France , in 584, according 
 to Garcoeus^. Nay we read in Kircher r that in 
 the year 1660 in the month of June , an earth¬ 
 quake was propagated from this laft city as far as 
 Narbonne. What we have advanced concerning 
 maritime and mountainous places, is confirmed by 
 Arijlotle in feveral examples f to which Pliny af- 
 fents c , remarking, that “ though fea coafts are 
 “ obnoxious to the fevered; fhocks, yet are not 
 ** mountainous flotations altogether free from 
 “ them;” which he proves from the Apennine 
 mountain and the Alps , which latter were not long 
 fince the theatre of fuch like devaftation. And 
 Seneca alledges Pompei and Herculaneum, Paphos 
 and Cyprus , Pyre and Si don, as other examples u . 
 Peru , Campania , Calabria , Sicily, &c. have been 
 mentioned above as maritime countries, and a- 
 bounding in mountains. As to marlhes, muddy 
 and fandy countries, as Egypt and Pufcany , Kir¬ 
 cher may be confulted w . And the country about 
 Nurenberg may teftify for itfelf. As for Garcceus 
 his obfervation, that the more fouthern parts of 
 the world are lefs obnoxious to earthquakes, than 
 the northern, he is much in the wrong, as may 
 
 1 Meteor, p. 389 and 405. 1 Mund. fubterran. 257. 
 
 ‘ Lib, ii. meteor, t. 42. 7rtpi ramj tout*; 01 Ic^yporarei 
 ylyovlut raw crfiVaai', ora i G dXxawx podSnc, « *i 
 <rau.ipri no.) uravh^. ' Lib. ii. cap, 80. “ Cap. 26. 
 
 * Mund. fubterr, tom. i p. 222. 
 
 c 
 
 appea; 
 
18 A Methodical Account of 
 
 appear not only from feveral of the foregoing re¬ 
 marks, efpecially in Phan. "VII. but even from 
 his own catalogue x . 
 
 Phan. XIV. It is furthermore certain that 
 earthquakes have happen’d at all feafons of the 
 year, by night and by day, and under all varieties 
 of conftellations, indifferently. Ariftotle y , and 
 Pliny \ who in this matter almoft copies him, 
 are of opinion that moft of them fall out in fpring 
 and autumn, oftner in the night than in the day¬ 
 time, efpecially a little before day-break. Our 
 example, it mud be allowed, confirms the latter, 
 but then it leems to contradift the former ^ it 
 attacking us in July in the very heat of fummer, 
 in the morning twilight, one hour after the change 
 of the moon, no other remarkable afpedt offering 
 at that time, except an approaching conjunc¬ 
 tion of Jupiter and the Sun, which the aftrologers 
 reckon no malevolent one. Kircher has thefe not¬ 
 able paflages on this fubjedt \ “ As for what 
 
 44 Ariftotle advances as to the time of earthquakes 
 4C happening, of ifiands in the middle of the fea 
 44 being at all times without them, and their laft- 
 44 ing 400 days, as it is contradictory to experi- 
 44 ence, we muft not altogether rely upon it: For 
 44 they are not only places near the fea, and if- 
 44 lands juft disjoin’d from the continent, that are 
 44 vifited by earthquakes*, but they happen in the 
 44 very heart of large inland countries, and at all 
 44 feafons of the year ; a thing fo well fettled trom 
 
 x Meteor, p. 393 & feqq. y Lib. ii. meteor, t. 41. 
 
 2 Lib. ii. cap. 80. a Tom. i. lib, iv. Mund. x fubterran. 
 fub tixiem cap. 10 fed. x. 
 
 44 ob- 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. ig 
 
 '(• “ obfervation and experience, that it admits of 
 
 ® “ no manner of doubt.” Seneca's words are very 
 
 exprefs, “ that the city of Pompei fell by an 
 k “ earthquake in the winter, (to wit on the nones 
 
 tie “ of February) tho’ our fore-fathers pronounced 
 
 te “ that feafon to be void of any fuch danger b .” 
 
 i Tacitus allures us that the earthquake which threw 
 
 im, down the twelve cities of Afia , came in the night; 
 
 in* on the contrary that which Kircher himfelf faw, 
 
 if’ was in the day-time, That at Lima in Peru was in 
 
 Ji the winter on the 24th of November , five days after 
 
 », the new moon, Mars and the moon being in con- 
 
 ;i jun&ion, but the moon at the fame time in quar- 
 
 b, tile to Mars, and in Textile to Mercury. Now let 
 
 sp any one who has leifure, confider well the feveral 
 
 rjrf examples adduced above; after which let him 
 
 it. carefully perufe Garcaus' s catalogue of earth* 
 
 mi quakes, each accompanied with its concomitant 
 
 0, configuration of the heavens from Ephimerides ; 
 
 flu and I am fatisfy’d he will be convinc’d, that there 
 
 ,| 6 is no feafon of the year, nor any celeftial configu- 
 
 fa ration under which an earthquake may not hap* 
 
 |jf. pen, as well as at any other time. 
 
 ^ Phan. XV. After a very fevere earthquake has 
 
 happened, attended with a great conflagration, 
 
 I jj. fuch another does not fucceed in a fhort fpace of 
 
 K time, but for the generality after a long interval, 
 
 jlu and then efpecially when a neighbouring volcano 
 
 tJ |l that was almoft extindl, flames out afrelh, or alfords 
 
 r0!J tokens of doing fo loon. Seneca c proves the truth 
 
 of this obfervation, and Campania and Sicily , /Etna 
 l 1 ' and Vefuvius are vouchers, as well as feveral other 
 6 Cap. I, c Lib. citat. cap. 31. 
 
 nh. " C 2 P l3 ^ 
 
CJ 
 
 20 ^/Methodical Account of 
 
 places mentioned in Pham. VII. See likewife the 
 writers there cited. It is remarkable, by the bye, 
 that feveral volcano’s which formerly threw out 
 fire, are now utterly extinguillied. The ifland of 
 Querimodam on the Brafil fhore, not far from the 
 river Plata , for example, as alfo certain moun¬ 
 tains in Congo and Angola. Geographers reckon 
 feveral places among the Azores , efpecially in Ter- 
 cera and St. Michael , which formerly flamed out, 
 but of latter days have emitted nothing but fmoak, 
 which alfo has ceafed in fome of them •, whence 
 we may infer that fome parts of the earth may 
 in time get rid of fuch accidents j Arifiotle i , I 
 know, thinks the thing impoflible, but I can per¬ 
 ceive no reafon why he fhould do fo. 
 
 Phan. XVI. It is faid that fiery meteors have 
 been the forerunners, and fometimes the conco¬ 
 mitants of earthquakes : Alfo a continually cloud¬ 
 ed fun, a turbid foulnefs of wells and fountains, 
 infedted with a filthy faline tafte, a defertion of 
 animals and birds, &c. and that to thefe have 
 fucceeded, peftilences, contagious difeafes, famine, 
 fedition, and a train of other evils : Of which 
 Pliny % Arijlotle f , Seneca g . Gar cans h , and others. 
 Nothwithftanding which it would be well worth 
 our inquiry, to examine well if thefe things have 
 really at all times or for the molt part, any natural 
 connexion one with another, or that it was by 
 mere accident that they preceded or followed af¬ 
 ter. I fhall fet down fome modern inftances. 
 
 d Lib. meteor, t. 4c. c Lib. ii. cap. 81. f Lib. 
 
 ii. meteor t. 42, 45. £ Loc. cit. * In catal. terramot. 
 
EARTHCLUAKES. 21 
 
 When Vefuvius raged in 1631, Welfchius \ who was 
 prefent, obferved chat the fun was darkened, and 
 a general dufkinefs was diffus’d through the whole 
 atmofphere, from the very copious eruftation ot 
 afhes; fo that it feemed to look as if lightnings 
 were glanced from a cloud which covered the 
 head of the mountain; and it was confirm’d by 
 abundance of letters from Italy , that the fame 
 fcene was repeated again, tho’ with a much more 
 horrid appearance, in the month of July 1660. 
 Thus the mountain in the ifland of Java , which 
 in the year 1586 was riven afunder by a violent 
 eruption of burning fulphur, fent forth fuch a vaft 
 quantity of thick black fmoak for three days to¬ 
 gether, mixt with flame and fiery fparks, as obli¬ 
 terated the fun, and almoft turned the day into 
 night k ; and the like was obferved on another 
 mountain called Gonnapi. To which may be here 
 added the relation fent from Ternate to Bandam, 
 of the rending of mount Gammacncrra., as before 
 recited in Phan. V. So alfo in thofe moft horrible 
 earthquakes which affli£ted the inhabitants of San¬ 
 torini in the Archipelago in 1650, from the 24th 
 of September to the 9th of Oftober, the fky was 
 darkened, and the air infe&ed with {linking ful- 
 phureous vapours, to fuch] a degree, as blinded 
 every body that ventur’d out of doors, for three 
 days together 
 
 1 Itiner. p. 80. k Varcn. lib. x. cap. i©. prop. 5. 
 1 Tell. P, Franc: fc. Riccardo, in mund, fubt. Kircher. p. 182, 
 

 • :■# 
 
 22 A Methodical Account of 
 
 HYPOTHESIS 
 
 Framed for fofai ng thefore got Jig Phenomena, 
 
 I.T Shall fay nothing of Bodinus’s dream of evil 
 JL genij, mention’d by Honor at us Faber m , nor 
 of the Japonefe dragon fo largely treated of in the 
 embafly to that ifland, nor of Fhales’s conceit of 
 the earth floating in water as a /hip on the ocean, 
 and of the toflings /he now and then undergoes. 
 But I mull obferve that Democritus of old, and 
 fome others, whole dodtrine as to this matter were 
 not much oppofed by Epicurus , and in a manner 
 aflented to by Seneca n , held that there are mighty 
 rivers continually running, and vaft oceans in a 
 perpetual agitation below in the fubterranean re-r 
 gions, and that, when any colludtation happens 
 there, the earth of con/equence muft tremble and 
 /hake; and that the ancient poets had this notion, 
 is evident from Aldus Gellius °. Anaximenes af¬ 
 firm’d that “ the earth was the caufe of its own 
 motions, by letting fome of its parts drop into 
 ■ ‘ its cavities, which were either diflolv’d by wa- 
 ft ter or P re y’d upon by fire, or driven about by 
 “ winds, or deftroyed by timeV’ Others main¬ 
 tained, with Arcbilaus., that winds infinuating them- 
 felves into the bowels of the earth, do there im¬ 
 pel the comprefied air, and force it to break 
 through its confinement. 
 
 . I ", T '. aa - Vi> pr °P- 22 ' “ Lib - vi. nat. quceft, cap. 7 , 8. 
 
 Lib. li. cap, 28. P Settee, cap. x. c. 1, 
 
 II. A 
 
 U 
 
 
earth q jj ARES, 23 
 
 II. A like opinion prevail’d in the Peripatetic 
 fchool for feveral centuries. And Sineca himfelf 
 did not deny the ingrefs of winds from without, 
 although he afcribed thefe calamitous accidents ra¬ 
 ther to fubterraneous exhalations and vapours 
 For the notion ran, that there was a conftant eva¬ 
 poration from the earth, fometimes diy and fome- 
 times combined with moifture. Vv hen this was 
 fent up from below, and raifed as iar as it could 
 go, and meeting with an obftru&ion, was foiced 
 back upon itfelf, then conflicts and tumultuous 
 motions arofe. To this point like wife tended Aiif- 
 totle’s hypothefis, as appears plainly in his metereo- 
 • logies r . For he fets out with averting, that 
 both moift and dry exhalations are railed within 
 and about the earth, and when thefe are over co¬ 
 pious they produce earthquakes, for the eaith 
 being faturated with moifture, an/I heated by the 
 fun without, and by fire within, ttoAu [agv ttoXu 
 
 evjog yivecrSoci to 7n/evfAcc. K ou txto otz fzzv ctuvs%bg 
 e£co geiv ttccv. 0 re < 5 s e/cr& n tocv. Ivioje That 
 
 is, much fpirit is generated without, and much with¬ 
 in. Sometimes this is difcharged entirely outwards, 
 fometimes it is abforbed inwards, and fometimes it is 
 divided . Which, as he feems to have advanc d 
 for want of fomething better, he endeavours to 
 puzzle the caufe. Now, we are to confider, fays 
 he, c ?rolov jciutHitccotutov ocv eiv tuv c rupotcov, what is 
 that body of all others that is moft ftrongly difpos 9 d to 
 motion ? Why doubtlefs, he anfwers, to <r(po^GTcP t ov, 
 that which is moft violent, and fuch he concludes 
 to be 70 T&'xyS’OL QsgofzBvov, that which mo*esfwift- 
 ** Cap. 13 and 23. r Lib. vii. cap. 8. 
 
S4 A Methodical Account of 
 
 ejl, and ToXeorJbrixJov, the mojl fubtile and penetrate 
 ing: US’S f/wep 17 tS 7 rvevfiot]of (pu<ri$ TO/av]t] } fna.- 
 7 \ig"ci tuv cofAccTCuvSince then this is the mofl 
 aptefi of all bodies to motion. From whence he de¬ 
 duces this final conclufion, in a.v Sv v$a p, He yn 
 cttTiov eiy, etXXa. mevpa, rvj? xivr,<rtc;, 'otuv ecru TVyq 
 j>vev to egco dvcxQvfuufievov. Wherefore neither -water 
 nor earth can be the caufe of (its own) motion , but 
 fpirit , (or vapour) when, by any accident , the exter¬ 
 nal exhalation is turned inwards. 
 
 III. The greateft defeat of Arijlotle’s hypothefis, 
 is that he unluckily never thought of an aftual ac- 
 cenfion, or kindling of the dry exhalations ex¬ 
 cited within the earth, which the inflammation of 
 gunpowder might have hinted to him, had he 
 been acquainted with it: Yet he could not but 
 have been well informed of the burning of JEtna 
 and Lipara •, and he mod certainly was fo, if the 
 book wept 6xvpt,oi<ruov d.nntTa.Ttnv be his, which 
 might have fupplied him with the like notions as 
 thofe which occur in the book de Mundo { unlefs, 
 with HeinfMS , we deny that Ariftotle was the au¬ 
 thor of that treatife too, in which earthquakes are 
 derived from fubterraneous fountains of fire, much 
 in the fame manner as that whereby the modern 
 philofophers have endeavoured to account for 
 them. Indeed the ancients according to Seneca \ 
 had. Anaxoras referred the caufe of earthquakes 
 to fubterraneous clouds burlting-out into light¬ 
 nings which fhook the vaults which confined them. 
 Others, that the arches which had been weakened 
 by continual fires, at length fell in, others de- 
 f P a l?- 4 * Cap. 9, 
 
 riv’d 
 
E AR T H QJJAK E S. 2 $ 
 
 riv’d thefe accidents from the rarefied ftream of 
 waters heated by fome neighbouring fires: and 
 fome, as Epicurus of old, (among the reft of the 
 opinions collected by Seneca u ) and, as Andreas Caf- 
 alpinus w fhews, feveral of the Peripatetic fchool 
 alfo afcribed thefe horrible accidents to the igni¬ 
 tion of certain inflammable exhalations. 
 
 IV. And this has been the favourite hypothefis 
 of the moft celebrated modern philofophers, Gaf- 
 fendus , Kircher , Schottus , Varenius , Des Cartes , 
 Du Hamel ,, Honoratus Faber , &c. Though it 
 fhould be noted, that this laft imagines that waters 
 extremely rarefied by heat, may fometimes force 
 a way through their proper boundaries, and that 
 included vapours may, under the like circum- 
 fiances aft in the fame manner, and fo be fome¬ 
 times alfo produftive of earthquakes. Thefe 
 learned men do fuppofe that there are many vaft 
 cavities under ground which have a communica^ 
 tion with one another by intermediate canals, fome 
 of which abound with waters, others with vapours 
 and exhalations arifing from inflammable fub- 
 ftances, as bitumen, nitre, fulphur, and alfo 
 metals and minerals, congefted together, at all 
 times difpofed for inflammation, and on fome oc- 
 cafions in an aftual ftate of accenfion : All which 
 doftrine is confonant both to reafon and experi¬ 
 ence, as will be prefently proved at large. Now 
 whether fuch combuftible exhalations as thefe hap¬ 
 pen to be kindled up by any fubterraneous fpark, 
 or from fome aftive flame gliding thro’ a narrow 
 lilfure from without, or in confequence of the fer- 
 C ap. 20. w Lib. iii. quasft. peripatet 9. 
 
 mentation 
 
26 A Methodical Account of 
 mentation of fome mixture, they muft necefianly 
 produce pulfes, tremors, or ruptures at the lur- 
 face, according to the number and diversity of the 
 cavities, and the quantity and a&ivity, &c. of the 
 inflammable matter: Honoratus Faber illuftrates 
 this dodtrine by a variety of artificial earthquakes, 
 as he calls them, confining gunpowder, (a mixture 
 of nitre, fulp’nur and charcoal) in pits, and fetting 
 
 fire to it by a train \ t , , , 
 
 The laft mentioned hypothefis I acknowledge 
 for my favorite •, being fuch as the nature of burn¬ 
 ing mountains, as well as of thofe parts of the 
 earth, raoft liable to earthquakes do plainly indi¬ 
 cate j for they all abound in fulphur, nitre, bitu¬ 
 men, and the like inflammable fubftances. This, 
 of all the reft, has the advantage of fatisfadtoiily 
 accounting for the feveral recited phenomena ; to 
 evince which I ftiall premife a few obfervations, as 
 principles of future conclufions. 
 
 I. The earth inclofes great numbers of fpacious 
 cavities, vaults and canals, elpecially under the 
 fummits of mountains. To pafs by the famous 
 Specus Ccricianus fpoken of by Mela, Solinus, Pliny , 
 Strabo , &c. Pluto's Ben , mentioned by AElian, and 
 other Subterraneous hollows icattered up and down 
 in Seneca, the amazingly extended caverns under 
 the Andes in America, and thofe in fome parts of 
 China, deferibed by Martinius y , and more at large 
 by Kircher 7 , I prove my aflfertion from thofe 
 ftrange fpiracles, called, from the continual blafts 
 
 * Lib. citat. Prop xxx. Vide etiam GafTend. Phyfic. 
 Sea. III. Memb, I. Lib I. Cap. 6. p. 48, 49. y In 
 Ablante Sinic. z Mund. Subterr. Lib. II. fub finem. 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 27 
 
 they fend forth, the ALolian Bellows , which the 
 fame Kircher a both defcribes and faw; I prove it 
 from the innumerable fources and waters every 
 where abounding ; and laflly, I prove it from 
 the vulcano’s and burning mountains diftributed 
 through many regions of the world, as Italy., Afia, 
 Media , C Tart ary, Japan, the Philippines , and other 
 parts of India, Africa, 'Terra Aujlralis, Mare del Zur, 
 the Canaries, North and South America, Greenland , 
 IJland, &c. of which according to authors of the 
 bell credit cited in Phasn. VII. there is an immenle 
 number: And one thing is to be particularly re¬ 
 marked, that the cavities of thefe burning moun¬ 
 tains do not terminate at their bafes, but are far 
 extended in canals which often communicate with 
 one another. When mount Altna of old begun 
 to emit flames, Strongylus in the Liparte Iflands 
 did the like at the fame time, the fulphureous 
 fleams diffufed under all Sicily taking fire at once : 
 And altogether as remarkable, or more fo, is 
 Kircher' s obfervation, concerning that moil terrible 
 earthquake in Calabria, which himfelf faw and felt, 
 that Strombulo , 60 Italian miles diftant, was not 
 only heard to bellow and feen to blaze a little be¬ 
 fore, but that the fubterraneous noife was firft 
 diftinguifhed but dully, and then waxed louder 
 and louder, till it arrived under the fpot on which 
 he and his companions flood. 
 
 Obferv. II. Some of thefe caverns and fubterra-r 
 neous pafiages, when replete with water, form 
 gulphs, abyfles and rivers, and fome give rife to 
 fprings; others are occupied by flatufes and exha- 
 a Loc. cit. 
 
 lations j 
 
20 A Methodical Account of 
 
 lations; and others again with fire and flames, as 
 hinted in the proofs of the foregoing obfervation. 
 But for further confirmation, of what relates 
 to waters, it will demand but a moderate degree 
 of fagacity to conceive what vaft refervoits of that 
 fluid lie under the Alps for example, which pour 
 forth fo many great rivers, as the Danube , the 
 Rhine , the Inne , the Rhone , the Saone , the Ahaefe, 
 the Mofelle , the Po 9 the Etfcb , the Mencio, the 
 *Tefino , the Save, the Drave , &c. befides the great 
 lakes of Swijferlcmd^ as the Lucern , the Lentann 9 
 that of Zurich, and the lefier ones as you enter 
 Italy. The concavities under 'Taurus, Antitaurus , 
 Caucafus, and in ; whence flow the Indus , 
 Ganges, Oxus, Hydafpes, and feveral rivers of China 
 likewife the Euphrates, Tigris, &c. The like under 
 the Mountains of the Moon in Africa •, whence the 
 Nile, the mod celebrated of all rivers •, the lakes 
 
 Zaire, Zembre, &c.-Under the Andes in America, 
 
 which pour out a profufion of mighty rivers and 
 lakes on every fide, herein exceeding all others. 
 Whence it is eafy to imagine what an infinity of 
 other lefler receptacles of water there muff exift 
 throughout this globe, whence rivers of leffer note 
 are derived •, and, if the earth be properly called 
 the Terraqueous Globe, ought it not to be fo ? As 
 to the fecond part, which concerns flatufes and 
 exhalations, perufe what Gafpar Schottus, a difciple 
 of Kircher, writes about artificial winds generated 
 intra TEolias Cameras, by the fall of water b , and 
 then judge what quantity of winds mull of neceffi- 
 ty be continually excited in the bowels of the earth 
 b Magia Muftca. Syntag. IV. cap. io. 
 
 X 
 
 from 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 29 
 
 from the boifterous dalhing of the ocean againlt 
 the Ihores, and the ingrefs of its waves into the 
 fubterraneous caverns. As to the third part, fire, 
 confider, 1. what a vaft plenty of hot fprings is 
 there in all parts of Germany , France , and Spain. 
 Can thefe receive their heat, as it were by acci¬ 
 dent, merely from the abyfies of volcano’s pro¬ 
 longed through an innumerable variety of canals, 
 or muft not they owe it to a more extenfive in¬ 
 fernal fire ? 2. AEftuaries and eruptions of fire are 
 to be feen at Petra mala , and about Puzzoli in 
 Italy , and in many other places, and fometimes 
 they have been known to be thrown up from the 
 bottom of the fea, as in 1650, and long before in 
 1457 and 1570, near the ifland of Santorini in the 
 Archipelago. 3. It fhould be obferved, that all 
 thefe things are agreeable to the oeconomy of na¬ 
 ture. The whole ftock of waters under the furface 
 of the earth would be converted into ice, if fome 
 of them were not exceedingly heated by the proxi¬ 
 mity of fubterraneous fire. Again, Thefe very 
 fires would be extinguilhed, were it not for the 
 recreating blafts of air, produced by the ocean as 
 before hinted, or admitted in through the apertures 
 of volcano’s. And finally, there would be a total 
 confumption of all, from the fame fires, were they 
 not reftrained and partly extinguilhed, by the inter¬ 
 vention of waters and humid vapours. I might 
 here recite a notable paflage to this purpofe out of 
 the book de Mundo c , and another from Andreas 
 Cafalpims d , had I not fo long infilled in the proof 
 of this 2d obfervation. 
 
 c Cap. 4. J Lib. III. Perip, Quseft. IX. p. 77. 
 
 Obferv. 
 
30 A Methodical Account of 
 Obferv. III. The bowels of the earth do every 
 where, but chiefly in mountainous places, hold 
 more or lefs of fulphur, bitumen, nitre and other 
 falts, amber of various kinds, &c. alfo divers me- 
 tals, and that in great plenty; but thele fubftances 
 are obferved to abound moft of all in countries 
 which have been vifited with the fevereft earth¬ 
 quakes. Natural geography and experience teach 
 us, that all Sicily, Campania , Tufcany , and indeed 
 Italy in general, have plenty of fulphur, bitumen, 
 coals, pumice ftones, iron, copper, and other ores, 
 and the like holds good of many others. Where- 
 foever burning mountains are found, and we have 
 feen above that few parts are without them, there 
 thefe inflammable minerals are even belched forth: . 
 And it is very remarkable that the Ifle of Ormus 
 in the Perfian Gulph, which geographers report to 
 be in a manner all fait, did not only burn feven 
 whole years together, but does even to this time 
 daily throw forth balls of flame from its faline 
 mountains, a certain token of the truth of that 
 obfervation among naturalifts, that foflile fait is 
 rarely found pure, and void of all metalline mix¬ 
 ture, or a degree of undtuous fatnefs. Nor need 
 I mention that Pliny and Albertus Magnus affirm, 
 that oil may be extracted from fait, and lalt from 
 all metals and earths or alledge a curious and a 
 decifive experiment to prove that the earth every 
 where abounds with fatnefs and the pabulum of 
 flame'. It were needlefs here to fay any thing of 
 the mines and minerals of Germany and its neigh¬ 
 bouring countries, of which the geographic writers 
 ' Vide Kircher, Mund. fubterran. Tom. I. p. 185. 
 
 
 are 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 3 r 
 
 are fo full. I mull however take notice, that in 
 Mifnia there is a mountain of coals, which fre¬ 
 quently fends forth fmoke, and fometimes acftual 
 fire, whofe flames about the year 1505, Agricola the 
 great mineralift faw raging to an exceffive height. 
 And Bernh. C<efius writes f , that frequently in the 
 night feafon flames break out and blaze through 
 the whole tradt of land between Zwiccaw and 
 Glauch. Which writer gives a very large account 
 of the feveral countries of the world that princi¬ 
 pally abound in fulphur, bitumen, fait, fuccinum, 
 and other minerals and metals. This one thing 
 more I have to add, that from the fiery eruptions 
 at Santorini, fpoken of above, it is manifeft that 
 even fubmarine places are not entirely deftitute of 
 fulphureous and bituminous minerals: And that 
 the frequent appearance of fiery meteors, in every 
 part of the known world, afford a general argument 
 for the exiftence of fuch inflammable fubftances 
 everywhere under ground; for all naturalifts allow 
 that they c^n be no other than ignitions of fuch 
 exhalations. 
 
 Obferv. IV. It Hands therefore with reafon as 
 well as experience, that the fubterraneous cavities 
 and paffages are full of exhalations continually and 
 copioufly raifed from thefe inflammable bodies, and 
 that fuch fleams are no lefs inflammable than the 
 bodies themfelves which they are produced from, 
 whether they happen to be kindled by fome fortui¬ 
 tous fubterranean fpark, or from the fermentation 
 of the fleams of different bodies : For as they are 
 f Lib. I. de Minera. cap. 7. 
 
 elevated 
 

 *3 
 
 ■ 1 
 
 
 M 
 
 I ■ i 
 
 32 A Methodical Account 6 f 
 
 elevated as high as the middle region of the air* 
 where they can meet with no fire to ignite them j 
 what is more probable than that this operation is 
 performed in the under regions of the earth? More¬ 
 over, that vaft quantities of the exhalations of fuch 
 bodies are congefled in the bowels of the earth is 
 evident from this alone, that fulphur can never be 
 dug deep under ground, but only from mines ex- 
 pofed to the open air and day-light, otherwife the 
 miners would be fuffocated thereby, and on the 
 fame account all places in the neighbourhood of 
 the Afphaltites lake are abfolutely uninhabitable. 
 That an ordinary candle is capable of fetting fuch 
 fleams in a blaze, is obvious in Naptha , a few 
 drops of which as foon as poured out, will fpread 
 alfo a pinguous vapour through whole ftreets, 
 producing an inflammation in the air wherever it 
 reaches. And laftly, that ignition may arife out of 
 mere fermentations, without the prefence of any 
 aftual flame, is proved from the eaflly kindling 
 up of a mixture of nitre, fulphur and quick lime, 
 by moiftning it with a little water or fpittle s . It 
 is further very remarkable, that not only feveral 
 of thefe inflammable fubftances either by them- 
 felves or mixed with others, will burn in the midfl 
 of water; but that even gold, and other metals, 
 minerals, &c. duly prepared, will be eaflly put in 
 a ftate of accenfion not only by fire, but by a 
 moderate degree of warmth alone, and thereby 
 produce amazing effefts; fuch as I have myfelf 
 
 g Vide Gafp t Schott , mag. pyrotechn. p. 121. 
 
 
 more 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 33- 
 
 more than once beheld, and of which the afore¬ 
 cited author treats at large h . 
 
 Obf. V. The force of fuch inflammable vapours, 
 
 to produce motion, and alfo pulfations and fliocks, 
 when in a date of adtual accenflon, is prodigious. 
 “ The power of gunpowder fired in ordnance or in 
 “ mines, is well known: That it is capable of over- 
 “ fetting and blowing up the moil folid founda- 
 “ tions. And if we examine into the caufe of fo 
 “ vaft an impulfive force, we fhall find it to refide 
 “ in nothing but a compofition of a little nitre, 
 “ fulphur and charcoal. But if there be fo much 
 “ ftrength in a fmall quantity of this artificial 
 “ powder, how immenfely greater may we not 
 “ fuppofe that to be, which arifes out of nature’s 
 “ treafure of combuftible materials of fulphur, 
 “ nitre, alum, fal ammoniac, bitumen, and other 
 “ fpirits of minerals, metals, gold, copper, iron, 
 “ arfenic, quickfilver, &c. every one plentifully 
 “ ftored up in the hidden cavities of the earth ?” 
 
 I ufe the learned Klrcher'% words, as the apteft to 
 exprefs my meaning. Travellers who have vifited 
 V\ulcan’s fields near Puzzoli, give a horrible de- 
 fcription of the impetuous blafts which fome of 
 thofe fpiracles belch out, with mod aftonifhing 
 noifes, and with a force able to repel back into the 
 air large ftones thrown into them. What a huo-e 
 crack do the fulminating powders of gold, copper, 
 tartar, produce in their explofion; violently 
 burding to pieces whatfoever obdacles they meet 
 with? To fay nothing of the dreadful and 
 
 h Meehan. Hydraulic p. 63, vide etiam Gajfcnd. animadv. 
 in Diog. Laert. p. 1016, £ S'c. 
 
 D 
 
 
 pene- 
 
34 ^Methodical Account of 
 
 penetrating energy of lightning i which the city of 
 Stralfund in Pomerania not long ago fadly expe¬ 
 rienced. 
 
 Obferv. VI. The force of fpirituous bodies in a 
 Hate of rarefaction, even without accenfion, is alfo 
 very great: However, without the concurrence of 
 fome extrinfick impulfe, it feldom manifefts itfelf 
 in fudden fhocks and concuflions •, but chiefly in 
 (lighter tremors, iometimes accompanied with Am¬ 
 ple ruptures of the ground. Schottus procur’d 
 a fort of little glafs fpheres to be made at Rome , 
 and above forty years ago I diftributed feveral of 
 them among my friends at Jena , which I brought 
 from Amfierdam. Thefe would give a report al- 
 mcft as loud as a mufquet. They were filled 
 half full of vinegar or fome fpirit, and then her¬ 
 metically fealed. Being placed on burning 
 coals or in hot embers, the liquor within, tho* 
 rarefled by the heat, did not boil, or fo much 
 as move the fphere, but, burfling its prifon 
 at once, bounced as loud as a piftol. Much in 
 the fame manner it comes to pafs that pillars of 
 marble which the united force of an hundred 
 yoke of oxen cannot pull afunder, are by authors 
 of good credit affirmed to be eaflly broken to 
 pieces by the rarefaction of a little air or fpiritu¬ 
 ous fluid lodged in their pores, when furrounded 
 with fire; but at the fame time they make not the 
 lead mention of any tremors or reiterated pulfations 
 preceding the difruption. 
 
 Obferv. VII. Metals and minerals are not only 
 formed in the bowels of the earth, but after hav¬ 
 ing 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 35 
 
 ing been removed, are again regenerated in the 
 very fame places. This is obvious to every day’s 
 experience, as may be proved from Agricola ' and 
 Cxftus k ; efpecially in the illand of Ilva or Elva 
 in the Tyrrhene fea, where it has been obferved 
 that a mine entirely cleared of its iron ore, had 
 it renewed in the fpace of twenty five years : And 
 lead gutters .expofed long to the open air on the 
 tops of houfes, have been found to exceed confi- 
 derably their original weight; alfo metalline fhafts 
 or adits wrought at firfl large enough to admit an 
 eafy paffage to the miners, have in procefs of time 
 grown fo narrow, as to be quite ufelefs, which 
 could no otherwife come to pafs, but by an accef- 
 fion of new matter, according to the fentiments of 
 the now mentioned w'riters. 
 
 Obferv. VIII. Mineral fleams are indeed fome- 
 times found to be harmlefs, efpecially when tem¬ 
 per’d with an intermixture of bodies of a different 
 nature. Yet for the moft part they are obferved 
 to be noxious, efpecially if over copious, both to 
 men and beafls. The former part of the obferva- 
 tion is proved by the falubrity of hot fprings and 
 medicated waters, plentifully impregnated with 
 fleams of fulphur, nitre, &c. Such are frequent¬ 
 ly met with in Italy ; nor are they very fcarce in 
 Germany and other countries about it. The latter 
 part is notorious from the number- of difeafes 
 which arife from metals and metalline fumes; 
 fome attacking the joints, others the lungs, fome 
 the eyes, and others again the whole habit, fo as 
 
 1 Lib. v. de ortu canf. fubterr. & commhric. traft. 13. met. 
 cap, z. k Lib. i. de miner, cap. v. feft. 5. 
 
 D 2 
 
 to 
 
36 A Methodical Account of 
 
 to bring on death. By repeated obfervation it 
 has been found, that in pits and quarries where 
 ftones have been broken by fire, the air is vitiated 
 with a poifonous infection, and the cracks and 
 junctures of thefe ftones do exhale a fubtile viru¬ 
 lent fteam, which the fire forces out from inter- 
 fperfed metalline particles, of fuch a nature, that 
 when any animal bodies are infefted with it they 
 fwell, and lofe all fenfe and motion. It is report¬ 
 ed that near Plana , a town of Bohemia , there are 
 grottos which at certain feafons of the year emit 
 a vapour which extinguifhes lights, and kills the 
 miners who tarry a fmall time in it*, and of the 
 like nature is the foil about Puzzoli , and the fa¬ 
 mous grotta di cani , the lake Avernus , &c. feveral 
 more of which are to be met with in the writings 
 of Bernard Cxfius \ Athanafius Kircher m , and Se¬ 
 neca n . 
 
 Conclufion I. The earth being, (by Obferv. L) 
 every where below hollowed out into caverns and 
 canals, Ewhich (by Obf III, and IV.) includes vaft 
 ftores of various metals, minerals, and readily inflam¬ 
 mable fubftances; it may eafily come to pafs, from 
 the fire, likewife diffufed through the whole bow¬ 
 els of the earth {Obf. II.) that feme little fpark 
 may from a great diftance, by a chink or fmall 
 aperture, find its way into the faid caverns, and 
 fo fet fire to the fulphureous and nitrous fleams, 
 or that they may be kindled up by fome fudden 
 fermentation: In either cafe it is evident (from 
 Obf. V.) that fo hidden an inflammation and rare- 
 
 1 Lib. i. de miner, cap. vi. fed. ii. m Mund. fubterr. 
 tom. i. lib. v. fed. iii. " Lib. iv. quaeft. nat. cap. 18. 
 
 faction, 
 
 A 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 37 
 
 Fa&ion, mu ft neceffarily, according to the greater 
 or lefier quantity of combuftible matters, their fub- 
 ftance, tenacity, degree of drinefs, the extent, fi¬ 
 gure and pofition of the caverns, &c. produce va¬ 
 rious pulfations and other violent effe&s •, repre- 
 fented, tho’ in miniature, by gunpowder fired off 
 in artificial mines, by a long train or match. And 
 indeed in thefe days the knowledge of gunpowder 
 has hinted the true caufe of earthquakes in general, 
 and of the various phaenomena of particular ones, 
 and that in a fuller and more fatisfa&ory manner, 
 than the ancients, for want of fuch afliftance, 
 could any ways make out. 
 
 Concl. II. Nor is it ftrange that ignes fatui, 
 and other fiery meteors fhould fometimes be feen 
 without any fubterraneous accenfion, or enfuing 
 earthquake; fince the intervention of a little moif- 
 ture may eafily ftifle and extinguifh fuch fudden 
 inflammation; or fuppofing fome fubterraneous 
 vapours to be adlually kindled, their flames may 
 find vent, and efcape through fuperficial cran¬ 
 nies ; juft as the blowing up of artificial mines is 
 frequently defeated by a dampnefs of the powder, 
 or by a wrong proportion of the ingredients, or by 
 the mine being too fpacious for the quantity of the 
 powder; or laftly, if through the careleffnefs of 
 the engineers, or the craft of the enemy, there be 
 any apertures whereby the flame of the kindled 
 powder can find a vent. 
 
 Concl. III. But when fpirits in a ftate of ac¬ 
 tual inflammation are fo confin’d as to have no 
 paffage at all to efcape through, and at the fame 
 time the preflfure of the incumbent mafs, or the 
 D 3 cohe- 
 
38 A Methodical Account of 
 
 cohefion of its parts be too great to yield to the 
 impulfe; the confequence then will be at leaft a 
 commotion and tremulous concuffion, in propor¬ 
 tion to the faid incumbent mafs. And here, by 
 the way, it may be obferved, that fince the ca¬ 
 verns below the earth’s furface, cannot in reafon 
 be fuppofed to bear any proportion to the whole 
 globe; this alone may afford an eafy folution of 
 the fecond phaenomenon. 
 
 Conch IV. It is eafily to be comprehended, that 
 when the impulfe is directed parallel to the ho¬ 
 rizon, or upwards perpendicular to the furface, or 
 obliquely between both, it can force a paffage 
 through the obflacle no otherwife than from the 
 various pofitions of the caverns and canals; that 
 is, as they happen to point horizontally, vertical¬ 
 ly, or obliquely; juft as in guns, the force of the 
 powder is direfted the fame way that the piece is 
 planted : And on this footing the diverfities of ge¬ 
 neral earthquakes mentioned at large in Phan. Ill, 
 IV, and V. will be fatisfadlorily accounted for. 
 
 Concl. V. Nor is it difficult to forefee, if it 
 fhould fo happen, as it very eafily may, that a 
 cavern tranfverfly extended in length, ffiould be 
 ignited near its middle, fo th.it the impetus muft 
 be direfted at the fame time to both its extremi¬ 
 ties, what would be the confequence; namely that 
 thofe extremities receding farther afunder, muft 
 during the blaft, produce a rupture in the roof 
 above, which as loon as that was fpent, would 
 clofe again with a reciprocal -force : And fuch is 
 the caufe of the arictation defcribed in Phan. IV. 
 
 Concl. 
 
EARTH Q^U A K E S. 39 
 
 Concl. VI. It is likewife manifeft, that when 
 any part of the earth fuffers i'ome degree of a 
 fhock, or a confiderable trembling, even though 
 the fuperficial part be not ruptured afunder, fuch 
 fuperincumbent lofty ftru&ures as towers, churches, • 
 &c. muft be either thrown down or fhattered there¬ 
 by : As when a table receives a fmart flroke on 
 the under fide, drinking glafifes placed thereon will 
 be overfet; and nuts, fruit and the like, leap out 
 of the plates that hold them. This fhews how the 
 fuccujfion and fubverfion particularly defcribed in 
 Phan. Ill and IV. are to be rationally explained. 
 
 Concl. VII. But when the earthen roof is too 
 weak to refill: the efforts of a more furious accen- 
 fion, the flames muft needs burlt open the gates 
 of their confinement, and every thing upon the 
 furface go pell mell to the bottom, the fides of 
 the cavern at the fame time collapfing*, and thus 
 whole cities, mountains, rivers and even iflands, 
 may be (wallowed, and all thofe horrible effefts 
 produced, which were enumerated in the five firft 
 phsenomena: Nor is the art of war praitifed un¬ 
 der ground, incapable of working fimilar confe- 
 quences. 
 
 Concl. VIII. And further, fince it appears from 
 Obf. II. that vaft refervoirs and torrents of water 
 are contained in the fubterraneous apartments*, 
 what fhould hinder but that fuch a body of fluid 
 may inftantly overflow the cities, mountains, fife, 
 newly (wallowed up, and form large Handing 
 lakes, or flowing rivers, where there were no figns 
 of them before ? Which will fatisfy the latter part 
 
40 A Methodical Account of 
 
 of Phan. IV. and alfo the whole of Phan. V and 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Concl. IX. But if an huge bulk of earth be 
 forced up obliquely through the incumbent fea, 
 fo as not to drop back into the fubmarine cavern, 
 but to reft on the folid bottom near the aperture, 
 with its top above the furface of the fea, a new 
 ifland will be formed; and if at the fame time 
 much of the fea be abforbed into the abyfs below, 
 fubmarine hills may have their tops uncovered, 
 and thus alfo become fuddenly new iflands: And 
 thus the caufe of Phan. X. may be naturally ex¬ 
 plain’d. 
 
 Concl. X. And to the very fame caufe muft 
 the fea’s inftantaneous receding from the fir ore 
 during an earthquake (as mentioned at the latter 
 end of Phan. X.) be afcribed; it being fucked into 
 the new opened gulph below, and difappearing ’till 
 diftant waves flow in and fupply its place. 
 
 Concl. XI. Nor is it to be accounted ftrange 
 that when, and wherefoever earthquakes happen, 
 flames fhould not at the fame time be always vifi- 
 ble : For thefe, if not extravagantly fierce and 
 copious, may be fmothered and extinguilhed by 
 the fallen ruins of the earth, or by the overflowing 
 of waters : Befides they may be often, either of fo 
 fubtile a nature, or fo involv’d in clouds of fmoak, 
 as in the day time to efcape our fight, though they 
 might be vifible enough in the darknefs of the 
 night; of which JEtna , Vefuvius , and the fields of 
 Puzzoli , do afford almoft daily examples, 
 
 Concl. XII. Flames are a great deal more apt 
 to burft forth from the tops of mountains, than in 
 
 i 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 41 
 
 valleys or other low places, as being lefs check’d 
 by the beforementioned obftacles, and likewife 
 becaufe the cavities under mountains are very fre¬ 
 quent and large, and their fides by inclining toge¬ 
 ther, form a kind of chimneys which favour their 
 afcent. This explains the former part of the 
 Vllth Phan. 
 
 Concl. XIII. And fince vaft quantities of ful- 
 phur, bitumen, ftones and metals, liquified by a 
 moil intenfe heat, are expelled from thefe infernal 
 chambers through the tops of mountains, like ftones 
 and bullets out of artificial ordnance, they muft 
 be the pabulum whereby fuch fire is fo long main- 
 • tained, except that the crufty rubbifti which drops 
 off from the inward lining of thofe mountains, 
 may fometimes fupply it with new fewel. Hence 
 the fecond part of Phan. VII is deduc’d. 
 
 Concl. XIV. The caufe is likewife manifeft, 
 why thefe ignivomous dragons, after having ceafed 
 for a while, through a total confumption of the 
 combuftible materials within them, do rage again: 
 This being the confequence of another accenfion 
 of newly generated fteams and exhalations, which, 
 like the former ones, forces a new vent for other 
 ignited and melted fubftances, as in Obi. VII. 
 and thus the laft part of the fame Vllth Phan. 
 may be, at leaf! probably, accounted for. 
 
 Concl. XV. With the like eafe may we con¬ 
 ceive how ignited fumes and exhalations being ra¬ 
 refied in the bowels of the earth, do occafion tre¬ 
 mors and {hocks, as alfo winds and blafts, fome¬ 
 times before the ragings of burning mountains, 
 gnd fometimes after them; namely, in the former 
 
42 A Methodical Account of 
 
 cafe, becaufe no vent is as yet opened; and in the 
 latter, becaufe it is clofed up again before they 
 have entirely efcaped; and thus the force being di- 
 ftributed among the neighbouring parts, the in- 
 clofed air is driven out through whatfoever crannies 
 it happens to meet with, as from aeolipiles, and 
 thus we have a very probable folution of the IXth 
 Phan. 
 
 Concl. XVI. Nor is it ftrange that fuch erup¬ 
 tions Ihould be for the mofl: part accompanied 
 with horrible noifes; we experience them in a pro¬ 
 portionable degree upon difcharging guns, ex¬ 
 ploding fulminating powders, and burfting blad¬ 
 ders. And the variety of thefe noifes, as bellow- 
 ings, lowings, thunderings, roarings, &V. depend 
 upon the different capacities and figures of the ca¬ 
 verns and canals, like the various tones of an or¬ 
 gan on the fizes and length of its pipes. Such is 
 the caufe of Phan. VI. 
 
 Concl. XVII. Sometimes the chambers which 
 contain the combuftible matter are fmall and few, 
 and their walls not fo thin as to permit the kindled 
 flame to make a fudden irruption into the contigu¬ 
 ous ones, which rather burns a paflage through 
 by gradually confuming the intermixed fulphor 
 and bitumen, and then perhaps meets with much 
 more capacious caverns, through which being e- 
 qually diffus’d, much of its primary force is abated, 
 and its velocit-y retarded; which affords a fatisfac- 
 tory rationale of the different durations of earth¬ 
 quakes fpoken of in Phan. XI. 
 
 Concl. XVIII. And fince it appears from Kir- 
 (her’s experiment cited at the latter end of Obf I. 
 
 1 that 
 
w 
 
 EARTH QJJ A K E S. 43 
 
 that the communication which fubterraneous ca¬ 
 verns have one with another, is frequently by long 
 extended canals, what wonder is it that earth¬ 
 quakes are fometimes propagated to very great di- 
 ftances, in various diredtions ? as we have obferved 
 in Phan. XII. 
 
 Concl. XIX. But countries whofe foil is fandy 
 or loamy, are alfo frequently vifited by tremors 
 and Ihocks : Now it is extremely difficult to con¬ 
 ceive, how, in fuch a contexture of earth, any 
 caverns and canals of communication can poffibly 
 fubfift. This however muft be underftood to take 
 place by a kind of confent of parts, the impulfe 
 being begun at a great diftance, and the jar pro¬ 
 pagated by contiguity of folid parts, as for ex¬ 
 ample, 
 
 — — p lauftris concujfa tremefcunt 
 
 T'etta, viam propter , non magno pondere , tota: 
 
 Ferratos utrinque rotarum fuccutit orbes, &c. 
 as Lucretius elegantly defcribes it; and Kircher af- 
 fents 0 ; which fatisfies for the beginning of Phan. 
 XII. 
 
 Concl. XX. The caufes why mountains and 
 maritime places are molt obnoxious to Ihocks and 
 fubverfions, are, firft, the redundancy of inflam¬ 
 mable fubftances under mountains, according to 
 Obf. III. and, fecondly, the winds and blafts ex¬ 
 cited by the allifion of waves, as being great pro¬ 
 moters of accenfion, according to Obf. II. But 
 in marffiy and watery places, tho’ much abound¬ 
 ing in combuftible matter under ground (fuch as 
 * f.ib. iv. niund. fubterr. feft. ii. cap. 10. in fine. 
 
 Pufcany. 
 
44 A Methodical Account of 
 
 2" ujcany, which Kircher gives for an example p ; and 
 this actually fet on fire, or juft ready to be fo, is eafi- 
 ly quenched by the neighbouring moifture •, fo that 
 earthquakes cannot be frequent here. And thus have 
 we the caufe of Phan. XIII. with which compare 
 Concl. II. At the fame time we have the caufe of 
 the late difafter at Hall, a foil richly impregnated 
 with fait; and the fame inference may be made 
 from what was faid in Obf. III. about the ifle of 
 Ormus, and fo we come at the caufe of Phan. I. 
 
 Concl. XXI. The inflammable fubftances we 
 have all along been fpeaking of are not more lia¬ 
 ble to accenfion in fpring or fummer than in au¬ 
 tumn and winter, nor more under one conftellation 
 than another, {Phan. XIV.) It is not therefore 
 ftrange that no times and feafons have been abfo- 
 lutely without the related effedts. It is however 
 not improbable that the winds blowing ftronger, 
 or the feas running higher at a certain feafon, may 
 have fome fhare in promoting them. 
 
 Concl. XXII. And as fmoaky, nitrous and ful- 
 phureous fleams, before their accenfion, or after 
 it, may eafily penetrate to the fources of fprings; 
 and as afhes and foot are frequently ejected in 
 great quantities, without flame, through clefts 
 and openings of mountains up into the air, the 
 reafon of Phan. XVI. muft be very obvious. 
 
 Concl. XXIII. Nor is it in the leaft ftrange, 
 that mifehievous and venomous exhalations {Obf. 
 VIII.) fhould, by infedting the air, often bring on 
 peftilential difeafes, as was remarked at the end of 
 the fame Phan. 
 
 ? Loco ante cit. 
 
 
 Concl. XXIV, 
 
EARTH QJJ AK E S. 45 
 Concl. XXIV. But whether they portend fedi- 
 tions and other evils independent of truly natural 
 caufes,is not thebufinefs of the prelent enquiry. This 
 it is manifeft from experience, that JEtna , Vefuvius , 
 &c. do render the circumjacent country extremely 
 fertile by their erudation of a pinguious matter; 
 and that Greenland and IJland , otherwife intolera¬ 
 bly cold, are cherifhed merely by thefe fubterrane- 
 ous fires, and rendered habitable •, to fay nothing 
 of the profit that redounds to the inhabitants from 
 the fale of the vaft quantities of fulphur, where¬ 
 with they conftantly fupply them, affording them 
 a very comfortable fupport, which otherwife they 
 muft be altogether in want of. 
 
 Concl. XXV. It cannot be queftioned, but as the 
 waves of the ocean do wear rocks, and wafh away 
 fhores and the walls of cities-, fo may the waters 
 have free power of walhing, and excavating the 
 inward parts of the earth in certain places, info- 
 much as to caufe the vaulted roof above to drop 
 in through its own v/eight; which particular is 
 taken notice of by Seneca q , and has been con¬ 
 firmed by a late example in Bulgaria , where a trad 
 of land fix miles long, funk down, without any 
 earthquake, into a deep abyfs-, and not long fince 
 the gazettes mentioned a thing of the like kind 
 of a mountain in Rujfia , where nothing of a fub- 
 terraneous fire would have been fufpeded, had it 
 not being accompanied with bellowings and roar¬ 
 ings : and I wilh I may be miftaken in my prog- 
 noitic, as to the town of Panama near the ifthmus 
 of Darien , on the weftern coaft of America., fuffer- 
 q Lib. vi. qua:ft. nat. cap. 7. 
 
T 
 
 46 A Methodical Account of 
 
 ing the like fate, efpecially if what is reported by 
 fome be true, that the waves of the fea are fre¬ 
 quently heard to roar under the ftreets. 
 
 * Concl. XXVI. But whether a tremor, proper¬ 
 ly fo called, may be produced by a violent fall 
 of waters into a fubterraneous cavern, let the rea¬ 
 der judge from what has been faid above,compared 
 with what Athanafius Kircher relates ’, that “ At Pa¬ 
 nama, a town of America, the flux of the fea is at 
 fome times fo violent , that the place is full of water , 
 and at the fame time an earthquake is felt, and hor¬ 
 rid bellowings are heard from under ground.” And 
 indeed although the hypothefis of Democritus , 
 which may be met with at large in Plutarch , Se¬ 
 neca and Ariftoile , that fubterraneous waters are the 
 caufe of earthquakes, be infufficient to folve many 
 of the phenomena, yet it mull be acknowledged 
 not to be in all rel'pects abfurd. 
 
 Concl. XXVII. Nor ought we to oppofe A- 
 rijlotle , and others of the ancients, as to the vio¬ 
 lence of flatufes, efpecially in a Hate of rarefac¬ 
 tion {Obf VI.) if they could but afiign a caufe 
 either of inftantaneous rarefaction, as that, for ex¬ 
 ample, of air condenfed in wind-guns, or of any 
 violent impulfe imprefs’d by continued flatus’s 
 from a confiderable diftance; without which (by 
 the lame Obf. VI.) the varieties of earthquakes 
 cannot be accounted for (nor indeed the other phae- 
 nomena, efpecially the Vllth, if the origin of fuch 
 impulfe be fuppofed far diftant) nor the artificial 
 earthquake of Arthmefius defcribed by Agathius f , 
 gain any credit. 
 
 r Mund. fubterr. tom. 1. p. 145. f Lib. v. 
 
 Concl. 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 47 
 
 Concl. XXVIII. Wherefore as to thefe, and o- 
 ther opinions of the ancients, we muft, in the ge¬ 
 neral, agree with Seneca % that “ although they are 
 rude and deftitute of perfection, yet fill ought we to 
 excufe them ; and think ourfelves in fome meafure in¬ 
 debted to them for whatever improvements we may 
 happen to make.” As thofe who broke the ice, 
 and firft attempted fuch profound inquiries, in 
 which they would beyond all doubt have fucceed- 
 ed, if artillery and gunpowder had been known in 
 their timesfor by this alone the moderns were 
 led, and as it were forced into the difcovery of the 
 caufes we have here affigned, of fo intricate a mat¬ 
 ter-, of which I will take upon me to produce un- 
 queftionable proof. 
 
A Methodical Account of 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 I.T Intend in this additional paper to give due 
 J[ fatisfadtion to fuch as would choofe to rely 
 on the authorities of other men, rather than trull 
 to their own judgment: And alfo to prove the 
 truth of a propofition of the utmoft importance 
 in the whole fcience of nature. As to the former, 
 
 I fhall not, as I might, infill that many ancient 
 philofophers deduced the caufes of earthquakes, 
 tho’ not altogether fatisfaftorily, from the violent 
 aftion of fire ; and that among the feveral notions 
 of Epicurus on the fubjedl, this was his favorite 
 one, “ that earthquakes are produced by fome 
 “ fpiritual flatus converted into fire, which like 
 cc thunder, makes havock with whatfoever it meets 
 “in its way,” as Seneca reports u \ I rather choofe 
 to cite the authorities of a few of the moll cele¬ 
 brated moderns. 
 
 II. Cafpar Schottus in his explanation of the na¬ 
 ture and aflion of mines in lieges, fays", “ The 
 “ military architedls do hollow out a winding nar- 
 “ row pafiage, by the help of a magnetical com- 
 “ pafs, from the place where the fiege is carried 
 “ on, to the very fortrefs they defign to demolilhj 
 “ and under it they work a vault, and clofe it up 
 “ with a door, which has a fmall hole bored at 
 “ its bottom ; from which all along, as they re- 
 “ tire, they lay a match or train, and fet fire to 
 
 “ Lib. toties citat. w Meehan, hydraul. p. 6l. 
 
 “ it 
 
EARTHQUAKES* 49 
 u it when they are got out: Thus the whole 
 “ quantity of powder in the vault is kindled at 
 “ once, and the rarefied flame enduring no con- 
 “ finement, blows up the pile that ftands over it, 
 “ and in an inftant fpreads death and terror a- 
 “ round.”—After which he adds the following re¬ 
 markable words. “ Nothing was ever devifed to 
 “ exhibit fo perfeft a refemblance of an earth- 
 “ quake, as that apparently is no other than an 
 “ effect of rarefa&ion, and nature in producing 
 “ thofe coneuffions, operates in a quite fimilar 
 “ manner-, for a flame from fome fubterranean 
 “ furnace creeps along a vein of nitre or fulphur, 
 “ till it arrives at a place where a much larger 
 “ ftore of thofe materials are congefted; which 
 “ being fuddenly kindled and rarefied, endea- 
 “ vouring to expand itfelf into a larger fpace, 
 “ fhakes or overfets the incumbent mafs. 
 
 III. Howexadlly the pupil and his matter agree, 
 may be feen in Kircher' s writings x , where having 
 advanced what we have cited about mines and ord¬ 
 nance at the beginning of Obf. V. he immediately 
 adds,—“ who can be ignorant that earthquakes 
 “ have the like origin ? They are brought about, 
 “ as' has before been fhewn, in the bowels of 
 ■** the earth, and that in the following manner. 
 “ When the powerful effort of fubterraneous fire 
 “ has broken through the Tides of the caverns of 
 “ mountains, and fpread itfelf into a large fpace; 
 “ the air there is put into a violent agitation, and 
 “ the combuftible particles with which it is copi- 
 “ oufly impregnated, being fuddenly kindled, ex- 
 * Mund. fubterr. lib. iv. p. 221, 
 
 E “ ha. 
 
jjo A Methodical Account of 
 
 « halations are formed in vaft quantities, and for 
 “ want of a vent for them to efcape at, the utmo 
 “ colludations enfue which nature is able to en- 
 “ dure-, the hollow fides and vaults of mountains 
 “ are fhaken, and the fuperficial parts of the 
 “ earth are lifted up, and, mark the words , thele 
 “ elaftic vapours work the very fame efFeds, as 
 “ gunpowder in artificial mines: They burft 
 “ through every thing, overlet cities and caftles, 
 
 “ form horrid gulphs and new lakes, leaving be- 
 *c hind them the various monuments of defolation 
 “ and calamity, defcribed in hiftorians. 
 
 IV. Defcartes goes further y . “ The fubtile 
 “ particles of exhalation, fays he, being too much 
 “ agitated to be converted into oil, when acci- 
 « dentally driven in any confiderable quantity 
 “ through the crannies, and into the cavities of 
 “ the earth, do there conftitute greafy thick fumes, 
 “ n ot unlike thofe which arife from a new extin- 
 « guilhed candle; and then if any fpark of fire 
 happens to be excited in thofe cavities, the 
 “ fumes are prefently kindled up, and in confe- 
 “ quence of an inftantaneous rarefadion, do fiiake 
 “ the walls of their prilbn with prodigious force, 
 eipecially if a great deal of fpirit or aura be in- 
 “ termixed with them and in this manner are 
 “ earthquakes produced.” See likewife his other 
 opinions about the duration of vulcano’s and 
 earthquakes, which I cannot but think highly 
 probable. 
 
 V. But the learned Gaffendus of all others, has 
 the mold ingenioufly deduced the caufes of earth- 
 y Piincip. part iv\ Num, LXXV. % 
 
 quakes 
 
w 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. $i 
 
 quakes from fubterraneous fires, and fhewn the 
 ftrift fimilitude between the effefts of artificial 
 mines and earthquakes z ; the paflage is fomewhat 
 prolix, but well worth tranlcribing.—“ It feerns 
 “ then much more likely that an earthquake 
 “ fhould be the confequence of a fudden inflam- 
 “ mation of fulphureous and bitirminous fteams, 
 “ taking fire from an intermixture of nitre, in 
 4t fubterraneous caverns not far below the furface 
 of the ground, it having been before obferved 
 that a like fteam within a cloud, kindles into,. 
 Xl lightning. The violent nature of flame, in its 
 firfi: formation, when generated from fuch ma- 
 1 “ terials, may be fufficiently known, by attend- 
 
 “ ing to the effefts of that of gunpowder fired in 
 “ pieces of ordnance ; or rather, in military mines, 
 
 £ “ where the expanfive power of the flame is able 
 
 s, “ to lift up the weight of a fortrefs or caftle, and 
 
 »• “ give a terrible concuffion to the ftrongeft build- 
 
 it “ ings in its neighbourhood. Since then a fmall 
 
 k “ quantity of flame let loofe from a fmall mine, 
 
 t “ in comparifon of the mafs of building over it, 
 
 it “ is capable of producing fo great effefts, what 
 
 ct, “ may not a far more copious flame in a large 
 
 in. “ fubterraneous cavern do to the earth and moun- 
 
 ap “ tains over it and about it ? As the flames of 
 
 jc “ mines operate with a various fuccels, as the 
 
 aiyi * e mines are more or lefs confined, greater or lef- 
 
 jjj “ fer, deeper or fhallower, and according to the 
 
 “ clofenefs- and loofenefs, dampnefs and drynefs of 
 |,jj “ the powder, &c. fometimes producing no ef* 
 jtj,. “ feft at all, fometimes a fhock only, and at o- 
 z Animad, in lib. x. Diog. Laert. p. m. 1045 & feqq. 
 jit: E 2 thers 
 
$2 ^Methodical Account of 
 “ thers the expe&ed execution-, fo the flames 
 “ kindled from fubterraneous exhalations, ac- 
 Ci cording to the various circumftances of the ca- 
 “ verns and vaults, may perhaps often have no 
 “ fenfible influence above the furface, either from 
 “ the laxnefs of the earth, through whofe fpira- 
 “ cles they may gradually efcape and be diffipat- 
 (e ed or their utmoft confequence may be only a 
 “ flight fhock or tremor, the incumbent weight 
 “ being too great to be removed in which cafe 
 “ the flames will be reflefted back, and find a 
 “ paflage through fome lateral fpiracles of the ca- 
 “ vern: Or when the refiftance above is great, 
 “ and they cannot otherwife efcape, they may oc- 
 “ caflon fubverfions, abforptions, &c. Or laftly, 
 
 “ having forced a fufflcient aperture, they may 
 “ belch out fire and afhes, or ejedt fparrs, mine- 
 “ rals, pumice ftones, and fragments of rocks, 
 “ &?c. partly calcined, and partly melted.” 
 
 VI. And laftly, let us hear an evidence out of 
 the Peripatetic fchool, the famous Jndreas C<efal- 
 finus, who after having fpoken of lubterranean ex¬ 
 halations, adds % “ If at any time a good ;quan- 
 “ tity of fuch a fubftance fhould be fublimed in- 
 “ to any of the regions of the earth, w r hofe cavi- 
 “ ties are filled with air, and not with water; it 
 “ may eafily be fet on fire, as happens in the 
 “ clouds. Hence come fiery eruptions in many 
 “ places hence flrocks of earthquakes, and 
 “ oftentimes fubverfions, when the pores of the 
 “ earth are not open enough to favour the efcape 
 * Lib. iii. peripatet. qua;ft. ix. fub finem. 
 
 ©f 
 
EARTH Q^U A K E S. 53 
 
 “ of the generated blaft: hence fulphureous beds 
 “ and hot fprings: For fulphur, bitumen, and 
 “ fuch like inflammable bodies have their origin 
 “ from concreted exhalations, which having ac- 
 “ quired the igneous principle, do adminifter to 
 “ the duration of fubterraneous fires; and when 
 “ the circumambient bodies become warmed by 
 “ fuch fires, the waters which glide over them are 
 “ heated alfo.” Which expreffions, tho’ fome- 
 what obfcure in comparifon of the brighter truths 
 delivered above, yet confidering them the offspring 
 of the Latin Peripatetic fchool, muff be allowed 
 to fhine in fome degree. 
 
 VII. I come now to the other point I propofed: 
 to enforce it as a ferious truth, that the ftupendous 
 effects of earthquakes, whether we confider them 
 'with regard to their immenfe greatnefs or their va¬ 
 riety, can be no other than a work every way ade¬ 
 quate to the infinite power of the fupreme Being: 
 And this perhaps may be the more eafily aflented 
 to, if an intervention of certain active forces fub- 
 ordinate to the fame divine power, can be dc- 
 monftrated; and indeed could nothing of this kind 
 'be demonftrated, it would be a kind of facrilege 
 to attempt to afcribe efle&s worthy of the divine 
 power and virtue alone, to any natural agent, al¬ 
 though fubordinate to that divine power. For 
 v/hat muff fuch agent be ?■ What fuch virtue fub¬ 
 ordinate and contradiftinfl to the divine power ? 
 You will anfwer perhaps without much hefitation, 
 that it mud be fubterraneous fire •, the efficacy of 
 which is but too apparent and obvious to all who 
 
 E 3- have 
 
54 A Methodical Account of 
 
 have the misfortune to be placed within the fpherc 
 of its fury. 
 
 VIII. I do not deny the dupendous energy and 
 power which refides in fire, the mod amazing of 
 all God’s creatures! It is maniled to the molt 
 vulgar eyes and the dulled fenfes, even to thofe of 
 brutes. But when I furvey it with the philosophi¬ 
 cal eye of found realon, the immediate gift of the 
 divinity, I am plainly convinc’d that its wonderful 
 efficacy is no other th$n the very efficacy of the di¬ 
 vine virtue alone. I have in another place analy¬ 
 tically invedigated the nature of fire, and found 
 it to confid of two very fubtile parts, but the one 
 far lei's fubtile than the other. The lefs fubtile is 
 made up of felecd rigid and acute particles of the 
 terrene element, which are abfolutely inert and 
 paffive; the others of the fird element, are incon¬ 
 ceivably more fubtile, and extremely moveable j 
 and thefe, in vertue of their perpetual activity, fet 
 the others in motion, and in this manner produce 
 the univerfally vifible and palpable power of fire. 
 But ffiould we go further, and enquire from 
 whence this rapid agitation of the fubtile particles 
 of the fird element is derived ? It would be ab* 
 furd to fay they derived it from themfelves, and e- 
 qually abfurd to fuppofe, that thefe, being prime 
 particles, had it from others, prior to themfelves; 
 which if granted, the difficulty would be dill the 
 fame, i 3 c. The certain conclufion then mud be, 
 that the particles of the fird element did not only 
 once receive that aftual mobility which is manifed 
 in fire, from an incorporeal principle, prior and 
 fupenor to all matter, but that it is likewife, 
 
 through 
 
EARTH QJU ARES. 55 
 
 through the perpetual aid of the fame principle, 
 that it is kept in conftant pofleflion of the fame. 
 Or, to exprefs the thing more plainly, that the 
 moft fubtile components of fire, primarily agitated 
 by the divine will, do, by the fame divine will, 
 agitate the lefs fubtile ones, and impel them a- 
 gainft grofler bodies •, and fo have all the ordinary 
 and vifible effe&s of fire hitherto been, now are, 
 and hereafter will be produced: In a word, that 
 the power which we confider as proper to fire, is 
 in reality the conftant will of the Deity, whereby 
 he was once pleafed, that the moft fubtile, and by 
 their means alfo the lefs fubtile parts of fire Ihould 
 be kept in perpetual motion, and that by the medi¬ 
 ation of both, all the effedts of fire Ihould enfue; 
 and therefore that it will be in vain to imagine that 
 there is any virtue, fubordinate to the Deity, that 
 can any ways move, or operate upon, the parts of 
 fire, but this divine one alone. 
 
 IX. The moft fubtile parts of fire are then agi¬ 
 tated merely by the divine will •, and by them the 
 grofler fpicuLe of the fame body: And, by means 
 of the fpicuhe , rapidly impelled on .yet grofler bo¬ 
 dies, they are kindled, melted, calcin’d, and 
 burnt to allies-, and grand mafles receive impulfes, 
 and are moved in various directions ; and all the 
 ftupendous effects of earthquakes, before related, 
 are brought to pafs. God, according to his good 
 pleafure, and the eternal order by him eftablilh- 
 ed, makes ufe of various and infinite means (yet 
 of none derived but from himlelf) as pafiive in- 
 ftruments, but never employs any other really 
 active vertue, fubordinate to himlelf. for to what 
 E 4. end 
 
56 A Methodical Account of 
 
 end can fuch agents exert themfelves ? To what 
 can they contribute, when it is his omnipotent 
 virtue alone, that can imprefs upon their feveral 
 members the impetus requifite to the office of their 
 deftination, whether immediately, or by the in¬ 
 termediation of others, varioufly paffive, but no 
 ways adive, or endued with a virtue contradi- 
 ftind to that of the prime mover ? So that it mult 
 be infilled upon again and again, that it is the 
 will of the omnipotent Creator alone, that ads 
 and moves, and by moving governs and regulates 
 all things in the univerfal world, and that imme¬ 
 diately, in confequence of a proper virtue : That 
 js without the intervention of any other adive vir¬ 
 tue of any creature whatever, though indeed me¬ 
 diately, in regard to the adion of that only divine 
 virtue, with refped to the difpofition, aptitude, 
 and capacity of various recipients. 
 
 X. But could not the great Creator of the uni- 
 verfe communicate to fire an adive power of burn¬ 
 ing, &c, in vertue of which it might afterwards 
 perform all its ufual effeds, and, of itfelf, bring 
 on earthquakes ? 
 
 I anfwer: I know very well that with many, 
 this is the main obflacle which hinders their afient 
 to the philofophical truth which I contend for, tho’ 
 clear enough in itfelf. I am, I own, very defirous 
 of fhewing the impoffibility of communicating fuch 
 adive forces to l'ubltances merely corporeal. I in¬ 
 treat therefore my readers attention to what I have 
 already laid, as well as to what I am going to fay 
 Concerning the power of fire to burn, &c. 
 
 Unlef§ 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 57 
 
 Unlefs I were to exprefs the definition of fire in 
 abftracft terms, inftead of confidering it under any 
 real agitation and motion, obvious partly to the 
 fenfes, and partly to the imagination, I muft be 
 obliged, with moft modern philofophers, to fup- 
 pofe a twofold motion, one of the grofier and ter¬ 
 rene particles piercing, cutting, breaking and dif- 
 folving the continuity of other bodies, and inflict¬ 
 ing the moft exquifite pains on fenfitive bodies; 
 and another, of the inconceivably fubtile parts, 
 fwiftly pervading in all directions the pores of all 
 bodies, not previoufly occupied by themfelves in 
 confort with 'their terrene fpicula , and that not 
 only without any detriment, but even fenfible per¬ 
 ception. It is clear and manifeft that the impetus 
 of the former particles, fince it is pailively depen¬ 
 dent on the fuppofed fwift agitation of the latter, 
 cannot conftitute any aftive power in fire. Where¬ 
 fore, if there were any aftive power at all in fire, 
 it muft be afcribed to the agitation of its very fub¬ 
 tile parts (fuppofing it has none more fubtile ftill 
 than thofe, &c. to do which would be weak and 
 ablurd,) which is the fame as to fay it is commu¬ 
 nicated to it by God himfelf. Now fuch agitating 
 force could be communicated to it no otherwife 
 than either by giving to the particles a power of 
 agitating themfelves (which is abfurd to all found 
 reafon, and even to the Peripatetics themfelves) 
 or by willing that they fhould be fo agitated. But 
 fince to be agitated implies fomething paflive, and 
 in this inftance, dependent inevitably on the di¬ 
 vine will; it is manifeft that in fire there is no 
 2 <ftive power, properly fo called, Uefides the foie 
 
 efficacy 
 
58 '^Methodical Account, &c. 
 efficacy of the divine will, whereby that more fub- 
 tile part of it communicates motion to the grolTer 
 particles, impelling them upon other bodies, and 
 fo producing other confequent effects; in refpedt 
 of which, the motion of the fpicula may indeed 
 be called adtive, as alfo that of the fubtile parts 
 in refpedt of the motion of thefpicuU, though they 
 are all of them abfclutely paffive. It is then the 
 perfection of the divine power alone, not to fland 
 in need of any intrinfic motive power, and as fuch 
 it is abfolutely and truly adtive, and efficiently pro¬ 
 ductive of the motions effential to fire, and of in¬ 
 numerable others thereon depending. 
 
OF THE 
 
 
 NATURE 
 
 O F 
 
 / 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 
 
 More particularly of the Origin of the Matter of 
 them., from the Pyrites alone. 
 
 I Have elfewhere * fhewn that the breath of the 
 pyrites is fulphur ex tot a fubjlantia: alfo that 
 it naturally takes fire of itfelf. Again that the 
 material caufe of thunder and lightning, and of 
 earthquakes, is one and the fame; viz. the in¬ 
 flammable breath of the pyrites. The difference 
 is, that one is fixed in the air-, the other under 
 ground: of which laft, thefe I think are fuffici- 
 ent arguments. A thing burnt with lightning 
 fmells of very brimftone; again, the fubtilty and 
 thinnefs of the flame alfo the manner of its burn¬ 
 ing, which is often obferved to be particulatim, or 
 jn fmall fpots, vapour-like. And of earthquakes. 
 
 * De fontibus medicatis Anglia, 
 
 the 
 
60 Of the Nature of 
 
 the fulphureous (link of waters fmelt before, and 
 of the very air itfelf after them; of which innu¬ 
 merable inftances occur in the relations of them. 
 
 They alfo agree in the manner of the noife, 
 which is to be carried on, as in a train fired-, the 
 one rolling and rattling through the air, taking 
 fire as the vapours chance to drive; as the other 
 fired under ground, in like manner moves with 
 defultory noife, as it fhall chance to be continued. 
 
 That the earth is more or lefs hollow, is made 
 probable by what is found every where in moun¬ 
 tains, viz. natural cavities or chambers, which 
 the miners of the north call [elf-opens. Thefe they 
 meet with very frequently, fome vaftly great, and 
 others lefs, running with fmall finus’s. And I 
 doubt not, upon diligent inquiry, a great cata¬ 
 logue of fuch might be had, difcovered in the 
 memory of man : befides many there are, which 
 are known to be open to the day, and to difcover 
 themfelves without digging, as Pool s Hole, Oakie 
 Hole, See. Again, the great and fmall flreams, 
 which do arife from under the mountains, do e- 
 vince the hollownefs and finuoufnefs of them. Add 
 to thefe, that many finus’s are made in that in- 
 ftant, and are continued by the explofion and 
 rending of the firft matter fired-, which may, and 
 do very probably, clofe again, when the force of 
 that explofion is over-, but are fufficiently open to 
 continue the earthquake. 
 
 That thefe fubterraneous cavities are at certain 
 times, and in certain feafons full of inflammable 
 vapours, the damps in our mines fufficiently wif- 
 z ‘ nefs j 
 
EARTH Q_U AKES. <k 
 
 nefs; which fired, do every thing as in an earth¬ 
 quake, fave in a leflfer degree. 
 
 Now, that the pyrites alone (which is our pre- 
 fent talk) of all the known minerals, yields this 
 inflammable vapour, I think is highly probable 
 for thefe reafons. 
 
 I. Becaufe no mineral or oar whatfoever is ful- 
 phureous, but as it is wholly, or in part a pyrites: 
 and although this does contradid the general o- 
 pinion of the chymills-, yet they mull excufe me 
 if I difient from them in this particular: for 
 where any of them lhall find me brimftone natu¬ 
 rally contained in an ore; there, I am very for¬ 
 ward to believe, I lhall find them iron alfo, by 
 the loadftone; fo that betwixt us we lhall have 
 difcovered the pyrites difguifed in that ore or mi¬ 
 neral. I have carefully made the experiment in 
 very many of the fofiils of England , and do find 
 them all to contain iron-, wherever brimftone is, as 
 I have elfewhere declared. 
 
 II. Becaufe there is but one fpecies of brim¬ 
 ftone, that I know. of, at leaft with us in Eng¬ 
 land: And fince the pyrites naturally and only 
 yields it, it is but reafonable, wherever brimftone 
 is found, though in the air, or under ground in 
 vapour, to think that that alfo proceeds from it. 
 
 If it be objeded, that there is a fulphur vive, or 
 natural brimftone, which is no pyrites I anfwer, 
 that I am not willing to grant this, but do take 
 all pure fulphur to have been once produced by 
 the fire: for what is found in and about the burn¬ 
 ing mountains, is certainly the efteds of fublima- 
 tion: and thofe great quantities ol it, faid to be 
 
 found 
 
$2 Of the Nature of 
 
 Found about the fkirts of volcano’s, is only an ar¬ 
 gument of the long duration and vehemence of 
 thofe fires. 
 
 If it be further objected, that the fulphur vive 
 indeed, or ruff brimftone, as they call it, had 
 from Hecla and Italy , is opaque, and agrees not 
 with the tranfparent and amber-like fulphur vive 
 of the ancients, fo that the miftake is in the drug- 
 gifts, that we have not right natural brimftone ; 
 I reply, that grant the difference, yet it does not 
 follow, that that alfo was produced by fublima- 
 tion, no more than that the ftalattites, or water- 
 wrought ftone, is not fo made, for that fome of 
 it is found opaque, and fome chryftalline. 
 
 But this we will grant; that poffibiy the pyrites 
 of the volcano’s or burning mountains may be 
 more fulphureous than ours. And indeed it is 
 plain, that fome of ours in England are very lean, 
 and hold but little fulphur; others again very 
 much. 
 
 And this may be one reafon, why England is fo 
 little troubled with earthquakes; and Italy and al- 
 moft round the Mediterranean Sea fo very much. 
 
 Another reafon is, the paucity of pyrites in 
 England ; where they are indeed, fome little in all 
 places, but moftly, fparfm ; and if perchance in 
 ieds, thofe are comparatively thin, to what pro¬ 
 bably they were in the burning mountains, as the 
 vaft quantity of fulphur from thence fublimed, 
 doth feem reafonably to imply. Alfo if we com¬ 
 pare our earthquakes, and our thunder and light¬ 
 ning with theirs ; there it lightens almoft daily, es¬ 
 pecially in fummer time, here Seldom; there thun- 
 i dec 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 63 
 
 der and lightning is of long duration, here foon 
 over; there the earthquakes are frequent, long 
 and terrible, with many paroxyfms in a day, and 
 that for many days ; here very Ihort, a few mi¬ 
 nutes, and fcarce perceptible. To this purpofe 
 the fubterraneous cavities in England are fmall, 
 and few, compared to the vaft vaults in thofe parts 
 of the world; which is evident from the fudden 
 appearance of whole mountains and ijlands. 
 
 If yet it fhall be infilled upon, that there are 
 other inflammable minerals befides the pyrites; 
 we grant there are fo, but, by the providence of 
 God, not to be found in England , that I know of, 
 and not in any quantity in any place of the world, 
 that I can learn; which is well for mankind, be- 
 caufe they are very poifons, as the orpiments; but 
 they are all fpecifically diftimft from brimflone, 
 which, as we have lhewn, no ore yields but iron; 
 fo that Nero (as Pliny tellifies, who was of his 
 time and his court) cauled them to be wrought in 
 quantity, but they would not turn to account. 
 And, by the by, fome authors have afligned this 
 as a good reafon, againft any medicine that fhall 
 be made out of gold, as fond as we are of an 
 aurum potabile , as having naturally a deleterious 
 quality : but this is befides my purpofe. 
 
 Of the fpontaneous firing of the Pyrites. 
 
 I F it fhall be obje&ed, that no body is kindled 
 by itfelf: I aniwer, that it feerns to me appa¬ 
 rently otherwife-, for that vegetables will heat, 
 and take fire of themfelves, as in the frequent in-. 
 
 ftancc 
 
64 Of the Nature of 
 
 fiance of wet hay* and animals are naturally oil 
 fire, and a man doth then fufficiently demonftratd 
 it when he is in a fever. But amongft minerals, 
 the pyrites, both in grofs and in vapour, is actu¬ 
 ally of its own accord fired. Dr. Power has ac¬ 
 tually recorded at large in his Micrographa , a 
 famous inftance of it; and the like not very rarely 
 happens. And that damps naturally fire of them- 
 felves, we have the general teftimony oi miners 
 
 and of the fame author c . 
 
 Again, the volcano’s all the world over, argue 
 as much: for we, with great probability, believe 
 them to be mountains made up in great part of 
 pyrites, by the quantities of fulphur thence fub- 
 limed, and the application of the loadftone to 
 the ejefted cinder. I go further. 
 
 That thefe volcano’s were naturally kindled or 
 themfelves, at or near the creation, is probable, 
 becaufe there is but a certain known number of 
 them, which have all continued burning beyond 
 the memoirs of hiftory: few or none of them, 
 that I know of, have even totally decayed or been 
 extinct, unlefs poffibly by the fubmerfion of the 
 whole; being abforb’d into the fea : though they 
 do indeed burn more fiercely fometimes, than at 
 others, for other reafons. So that it feems to me 
 as natural to have aCtual fire in the terreftrisd 
 world from the creation, as to have fea and water. 
 
 Again, if thefe volcano’s did not kindle of 
 themfelves, what caufe can we imagine to have 
 done it ? Of the fun; we anfwer, Hecla placed in 
 fo extreme cold a climate, was kindled, for ought 
 b Power Microg . p. 6i. * Id. p. I Si. 
 
w 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 65 
 
 I cm fee by the natural hiftory of both, as foon as 
 Jitna, or Fuegos , or the moll foutherly. Not the 
 accidents happening from man; for if man was, 
 as we mull believe, created folitary and topical, 
 they were none of his kindling, becaufe they feem- 
 ed to be fired before the world was overpeopled : 
 befides, they are moftly the very tops of vaft high 
 mountains, and therefore the moll unlit for the 
 habitation of man. 
 
 If we fay lightning and thunder, and earth¬ 
 quakes, we beg the queftion ; for the caufe of one 
 is the caufe of the other, and they are one and the 
 fame. 
 
 It remains therefore, very probably, that they 
 were kindled of themfelves. 
 
 I for my part know no fubjeft in the whole mi¬ 
 neral kingdom fo general and 1 ailing for the fuel 
 of thefe mountains, as the pyrites ; which I have 
 faid alone to yield fulphur, and naturally refolves 
 itlelf into it, by a kind of vegetation. 
 
 About the durable burning of the pyrites, thele 
 are inftances. Scotch coal hath lefs of the pyrites 
 in it, being moftly made up of coal bitumen, and 
 therefore it burns and confumes quickly, and 
 leaves a white cinder. Sea-coal, or that coal which 
 comes from Newcajlle by fea to us, and for that 
 reafon fo called, burns flowly and the Sunderland 
 fea-coal fo flowly, that it is faid by proverb, to 
 make three fires: this hath much pyrites mixed 
 with it, and burns to a heavy redilh cinder, which 
 is iron, by the magnet. But I have feen, and 
 have a fpecimen by me of a coal from Ireland, the 
 proprietor of the pits is Sir Chrrfiopber Wandsfcrd , 
 F which 
 
66 Of the Nature of 
 
 which is raid to be fo lafting, that it will continue 
 twenty four hours red hot, and almoft keep its 
 figure. This Teems to be in a great part pyrites by 
 the weight and colour. 
 
 There are two lorts of inftances, befides the 
 arguments I have already urged, which to me are 
 alone fufficiently convincing, and very much fa¬ 
 vour the opinion I have offered ; that thunder and 
 lightning owe their matter to the foie breath of the 
 pyrites. And although I am as loth, and as back¬ 
 ward as any man, to give credit to fuch inftances, 
 which feem rather prodigies, than the phaenome- 
 na of nature ; yet becaufe they often occur in hif- 
 tory, it is at leaft fitting to bring them under fur¬ 
 ther inquiry and examination, that if they can be 
 confuted as falfe, fo much may be done for pof- 
 terity j and that we at leaft may not leave upon 
 our regifters matters of fad not true, if they can 
 be fairly fet afide. 
 
 The firft fort of them are thofe which tell us of 
 iron to have fallen in great mafles, and alfo in 
 powder, after the manner of rain, out of the air. 
 
 In a part of Italy it rained iron in fuch a year, 
 and in Germany a great body of iron-ftone fell at 
 fuch a time: The like Avicenn affirms. Julius 
 Scaliger fays he had by him a piece of iron which 
 was rained in Savoy, where it fell in divers places. 
 Cardan reports 1200 Hones to have fallen from 
 heaven, and one of them weighed 120 pounds, fome 
 of them 30 pounds, fome 40, very hard, and of 
 the colour of iron. 
 
 Now, that which is very remarkable, fays Gil¬ 
 bert , where thofe inftances are reckoned up, and 
 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 67 
 
 A very probable argument for the truth of fuch 
 like inftances, is, that it is no where recorded, that 
 it ever rained gold or filver ore, or tin or lead; 
 but copper hath been alfo faid to have fallen 
 from the clouds. 
 
 And here I muft note by the by, that wherever 
 
 the pyrites is mentioned by the ancients, it is al¬ 
 ways to be underftood of the copper pyrites-, they 
 fcarce having had any knowledge of the iron py¬ 
 rites : And therefore the raining of copper makes 
 it yet more probable, becaufe of its great affinity 
 with iron, which I fhall have occafion on fome o- 
 ther time to difcourfe of. 
 
 Now this Ferrum or Ms Nubegnum , if there was 
 ever any fuch, was concreted of the breath of the 
 pyrites, which we have elfewhere Ihewn to be the 
 fulphur ex tota fubjlantia. 
 
 The other inftance, which I fay is owing to our 
 regifters, is of lightning being magnetic d . 
 
 This I am fure of, I have a petrified piece of 
 afh which is magnetic ; that is, the pyrites in fuc- 
 co-, which makes it probable it may be magnetic 
 alfo in vapour. 
 
 d Phitofoph. Tranfact. N° 127. 
 
 
DISCOURSES 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 
 
 Vidi ego quod fuerat quondam folidiftima tellus 
 Ejfe freturn •, vidi frattas ex lit tore terras ; 
 
 Et procul a pelago choncha jacuere marina, 
 
 Et vetus inventa eft in montibus anchor a fummis 
 Quodque fuit campus , vallem decurfus aquarum 
 Fecit , et eluvie mons eft deduflus in aquor. 
 
 Ovid. Metam. Lib. xv. 
 
 PROPOSITIONS, 
 
 I.A" A A Here are found in moll countries of 
 the earth, and even in fuch where it 
 is fomewhat difficult to imagine, by 
 reafon of their vaft diftance from the feas or wa¬ 
 ters, how they ffiould come there, great quanti¬ 
 ties of bodies, refembling both in fubftance and 
 ffiape, the ffiells of divers fort of ffiell-fiffies •, and 
 many of them fo exadly, that any one that knew 
 not from whence they came, would without the 
 leaft fcruple, firmly believe them to be the Ihells 
 
 of 
 
V 
 
 D I S C O U R S E S &c. 69 
 
 of fuch fifhes : but being found in places fo un¬ 
 likely to have produced them, and not conceiving 
 how elfe they fhould come there ; they are gener¬ 
 ally believed to be real ftones formed into thofe 
 fhapes, either by fome plaftic virtue inherent in 
 thofe parts of the earth, which is extravagant e- 
 nough, or elfe by fome celeftial influence or af- 
 peft of the planets operating at a diftance upon the 
 yielding matter of the parts of the earth, which is 
 much more extravagant. Of this kind are all 
 thofe feveral forts of oyfter-fhells, cockle-lhells, 
 mufcle-fhells, periwinkle-fhells, (Ac. which are 
 found in England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, 
 Norway, Ruff a, Afia and Africa, and divers other 
 places; of which we have very good teftimony 
 from authors of good credit. 
 
 II. There often have been, and Hill are daily 
 found in other parts of the earth, buried below 
 the prefent furface thereof, divers forts of bodies, 
 befides fuch as I newly mentioned, refembling 
 both in fliape, fubftance, and other properties, 
 the parts of vegetables, having the perfect rind 
 or bark, pith, pores, roots, branches, gums, 
 and other conftituent parts of wood; and though 
 in another pofture, lying for the molt part hori¬ 
 zontal, and fometimes inverted, and much diffe¬ 
 rent from that of the like vegetables when grow¬ 
 ing ; and wanting alfo for the molt part, the 
 leaves, fmaller roots and branches, the flower and 
 fruit, and the like fmaller parts, which are com¬ 
 mon to trees of that kind : of which fort is the 
 lignum fojftle , which is found in divers parts of 
 England , Scotland , Ireland , and various parts of 
 F 3 Italy, 
 
7 0 DISCOURSES on 
 
 Italy, Germany, the Low-Countries, and indeed al- 
 moft in every country of the world. 
 
 HI. There are often found in divers other parts 
 of the earth bodies, refembling the whole bodies 
 of fifties, and other animals and vegetables, or 
 the parts of them, which are ot a much lefs per¬ 
 manent nature than the fliells abovementioned •, 
 fuch as fruits, leaves, barks, woods, roots, mufti- 
 rooms, bones, hoofs, claws, horns, teeth, £s?c. 
 But in all other properties of their fubftance, fave 
 their ftiape, are perfed ftones, clays or earths, and , 
 feem to have nothing at all of figure in the inward 
 parts of them. Of this kind are thofe commonly 
 called thunder-bolts, helmet-ftones, fcrew-ftones, 
 wheel-ftones, istc. 
 
 IV. The parts of the earth in which thefe kinds 
 have been found, are feme of them fome hundred 
 of miles diftant from any fea, as in feveral hills of 
 Hungary, the mountain Taurus, the Alpes, &c. 
 
 V. Divers of thofe parts are many fcores, nay 
 fome many hundreds of fathoms above the level 
 of the furface of the next adjoining fea, they hav¬ 
 ing been found in fome of the moft inland, and 
 on fome of the higheft mountains in the world. 
 
 VI. Divers other parts where thefe fubftances 
 have been found, are many fathoms below the 
 level both of the furface of the next adjoining fea, 
 and of the furface of the earth itfelf, they having 
 been found buried in the bottoms of fome of the 
 deepeft mines and wells, and incloled in fome of 
 the hardeft rocks and tougheH metals. Of this 
 we have continual inftances in the deepeft lead and 
 tin-mines, and a particular inftance in the well 
 
 dug 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 7 r 
 
 dug in Amfterdam •, where at the depth of 99 feet 
 was found a layer of fea fhells mixed with fand, 
 of four feet thicknefs •, after the diggers had pafled 
 through feven foot of garden-mould, nine foot 
 more of black peat, nine foot more of foft clay, 
 eight of fand, four of earth, ten of potters clay, 
 four more of earth, ten foot more of fand, upon 
 which the ftakes or piles of the Amfterdam houfes 
 reft; then two foot more of potters-clay, and 
 four of white-gravel, five of dry earth, one of 
 mix’d, fourteen of fand, three of fandy clay, and 
 five more of potters-clay mixed with fand. Now 
 below this layer of fhells, immediately joining to 
 it, was a bed of potters-clay of no lefs than 102 
 foot thick. 
 
 VII. There are often found within the bodies 
 of very hard and clofe ftone, as marbles, flints, 
 Portland and Pur beck ftones, &c. which lye upon, 
 or very near to the furface of the earth, great 
 quantities of thefe kind of figured bodies or fhells; 
 and there are many of fuch ftones which feem to 
 be made of nothing elfe. 
 
 Thefe phenomena, as they have hitherto much 
 puzzled all natural hiftorians and philofophers to 
 give an account of them, fo in truth are they in 
 themfelves fo really wonderful, that ’tis not eafy, 
 without making multitudes of obfervations, and 
 comparing them very diligently with the hiftories 
 and experiments that have been already made, to 
 fix upon a plaufible folution of them. For as on 
 the one fide, it feems very difficult to imagine that 
 nature formed all thefe curious bodies for no o- 
 tlier end, than only to play the mimick in the 
 F 4 mineral 
 
7 2 DISCOURSES <?« 
 
 mineral kingdom, and only to imitate what flie 
 had done for fome more noble end, and in a 
 greater perfection in the vegetable and animal 
 kingdoms •, and the ft rift eft furvey that I have 
 made, both of the bodies themfelves, and of the 
 circnmRanees obvious enough about them, do not 
 in the leaft hint any thing elfe they being pro- 
 mifeuoufty found of any kind of fubftance, and 
 having not the Jeaft appearance of any internal or 
 fubftantial form, but only of an external or figur¬ 
 ed fuperficies. As, I fay, ’tis fomething harlh to 
 imagine that thefe thus qualified bodies fhould, 
 by an immediate plaftic virtue, be thus ftiaped by 
 nature, contrary to her general method of adling 
 in all other bodies •, fo on the other fide, it may 
 feem at firft hearing fomewhat difficult to conceive 
 how all thofe bodies, if they either be the real 
 fhells or bodies of fiffi, or other animals or vege¬ 
 tables, which they reprefent, or an impreffion left 
 on thofe fubftances from fuch bodies, ffiould be 
 in fuch great quantities tranfported into places fo 
 unlikely to have received them from any help of 
 man, or from any other obvious means. 
 
 The former of thefe ways of folving thefe phae- 
 nomena I confefs I cannot, for the reafons I now 
 mentioned, by any means aflent unto ; but the 
 latter, tho’ it has fome difficulties alfo, feems to 
 me not only pofiible, but probable. 
 
 The greateft objedtions that can be made againft 
 it, are i ft. By what means thofe ffiells, woods, 
 and other fuch like fubftances, if they really are 
 the bodies they reprefent, ffiould be tranfported to, 
 and buried in the places where they are found ? 
 
 And 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 73 
 
 And 2 dly. Why many of them fhould be of fub- 
 ftances wholly differing from thofe of the bodies 
 they reprefent; there being fome of them which 
 reprefent fhells of almoft all kinds of fubftances, 
 clay, chalk, marble, foft ftone, harder ftone, 
 marble, flint, marchafite, ore, &c. 
 
 In anfwer to both which, and fome other of 
 lefs importance, which I fhall afterwards mention, 
 give me leave to propound thefe following pro- 
 pofitions, which I fhall endeavour to make pro¬ 
 bable. Of thefe in their order. 
 
 I. All, or the greateft part of thofe curioufly 
 figured bodies, found up and down in various 
 parts of the world, are either thofe animal or ve¬ 
 getable fubftances they reprefent, converted into 
 ftone, by having their pores filled up with fome 
 petrifying liquid lubftance, whereby their parts are, 
 as it were, lock’d up and cemented together in 
 their natural pofition and contexture •, or elfe they 
 are the lafting impreflions, made on them at firft, 
 whilft a yielding fubftance, by the immediate ap¬ 
 plication of fuch animal or vegetable body, as 
 was fo fhaped; and that there was nothing elfe 
 concurring to their produftion, fave only the 
 yielding of the matter to receive the impreflion, 
 fuch as melted wax affords to the feal: or elfe a 
 fubfiding or hardning of the matter, after by fome 
 kind of fluidity it had perfectly filled or inclofed 
 the figuring vegetable or animal fubftance, after 
 the manner as a ftatue is made of plaifter of Paris , 
 or alabafter duft beaten, and boiled, mixed with 
 water, and poured into a mould. 
 
 II. There 
 

 74 DISCOURSES w* 
 
 II. There feems to have been fome extraordi¬ 
 nary caufe which did concur to the promoting of 
 this coagulation or petrifaction; and that every 
 kind of matter is not of itfelf apt to coagulate in¬ 
 to a ftrong fubftance, fo hard as we find moft of 
 thofe bodies to cor,fill of. 
 
 III. The concurrent caufes afiifting towards the 
 turning of thefe fubftances into ftone, feem to 
 have been one of thefe ; either fome kind of fiery 
 exhalation, arifing from fubterraneous eruptions 
 or earthquakes; or, fecondly, a faline fubftance, 
 whether working by diftblution and congelation, 
 or cryftallization, or elfe by precipitation and co¬ 
 agulation ; or thirdly, fome glutinous or bitumi¬ 
 nous matter, which upon growing dry or fettling, 
 grows hard, and unites fandy bodies together into 
 a pretty hard ftone ; or fourthly, a very long 
 continuation of thefe bodies under a great degree 
 of cold and comprefiion. 
 
 IV. Waters themfelves may in traCl: of time be 
 perfectly tranfmuted into ftone, and remain a body 
 of that conftitution, without being reducible by 
 any art yet commonly known. 
 
 V. Divers other fluid fubftances have, after a 
 long continuance at reft, fettled and congealed in¬ 
 to much more hard and permanent fubftances. 
 
 VI. A great part of the furface of the earth hath 
 been fince the creation transformed and made of 
 another nature; namely many parts which have 
 been fea are now land, and divers other parts are 
 now fea which were once a firm land ; mountains 
 have been turned into plains, and plains into 
 mountains, and the like. 
 
 VII. Di’ 
 
EARTH QJJ AKES. 75 
 
 VII. Divers of thefe kinds of transformations 
 have been effected, in thefe iflands of Great Bri¬ 
 tain-, and ’tis not improbable but that many very 
 inland parts of this ifland, if not all, may have 
 been heretofore all covered with the fea, and have 
 had fifties fwimming over it. 
 
 VIII. Moft of thofe inland places, where thefe 
 kind of ftones are, or have been found, have 
 been heretofore under water; and either by the 
 departing of the waters to another part or fide of 
 the earth, by the alteration of the center of gravity 
 of the whole bulk, which is not impofiible •, or 
 rather by the eruption of fome kind of fubterra- 
 neous fires or earthquakes, whereby great quanti¬ 
 ties of earth have been raifed above the former le¬ 
 vel of thofe parts, the waters have been forced a- 
 way from the parts they formerly covered, and 
 many of thofe iurfaces are now raifed above the 
 level of the waters furface, many fcores of fathoms. 
 
 IX. It feems not improbable that the tops of 
 the higheft and moft confiderable mountains in 
 the world have been under water, and that they 
 themfelves feem moft probably to have been the 
 effeds of fome very great earthquake, fuch as the 
 Alpes and sipennine mountains, Caucafus , the pike 
 of Tenerijfe, the pike in the Tercera's and the like. 
 
 X. It feems not improbable, but that the great- 
 eft part of the inequality of the earth’s furface may 
 have proceeded from the fubverfion and tumbling 
 thereof, by fome preceding earthquakes. 
 
 XI. There have been many other fpeeies of crea¬ 
 tures in former ages, of which we can find none 
 at prefent; and ’tis not unlikely alfo but that there 
 
 may 
 
76 DISCOURSES® 
 
 may be divers new kinds now, which have not 
 been from the beginning. 
 
 There are fome ocher conjectures of mine yet 
 unmentioned, which are more ftrange than thefe, 
 which I fhall defer the reciting of at prefent, 
 becauie, though I have divers oblervations con¬ 
 curring ; yet having not been able to meet with 
 fuch as may anfwer fome confiderable objections 
 that they are liable to, I will rather endeavour to 
 make probable thofe already mentioned, by fet- 
 ting down fome of thofe obfervations (for it would 
 be tedious to infert them all) I have collected both 
 out of authors, and from my own experience. 
 
 The firft was, that thefe figured bodies dilperf- 
 ed over the world, are either the beings themfelves 
 petrified, or the impreflions made by thofe beings. 
 To confirm which, I have diligently examined 
 many hundreds of thefe figured bodies, and have 
 not found the leaft probability of a plaftic faculty. 
 For firft, I have found the fame kind of impref- 
 fion upon fubftances of an exceeding different na¬ 
 ture ; whereas nature in other of her works, does 
 adapt the fame kind of fubftances to the' fame 
 fhape . the flefh of a horfe is differing from that 
 of a hog, or fhcep, or from the wood of a tree, 
 or the like; fo the wood of box, for inftance, is 
 differing from the wcod of all other vegetables •, 
 and if the outward figure of the plant or animal 
 differ, to be fure their flefh alfo differs : and un¬ 
 der the fame fhape you always meet with fub¬ 
 ftances of the fame kind; whereas here I have ob- 
 ferved ftones bearing the fame figure, or rather 
 impreflion, to be of hugely differing natures; fome 
 
 of 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 77 
 
 of clay, fome of chalk, fome of fpar, fome of mar¬ 
 ble, fome of a kind of freeftone, fome like cryf- 
 tals or diamonds, fome like flints, others a kind of 
 marchafite, others a kind of ore. Nay in the 
 fame figured fubftance I have found divers forts 
 of very differing bodies or kinds of ftone, fo that 
 one has been made up partly of ftone, partly of 
 clay, and partly of marchafite, and partly of fpar, 
 according as the matter chanced to be jumbled to¬ 
 gether, and to fill up the mould of the ftiell. 
 
 Another circumftance which makes this conjec¬ 
 ture the more probable, is, that the outward furface 
 only of the body is formed, and that the inward 
 part has nothing of fhape that can reafonably be 
 referred to it; whereas we fee, that in all other bo¬ 
 dies that nature gives a lhape to, Ihe figures alfo 
 the internal parts, or the very fubftance of it, 
 with an appropriate fhape. Thus in all kinds of 
 minerals, as fpars, cryftals, and divers of the pre¬ 
 cious ftones, ores, and the like, the inward parts 
 of them are always correfpondent to the outward 
 fhape; as in fpar, if the outward part be fhaped 
 into a rhomboidical parallelopiped, the inward part 
 of it is fhaped in the fame manner, and may be 
 cleft out into a multitude of bodies of the like form 
 and fubftance. 
 
 Another circumftance is, that I have in many 
 found the perfedt fhell inclofed, which I have 
 fometimes been able to take out intire, and found 
 to be, both by its fubftance and fhape, and reflec¬ 
 tive fhining, and the like circumftances, a real 
 fhell of a cockle, perriwinkle, mufcle, or the like. 
 
 And 
 
^8 DISCOURSES^ 
 
 And further, I have found in the fame place 
 divers of the fame kinds of fhells, not filled with 
 a matter that was capable of taking the im- 
 prefiion, but with a kind of fandy fubftance, 
 which lying loofe within it, could be eafily fhook 
 out, leaving the inclofing fhell perfeftly intire and 
 empty ; others I have feen which have been of 
 black flint, wherein the impreflion has been made 
 only of a broken fhell, which ftuck alfo in it j 
 the other part of the furface of that ftone, which 
 was not within the fhell, remaining only formed, 
 like a common flint. 
 
 And, which feems to confirm this conjecture, 
 much more than any of the former arguments, I 
 had this laft fummer an opportunity to obferve upon 
 the fouth part of England , in a clift whofe bottom 
 the fea wafht, that at a good height in the clift 
 above the furface of the water, there was a layer, 
 or vein of fhells, which was extended in length for 
 fome miles; out of which layer I digged, and ex¬ 
 amined many hundreds, and found them to be 
 perfect {hells of cockles, perriwinkles, mufcles, and 
 divers other forts of fmall fhell-Allies; fome of 
 which were filled with the fand with which they 
 were mixed; others remained empty, and perfect¬ 
 ly intire. From the fea water’s wafhing the under 
 part of this clift, great quantities of it do every 
 year tumble or founder down, and fall into the 
 fait water, which are wafhed alfo by the feverai 
 mineral waters ifliiing out at the bottom of the 
 clifts. Of thefe foundered parts I examined very 
 many parcels, and found fome of them made into 
 a kind of hardened mortar, or very foft ftone, 
 
 which 
 
o 
 
 EARTH QJJ A K E S. 79 
 
 which I could eafily with my foot, and even al- 
 moft with my finger, crufh in pieces: others that 
 had laid a longer time expofed to the viciffitudes 
 of the rifing and falling tides, I found grown into 
 pretty hard ftones •, others that had been yet longer, 
 I found converted into a very hard ftone, retain¬ 
 ing exadly the drape of the inclofing fired : and 
 in the part of the ftone which had encompafled the 
 fired, there was left remaining the perfect impref- 
 fion and form of the fired ; the fired itfelf conti¬ 
 nuing, as yet, of its natural white fubftance, tho’ 
 much decayed or rotted by time : but the body 
 inclofing and included by the fired, I found exact¬ 
 ly ftanrp’d like thofe bodies whofe figures authors 
 generally affirm to be the produd of a plaftic or 
 vegetative faculty working in ftones. 
 
 Another argument, that thefe petrified fubftances 
 are nothing but the effeds of thofe firells being fill¬ 
 ed with fome petrifying fubftances, is this, that 
 among thofe which are called Cornua Ammonis , or 
 ferpentine ftones, found about Keinfiam , and in fe- 
 veral other parts of England , and in other coun¬ 
 tries, as the Balnea Bollenfia , which are indeed no¬ 
 thing elfe but the moulding off from a kind of 
 Ihed which is draped much like a nautilus fired, the 
 whole cavity being feparated with divers fmall 
 valves or partitions, much after the fame manner 
 as thofe firells of the nautilus are commonly obferv- 
 ed to be. Among thefe ftones, I fay, 1 have, up¬ 
 on breaking, found fome of the cavities between 
 thofe partitions remain almoft quite empty; others 
 I have found lined only with a kind of tartareous, 
 or rather cryftalline fubftance, which has ftuck to 
 x the 
 
80 D I S C O U R S E S on 
 
 the tides, and been figured like tartar, but of a 
 clear and tranfparent fubftance like cryflal; where¬ 
 as others of the cavities of the fame ftone, I have 
 found filled with divers kinds of fubftances very 
 differing: whence I imagine thofe tartareous fub¬ 
 ftances to be nought elfe but the hardening of fome 
 faline fluid body, which might foak in through 
 the fubftance of the (hell. Others of thefe I have, 
 which are quite of a tranfparent fubftance, and 
 feem to be produced from the petrifaction of the 
 water that had'filled them : others I have found fill¬ 
 ed with a perfeCt flint, both which I fuppofe to be 
 the productions of water petrified : and I may per¬ 
 haps hereafter make it probable, that all kinds of 
 flints and pebbles have no other original. 
 
 I could urge many other arguments to make my 
 firft propofition probable, that all thofe curioufly 
 fhaped ftones, which the moft curious naturalifts 
 molt admire, are nothing but the impreflions made 
 by fome real fhell, in a rpatter that at firft was 
 yielding enough, but which is grown harder with 
 time. To this very head alfo may be referred all 
 thofe other kinds of petrified fubftances, as bones, 
 teeth, crabbs, fifties, wood, mofs, fruit, and the 
 like •, fome of all which kinds I have examined, 
 and by very many circumftances, too long to be 
 here inferted, judge them to be nothing elfe but a 
 real petrifaction of thofe fubftances they refemble. 
 
 My fecond propofition will not be difficult to 
 prove, that if thefe be the effeCts of petrifaction or 
 coagulation, it muft be from fome extraordinary 
 caufe ; and this becaufe we find not manyexperiments 
 of producing them when and where we will: befides 
 
 we 
 
 \ 
 
8i 
 
 EARTH QJJ A K E S. 
 
 we find that moft things, efpecially animal and ve¬ 
 getable lubftances, after they have left off to ve¬ 
 getate, do foon decay, and, by divers ways of 
 putrefaftion and rotting, lofe their form and re¬ 
 turn to duft; as we find wood, whether expofed 
 to the air or water, in a little time to wafte and 
 decay, efpecially fuch as is expofed to the altera¬ 
 tion of both, and even in thofe places where thefe 
 petrified fubftances are to be met with. The like 
 we find of animal fubftances •, and we have but 
 fome few experiments of preferving thofe bodies, 
 to make them as permanent as ftone, and few of 
 making them into a fubftance of the like nature. 
 
 The third thing therefore, which I fball endea¬ 
 vour to Ihew, is, that the concurring caufes to thefe 
 petrifactions, feem to be either fome kind of pe¬ 
 trifying water, or elfe fome faline or fulphureous 
 mixture, with the concurrence of heat, from fome 
 u fubterraneous fire or earthquake; or elfe a very 
 
 i: long continuation of thofe bodies under a very 
 
 ii great degree of cold, and compreffion, and reft. 
 
 i That petrifying waters may be able to convert 
 
 £ both animal and vegetable fubftances into ftone, 
 
 tk I could, befides feveral trials of my own, bring 
 
 ec multitudes of relations out of natural hiftorians : 
 
 k but thefe are fo common in almoft all countries, 
 
 it; and fo commonly taken notice of by the curious, 
 
 jit that I need not inftance. Camden and Speed will 
 
 it tell you of abundance here in England , as the Peak 
 
 ,j in Derbyfhire, and in feveral other fubterraneous 
 
 Hi caverns in England. The water itfelf does, by de- 
 
 ;t j grees, produce feveral conical pendulous bodies of 
 
 dei ftone, Ihap’d and hanging like icicles from the roof 
 
 « & of 
 
 A 
 
82 DISCOURSES^ 
 of the vault •, and dropping on the bottom, it raifes 
 up alfo conical fpires, which, by degrees, endea¬ 
 vour to meet the former pendulous ftria:. And in¬ 
 deed I have generally obferved it, that wherever 
 there is a vault made with lime under ground, into 
 which the rain-water, foaking through a pretty 
 thicknefs of ground, does at laid penetrate through 
 the arch: I have in feveral places, 1 fay, obferved, 
 that that water does incruftate the roof with done, 
 and in many places of it generate lmall pendulous 
 icicles. This water I have found in a little time 
 to incruftate flicks, or the like vegetable fubftances, 
 with ftone, and in fome places to penetrate into the 
 pores of the wood, filling them up with fmall cy¬ 
 linders of ftone. This I have obferved alfo in fe¬ 
 veral of the arches of St. Paul's church, which have 
 been uncovered and laid open to the rain, though 
 there be no earth for it to foak through. And al- 
 tho’ I have never yet been able to petrify a flick 
 throughout, yet I have now by me feveral pieces, 
 that retain fo perfectly all the figure of the wood, 
 and are yet fo perfedly, in all other properties, 
 ftone, that I find not the lead reafon of doubt: to 
 believe, that thole pieces have been aftual wood •, hav¬ 
 ing ftill the bark, the clefts, the knots, the grain, the 
 pores, and even thofe too which, for their fmall- 
 nefs, 1 have elfewhere called microfcopical j tho’ 
 I confefs fome of thofe more perfect pieces feem to 
 have been petrified from fome more fubtile and 
 infinuating petrifying water, than thofe I newly 
 mentioned : and ’tis not improbable but that fome 
 fubterraneous fleams and heat may have contribut¬ 
 ed fomewhat towards this effeft. But firft I Ihall 
 
 endeavour 
 
EARTH QJJ AI(ES. g 3 
 
 endeavour to make it probable, that thefe petrifi¬ 
 ed bodies may have been placed in thofe parts 
 where they are found, by fome kind of transfor¬ 
 mation wrought on the furface of the earth, by 
 fome earthquake: and to this end I Ihall by and 
 by mention fome fl range alterations that have been 
 made by earthquakes, after I have firft made pro¬ 
 bable my fourth conjecture. 
 
 The fourth propofition therefore to be explained 
 and made probable is, that waters themfelves of 
 divers kinds, are, and may have been tranfmuted 
 perfectly into a ftony fubftance, of a very perma¬ 
 nent conftitution, being fcarcely reducible again 
 into water by any art yet commonly known: and 
 that divers other liquid or fluid fubftances have in 
 trad: of time fettled and congealed into much more 
 ? hard, fixt, folid and permanent forms than they 
 ^ were of at firft. 
 
 The probability of which propofition may ap- 
 o pear from thefe particulars. 
 
 I. That almoft in all ftreams and running waters 
 ift there is to be found great quantities of fand at the 
 bottom, many of which fands both by their figure 
 if in the microfcope, and tranfparently, feem to have 
 tfc been generated out of the water, 
 ill Firft, I fay, that their tranfparency which they 
 
 H difcovered in the microffope, is an argument, be¬ 
 lt caule I believe there is no tranfparent body in the 
 m world, that has not been reduced to that conftitu- 
 
 dj tion, by being fome ways or other made fluid; 
 
 g nor can I indeed imagine how there Ihould be a- 
 
 jit ny. All bodies, made tranfparent by art, muft 
 
 lii be reduced into that form firft ; and therefore ’tis 
 (J G 2 no £ 
 
84 DISCOURSES on 
 
 not unlikely but that nature may take the fame 
 courfe ; but this, as only probable, I lhall not in¬ 
 fill on. Next, I fay, that the figures of divers 
 of them in the microfcope difcover 'the fame 
 things-, for I have feen multitudes of them curi- 
 outly wrought and figured like cryftals or dia¬ 
 monds ; and I cannot imagine by what other in- 
 ftrument nature Ihould thus cut them, fave by 
 cryftallizing them out of a liquid or fluid body 
 and that way we find her to work in the formation 
 of all thofe curious, regular figures of falts, and 
 the vitriols, as I may call them, of metals and di¬ 
 vers other bodies, of which chymiftry affords ma¬ 
 ny inftances. Sea-falt and fal-gem cryftallizes in¬ 
 to cubes or four-fided parallelopipeds -, nitre into 
 triangular and hexangular prifms; alum into oc¬ 
 tahedrons vitriols into various kinds of figures, 
 according to the various kinds of metals diffolved, 
 and the various menllruums diffolving them tar¬ 
 tars alfo, and candyings of vegetables are figured 
 into their various regular lhapes from the fame me¬ 
 thod and principle : and in truth, in the "forma¬ 
 tion of any body out of this mineral kingdom, 
 whofe origin we are able to examin, we may find 
 chat nature firft reduces the bodies to be wrought 
 into a liquid or foft fubftance, and afterwards forms 
 and lhapes it into this or that figure. But this ar¬ 
 gument drawn from the fand, found in all running 
 llreams, I fhall not infill on, becaufe fome imagine 
 it to be only walht off from the land and fhores the 
 rivers palled over, and perhaps much of it may: 
 but yet that fand may be made of clear water, my 
 fecond argument will manifell, and that is this: 
 
 That 
 
 3 ^. 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 85 
 
 That ’tis a ufual experiment in the making of fait 
 in the falterns, by the boiling up, or evaporating 
 away the frelher part of the fea-water, to colled 
 great quantities of fand at each corner of the boi¬ 
 ler ; which after it has been well wafh’d with frefh 
 water, is, in all particulars, a perfect fand ; and 
 yet the water is fo ordered before it is put into the 
 boiler, that nothing of fand or dregs can enter 
 with it, the brine being firft fuffered to ftand a 
 good while and fettle in a very large fat, fo that all 
 the fand and dregs may fink to the bottom; after 
 which the clearer water at the top is drawn off, 
 and fuffered to run into the boiler. ’Tis not im- 
 poffible perhaps, but that fubftance which made 
 the fand, might be diffolved in the water, and af¬ 
 terwards by evaporation coagulated ; which if fo, 
 makes not at all againft, but rather argues ftrongly 
 for my fourth propofition. 
 
 But that the other folution is fomething more 
 probable, namely, that ’tis made out of the very 
 fubftance of the water itfelf, this third argument 
 will make probable; and that is, that any water, 
 of what kind foever, though never fo clear and in- 
 fipid, may, by frequent diftillations, be all of it 
 perfedly tranfmuted into a white infipid calx, not 
 again diffolvable in water, and in nothing differing 
 from the fubftance of ftone. This I have been 
 affured by an eminent phyfician, who has divers 
 times made trial of it with the fame fuccels. If there¬ 
 fore the whole body of any water may, by fo eafy an 
 operation, in fo very fhort a time, be tranfmuted 
 into a ftony fubftance, what may not nature do, 
 
 G 3 that 
 
86 DISCOURSES 
 
 t hat can take her own time, and knows beft how 
 
 to make ufe of her own principles ? 
 
 But, fourthly, we have many inftances, by which 
 we are allured that nature really does change water 
 into ftone, both by forming in a little time, con- 
 fiderable {tones out of the diftilling drops of water 
 foaking through the roofs of caves and fubterrane- 
 ous vaults, of which we have very many inftances 
 here in England •, as, to name one for all, at the 
 Peak in Derbyjhire , the pendulous cones of this pe¬ 
 trified fubftance diredtly point at, and oftentimes 
 meet and reft upon the riling fpires, generated by 
 the drops of water trickling through the roof, as 
 I mentioned before. 
 
 And, fifthly, there are divers other waters which 
 we need not feek after in caves that have a petri¬ 
 fying virtue, and incruftate all the channel they 
 pafs through, and the fubftances foak’d in them, 
 with ftone-, thefe are fo common almoft in all 
 places, that I need not inflance in any ; only I can¬ 
 not pafs by one, taken notice of by Kircher , being 
 obfervations made by himfelf, and it has in it two 
 circumftances very confiderable; the firft is, that 
 vegetables fliould grow fo plentifully in a very hot 
 water ; the fecond, that only fuch herbs as grew in 
 it, and not fuch as were fteeped in it, will per¬ 
 fectly, after drying, be turned into ftone, of which 
 I fhall have occafion to make more ufe. I fiiall give 
 the hiftory in his own words a . “ ILtc experientia 
 didici in itinere meo Hetrufco , in quo prope Roncolanum , 
 Senenfts territorij eppidum (a town near Siena in Tuf- 
 (any) dues fantes calidos obfervavi , quorum aqua per 
 * Muncl. fubterr. lib. v. feft. 2. parag. 7. 
 
 cum- 
 
DISCOURSES &c. 87 
 
 canales ad molar es rotas vertendas ducebatur. In hi fee 
 canalibus cyperus, junci, ranunculus fmilefque herb* 
 tanta adolefcebant fcecunditate, ut quotannis eas, ne 
 aquoe motum inturbarent, extirpare eporteret: extir - 
 patas vero projeffafque in vicinum locum , her has om - 
 nes in lapidem converjas , 00;/ Jim admiratione fpettavi. 
 Cujus rei caufam cum a molitoribus queerer an \ refpon - 
 derunt aquas ifriufmodi hujus virtutis effe , qu<ecun- 
 que inter canales, aut ipsa aqua excreverint herb#, 
 mox ac extirpate fuerint, lapidefcant •, quxeunque ve¬ 
 ro extra aquam, in campis patentibus excreverint her - 
 bte, ijlas extirpatas nunquam lapidefeere . I pafs by 
 his reafons and explications, becaufe I think them 
 very little to the purpofe: but the obfervations 
 themfelves are very confiderable, and ferve for the 
 explaining of feveral phenomena I have oblerved 
 in petrified bodies, as I fhall endeavour hereafter 
 to fhew, as in corals, both white and red, and the 
 feveral rarities of them •, in corallines alfo, and pe¬ 
 trified mufhrooms, of each of which I have exa¬ 
 mined a very great variety. But this only by the 
 
 by * . 
 
 Sixthly, therefore ’tis obfervable that thefe petrify¬ 
 ing waters are for the mod part very clear and lim¬ 
 pid j fo that to the fight nottobediftinguifhable from 
 other water, but only by the effe&s •, and therefore, 
 by the newly mentioned obfervations of Kircher , 
 we find that vegetables, which upon drying, turn¬ 
 ed into done, whild green and growing, flouriJh- 
 ed and fpread fader than others: fo that the pe¬ 
 trifying fubftance paft through the fined and clofeffc 
 pores of the living vegetables, and therefore mud 
 certainly be very intimately mixed with the water 
 G 4. that 
 
88 DISCOURSES® 
 
 that could not be feparated by fo fine and curious 
 fti ainers. 
 
 But, feventhly, to confirm this propofition yet 
 farther, there are found in feveral parts of the 
 earth fuch waters as will be entirely converted into 
 ftone. Of this kind there are feveral hiltories in 
 the newly mentioned book, which I pafs over, and 
 fhall only take notice of one for all, and that is an 
 account fent to the Roman college of Jefuits from 
 the mailers, furveyors and clerks of the Hungari¬ 
 an mines, in anfwer to fome queries propounded 
 to them. To the query concerning the properties 
 and metallick experiments about mineral waters, 
 they anfwer b . Datur in fodinis aqu^e genus quod in 
 figurant faccaharo kaud abfimilem degenerat, videlicet 
 in lapillos albos. 
 
 And again, from another prefect of the imperi¬ 
 al mines in Hungary , in anfwer to the fame query, 
 we have this account c . Reperitur quoque aqua 
 quadam alba qua in lapidem durum abit. Si vero 
 bac aqua ante fiuam coagulationem miner am cupream 
 tranfiverit , tunc generatur ex ea lapis qui Malochites 
 vocatur: quando vero aqua ilia perfiuit cupream mi- 
 neram continentem argentum , fiet ex ea pulcher lapis 
 ceruleus , fimilis ‘Turcoidi. H*ec aqua autcm nullibi 
 frequentius reperitur, quam in mineris lapidibus filiceis 
 copiofis , et cuprum cum argento continentibus. Whence 
 I am apt to think, and I have many obiervations 
 and arguments to prove my conjedure. 
 
 That, eighthly, all kinds of talk and fpar, mod 
 ores and nrarchafites, Alumen plumeum and Abefius , 
 fluors, cryftals, Cornijh diamonds, amethyfts, and 
 b Kircber. mund. fulncrr. p. 183. c Id. p. 185. 
 
 divers 
 
EARTH QJU A K E S. 89 
 
 divers other figured mineral bodies, may be gene¬ 
 rated from their cryftallifation, or coagulation, out 
 of fome mineral waters. 
 
 And to make it yet more probable, I could, in 
 the ninth place, add divers experiments, by which 
 feveral of thefe concretes may be in a Ihort time 
 made artificially by feveral chymical operations, 
 which would very much illuftrate the former doc¬ 
 trine. But I hope what I have mentioned may 
 fuffice to make the fourth propofition probable, that 
 waters of divers kinds may be turned in time into 
 ftone, without being reducible again to water, by 
 any art yet commonly known, which being grant¬ 
 ed, my 
 
 Fifth propofition will follow of confequence •, 
 namely, that divers other fluid fubftances, have, af¬ 
 ter long continuance of reft, fettled and congealed in¬ 
 to much more hard and permanent fubftances: for it 
 water itfelf may be fo changed and metamorphofed, 
 which feems the fartheft removed from the nature 
 of a folid body, certainly thofe which are nearer 
 to that nature, and are mixed with fuch waters, 
 will more eafily be coagulated. I fhall not there¬ 
 fore any farther infill on the proof of this, than 
 only to mention two particulars, and that becaufe 
 we have almoft every where fo many inftances and 
 experiments •, the firft is of Pliny d in thefe words : 
 Verum et ipfius terra funt alia fegmenta. Quis enim 
 Jatis miretur , peffimam ejus partem , ideoque pulverem 
 appellatam in Puteolanis collibus , opponi mans flubli- 
 bus , merfiumque protinus fieri lapidem unum inexpug- 
 nabilem undis , et fortiorem quotidie , utique fi Cumano 
 d Lit. xxxv. cap. 13. 
 
 mj.fi- 
 
9 o DISCOURSES*// 
 
 mifceatur camento . Eadem eft terra natura in Cyzi * 
 regione: fed, ibi non puivis , verum ipfa terra 
 qualibet 7 nagnitudine excifa et demerfa in mare , lapidea 
 extrahitur . /Wm r/rr# Cajfandriam produnt fieri: 
 
 et in fonte Cnidio dulci intra 0R0 menfes terram lapi- 
 defcere. Ab Oropo quidem Aulidem ufque quicquid ter¬ 
 ra attingitur mari , mutatur in fiaxa , &c. To the 
 end of the chapter he goes on to relate divers places 
 where earths, &c. are turned into (tones. And in 
 another place e he tells us, “ Nitraria egregia JE- 
 gyptijs: nam circa Naucratim et Me?nphim tantum fo¬ 
 ie bant eft'e, circa Memphim detericres: lapidefcit ibi in 
 acervis : multique funt tumuli ea de canfa faxei: fad• 
 ant ex his vafa , &c. r 
 
 The fecond is an obfervation of my own, which 
 I have often taken notice of, and lately examined 
 very diligently*, which will much confirm thefc 
 hiftories of Pliny, and this my prefent hypothefis*, 
 and that is a part of the obfervation which I made 
 on the weftern fhore of the Ifie of Wight . I ob- 
 ferved a cliff of a pretty height, which, by the con- 
 flant wafhing of the water at the bottom of it, is 
 continually, efpecially after frofts and great rains, 
 foundering and tumbling down into the fea under¬ 
 neath it. Along the fhore underneath this cliff, 
 are a great number of rocks and large ftones con- 
 fufedly placed, fome covered, others quite out of 
 the water; all which rocks I found to be com¬ 
 pounded of fand and clay, and fhells, and fuch 
 kind of ftones as the fhore was covered with. Ex¬ 
 amining the hardnefs of fome that lay as far into 
 the water, as the low-water-mark, I found them 
 to be altogether as hard, if not much harder than 
 * Lib. xxxi. cap. io. 
 
 Port - 
 
o 
 
 E ART H QJJ AK E S. 91 
 
 Portland or Purbeck ftone. Others of them, that 
 lay not fo far into the fea, I found much fofter, as 
 having in probability not been fo long expos’d to 
 the viciflitudes of the tides: others of them I found 
 fo very loft, that I could eafily with my foot crufli 
 them, and make impreffions into them, and could 
 thruft a walking flick I had in my hand, a great 
 depth into them. Others that had been but new¬ 
 ly founder’d down, were yet more foft, as having 
 been fcarce wafhed by the fait water : All thefe 
 were perfectly of the fame fubftance with the cliff, 
 from whence they had manifefily tumbled, and 
 confided of layers of fhells, land, clay, gravel, 
 earth, &c. and from all the circumftances I could 
 examine, I do judge them to have been the parts 
 of the neighbouring cliff tumbled down, and rowl’d 
 and wafhed by degrees into the fea; and by the 
 petrifying power of the fait water, converted into 
 perfeft hard compacted flones. I have like wife 
 fince obferved the fame phenomena on other fhores: 
 and I doubt not but any inquifitive naturalift may 
 find infinite of the like inflances all along the coaft 
 of England , and other countries where there are 
 fuch kind of foundering cliffs. I fhall not now 
 mention the great quantities of toothed fpar, which 
 I obferved to be cryflallized upon the fides of thefe 
 rocks, which feem’d to have been nothing elfe 
 but the meer cryflallizing or fhooting of fome kind 
 of water, which was prefs’d or arofe out of thele 
 coagulating Hones : for the hiflory of thele kinds 
 of figured Hones belong more properly to another 
 difcourfe; namely of the natural geometrical fi¬ 
 gures obfervable in ores, minerals, fpars, talk, 
 of which elfewhere. One 
 
DISCOURSES on 
 
 
 One inftance more I cannot omit, as being the 
 moft obfervable of any I have yet heard of; and 
 that is Dr. Cojlle’s relation of a certain place at 
 Alpfly in Bedfcrdjhire , where there is a corner of a 
 certain field, that doth perfectly turn wood and 
 divers other fubftances in a very fliort time into 
 ftone, as hard as a flint or agate. A piece of this 
 kind I faw, affirm’d to have been there buried, 
 which the perfori that had buried it, had fhot fmall 
 ffiots of lead into. The whole fubftance of the 
 wood, bark and pith, together with the leaden fhot 
 itfelf, was perfectly turned to a flone as hard as a- 
 ny agate, and yet retained its perfedt fhape and 
 form; and the lead remained round, and in its 
 place, but much harder than any iron. 
 
 But to fpend no more time on the proof of that 
 of which we have almoft every where inftances, 
 divers of which I have already mentioned, I lhall 
 proceed to the fixth propofition ; which is, that a 
 great part of the furface of the earth hath been fincc 
 the creation transformed, and made of another na¬ 
 ture : that is, many parts w'hich have been fea are 
 now land, and others that have been land are now 
 iea •, many of the mountains have been vales, and 
 the vales mountains, (3 c. 
 
 For the proving of which propofition I fhall not 
 need to produce any other arguments, befides the 
 repeating what I find fet down by divers natural 
 hiftorians concerning the prodigious efiedls that 
 have been produced by earthquakes, on the fuper- 
 ficial parts of the earth ; becaufe they feem to me 
 to have been the chief efficients which have trans¬ 
 ported the petrified bodies, fbells, woods, animal 
 
 
 i 
 
 fub- 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 93 
 
 fubftances, (Ac. and left them in fome parts of the 
 earth, as are no other ways likely to have been the 
 places wherein fuch fubftances Ihould be produced; 
 they being ufually either raifed a great way above 
 the level furface of the earth, on the tops of hills, or 
 elfe buried a great way beneath that furface in the 
 lower vallies : for who can imagine that oifters, 
 mufcles, periwinkles, and the like ftiell-fifh fhould 
 ever have had their habitation on the tops of the 
 mountain Caucafus ? Which is by divers of our 
 geographers accounted as high in its perpendicular 
 altitude, as any mountain in the yet known world; 
 and yet Olearius affords us a very confiderable hif- 
 tory to this purpofe, of his own obfervation, which 
 I fhall hereafter have occafion to relate, and exa¬ 
 mine more particularly. Or, to come a little 
 nearer home, who would imagine that oifters. 
 Echini, and fome other ftiell-fifh, fhould hereto¬ 
 fore have lived at the top of the Alpes , Apennine , 
 and Pyrenean mountains, all which abound with 
 great ftore of feveral forts of lhells; nay, yet nearer, 
 at the tops of fome of the higheft in Cornwal and 
 Devonjhire, where I have been informed by per- 
 lons whofe teftimony I cannot in the leaft fufpe<ft, 
 that they have taken up divers, and feen great 
 quantities of them ? And to come yet nearer, who 
 can imagine oifters to have lived on the tops of 
 fome hills near Banftead Downs in Surry ? Where 
 there have been time out of mind, and are ftill to this 
 day found divers lhells of oifters, both on the up- 
 permoft furface of the earth, and buried likewife 
 under the furface of the earth, as I was lately in¬ 
 formed by feveral very worthy perfons living near 
 
 thofe 
 
94 DISCOURSES ok 
 
 thofe places, and as I myfelf had the opportunity 
 to obferve and collect. 
 
 Of the EffeSls of Earthquakes. 
 
 T O proceed then to theeffedts of earthquakes, 
 we find in hiftory four forts or genus’s to 
 have been performed by them. 
 
 The firft, is the raifing of the fuperficial parts of 
 the earth above their former level: and under this 
 head there are four fpecies. The firft is the raifing 
 of a confiderable part of a country, which before 
 lay level with the fea, and making it lye many feet, 
 nay, fometimes many fathoms above its former 
 height. A fecond, is the raifing of a confiderable 
 part of the bottom of the fea, and making it lye 
 above the furface of the water, by which means 
 divers ifiands have been generated and produced. 
 A third fpecies is the raifing of very confiderable 
 mountains out of a plain and level country. And 
 a fourth fpecies is the raifing of the parts of the 
 earth, by the throwing on of a great accefs of new 
 earth, and fo burying the former furface under a 
 covering of new earth many fathoms thick. 
 
 A fecond fort of effedts performed by earth¬ 
 quakes, is the deprefiion or finking of the parts 
 of the earth’s furface below the former level. Un¬ 
 der this head are alfo comprifed four diftindt fpe¬ 
 cies, which are diredtly contrary to the four laft 
 named. 
 
 The firft, is a fucking of fome part of the fur¬ 
 face of the earth, lying a good way within the land, 
 2 and 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 95 
 
 and converting it into a lake of almoft an unmea- 
 furable depth. 
 
 The fecond, is the finking of a confiderable 
 part of plain land, near the fea, below its former 
 level, and fo fulfering the fea to come in, and over¬ 
 flow it, being laid lower than the furface of the 
 next adjacent fea. 
 
 A third,' is the finking of the parts of the bot¬ 
 tom of the fea much lower, and creating therein 
 vail vorages and abyjfes. 
 
 A fourth, is the making bare. Or uncovering of 
 divers parts of the earth, which were before a good 
 way below the furface •, and this either by fudden- 
 ly throwing away thefe upper parts, by fome fub- 
 terraneous motion, or elfe by walking them away 
 by fome kind of eruption of waters, from unufual 
 places, vomited out by fome earthquake. 
 
 A third fort of elfeCts produced by earthquakes, 
 are the fubverfions, converlions, and tranfpofitions 
 of the parts of the earth. 
 
 A fourth fort of effects, are liquefaction, bak¬ 
 ing, calcining, petrifaction, transformation, fub- 
 limation, diftillation, &c. 
 
 The firlt therefore of the effects of earthquakes, 
 which I but now named, was, that divers parts of 
 the furface of the earth, which lay below, or level 
 with the fea, have been raifed a good height above 
 that level, by earthquakes. Of this Pliny gives us 
 feveral inftances. f Eadem nafcentium caufa terra- 
 rum eft , cum idem Hie fpiritus attcllendo pctens folo 
 non valuit erumpere. Nafcuntur enim nec fluminum 
 tantum invebiu, ficut Echinades infula ab Acbeloo 
 ( Hilt. nat. lib. ii. cap. 85. 
 
 amne 
 
96 DISCOURSES on 
 
 amne congeJl<e •, mcjorque pars Mgypti a Nilo, in quam 
 a Pharo infula no Elis et diei curfum fuijfe Homero cre- 
 dimus ’• fed et recejfu mar is ficut eidem Circeis. Quod 
 accidiffe et in Ambracia portu decern millium pajfuum 
 intervallo, et Athenienfium quinque millium ad Pir<ee - 
 um memoratur: et Epheji, ubi quondam <zdem Dian<e 
 alluebat. Herodoto quidem fi credimus, mare fuit fu- 
 pra Memphim ufque ad APthiopuin montes: itemque a 
 plants Arabia. Mare et circa Ilium, et tota leu t hr a - 
 nia, quaque campos intulerit Meander. 
 
 And Sandys a Ho, in his travels through Italy, and 
 the parts of the Levant, gives this inftance 8 , fpeak- 
 , ing of the new mountain, which was produced in 
 the kingdom of Naples , in the year 153 8, fays, 
 “ The lake Lucrinus extended formerly to Aver ms, 
 “ and fo unto Gaurus, two other lakes •, but is now 
 “ no other than a little fedgy plalh, choaked up 
 “ by the horrible and aftonilhing eruption of a new 
 “ mountain, whereof, as oft as I think, I am apt 
 “ to credit whatloever is wonderful. For who in 
 “ Italy knows not, or who elfewhere will believe, 
 “ that a mountain fhould arife, partly out of a 
 “ lake, and partly out of the fea in one day and 
 “ a night, to fuch a height, as to contend in al- 
 “ titude with the high mountains adjoining! 
 
 “ In the year of our Lord 1538 on the 29th of 
 “ September, when for certain days foregoing, the 
 “ country thereabouts was fo vext with perpetual 
 “ earthquakes, as no one houfe was left fo intire, as 
 “ not to exped immediate ruin, after that the fea 
 “ had retired 200 paces from the fhore, leaving 
 “ abundance of fifh, with jprings of frefh.water 
 
 “ rifing 
 
EARTH CLU AKES. 97 
 
 “ rifing at the bottom, this mountain vifibly af- 
 “ cended about the fecond hour of the night, &c." 
 And again h , fpeaking of the fame place, “ The 
 “ fea was accuftomed, when urged with ftorms, 
 “ to flow in through the lake Lucrims, driving 
 “ fifties in with it but now, not only that paf- 
 “ fage, but a part of Avernus itfelf is choak’d up 
 “ by the mountain.” 
 
 In which hiftories I take notice only of thefe two 
 particulars at prefent. Firft, that that part of the 
 land which lies between Lucrims and the fea, that 
 was oft-times before overflowed by the fea; fince 
 this earthquake has been fo far raifed, as that now 
 fuch effects are no longer to be found. To con¬ 
 firm the rifing of which the more, the other cir- 
 cumftance of the fea’s departing from the fhore 
 200 paces does much contribute. But, not to in¬ 
 fill on this, Mr. Childrey , in his Britannia Baconica , 
 a book very ufeful in its kind, being a collection 
 of all the natural hiftory of the iflands of Great 
 Britain , to be met with in Cambden or Speed , and 
 l'ome other hiitorians, together with fuch of his ’ 
 own as he had opportunity to obferve, relates to 
 us many confiderable paflages to this purpofe. In 
 his hiltory oi Norfolk, he lays, “ that near St. Be- 
 “ net's in the Holm , are perfeCt cockles and peri- 
 “ winkles fometimes digged up out of the earth, 
 
 “ which makes fome think it was formerly over- 
 “ flowed by the fea.” The fenny grounds alfo of 
 Lincolnfhire and Che/hire, feem to have proceeded 
 from the rifing of the ground ; and thofe in Angle - 
 fy> where lopp’d trees are now digged up with 
 h Page 281, 
 
 H 
 
 the 
 
9 s discourses^ 
 
 the perfect flrokes of the ax remaining on them, 
 feem to have been firft funk under water, then o- 
 verturned and buried in their own earth, and af¬ 
 terwards the whole earth feems to have been railed 
 again to its former height. ^ . 
 
 Linfchoten gives us a relation of the like effects 
 that happened in the Tercera's. The relation, as 
 I find it epitomiz’d by Purcbas' is this : “ In July 
 
 “ anno 1591, there happened an earthquake in the 
 “ ifland of St. Michael , which lieth from T'ercera 
 p3Uth about 28 miles, an ifland 20 miles long, 
 
 “ and full of towns, which continued from July 
 “ 26 to Auguft 12, in which time none durft ftay 
 tc within his houfe, but fled into the fields, faffing 
 “ and praying with great forrow, for that many 
 “ of their houfes fell down, and a town called 
 “ Villa Franca, was almofl razed to the ground, 
 “ all the cloyflers and houfes fhaken to the earth, 
 “ and therein people flain. 'The land in feme places 
 “ rofe up , and the clifts removed from one place 
 “ to another, and fome hills were defaced and 
 “ made even with the ground. The earthquake 
 “ was fo ftrong, that the fhips which lay in the 
 “ road, and in the lea, fhaked as if the world 
 “ would have turned round. There fprung alfo 
 “ a fountain out of the earth, from whence, for 
 “ the fpace of four days, there flowed a mofl: clear 
 “ water, and after that it ceafed. At the fame time 
 “ they heard fuch thunder and noife under the 
 “ earth, as if all the devils had been aflembled 
 “ together at that place, wherewith many died for 
 “ fear. The ifland of Tercera fhook four times 
 1 Pilgrim, part. iv. p. 1677. 
 
EARTH QJJ A IC E S. 99 
 
 u together, fo that it Teemed to turn about; but 
 “ there happened no other misfortune unto it. 
 “ Earthquakes are common in thofe idands : for 
 “ about 20 years paft there happened another 
 “ earthquake, when a high hill that lieth by the 
 “ fame town Villa Franca , fell half down, and co- 
 “ vered all the town with earth, and killed many 
 “ men.” I have tranfcribed here, once for all, 
 the whole relation, becaufe there are many other 
 confiderable circumftances in it befides the rifing 
 of the earth, which I fhall have occafion to refer 
 to, under others of the heads or propofitions to be 
 proved, and therefore fhall not need repetition. 
 Two other relations I find collected by Purchas , 
 confirming this, and feveral of the other propofi¬ 
 tions : the one is that of Dithmar Blefken in the hif- 
 tory of IJland k . “ On the 29th of November a- 
 “ bout midnight, in the fea, there appeared a 
 “ flame near Hecla , which gave light to the whole 
 “ ifland: an hour after the whole ifland trembled, 
 “ as it would have been moved out of the place : 
 “ after the earthquake followed a horrible crack, 
 “ that if all war-like ordnance had been difeharg- 
 “ ed, it had been nothing to this terror. It was 
 “ known afterwards that the fea went back two 
 “ leagues in that place , which remained dry.” 
 
 A fecond hiftory Purchas has collected our of 
 the hiftory of Jofeph Acojla of the Weft Indies 1 ; o- 
 mitting for the prefent divers other circumftances 
 he takes notice of, I fhall only mention that of the 
 receding of the fea.” “ Upon the coaft of Chili , I 
 “ remember not well in what year, there was fo ter- 
 k Id. part iii. p. 648. 1 Part iii. p. 940. 
 
 H 2 “ rible 
 
lC0 DISCOURSES on 
 
 <l rible an earthquake, as it overturned whole 
 “ mountains, and thereby ftopt the courfe of ri- 
 “ vers, which it converted into lakes. It beat 
 “ down towns, and flew a great number of peo- 
 “ pie, caufing the lea to leave her place fome 
 “ leagues, fo as the lhips remained on dry ground, 
 “ far from the ordinary road, &V.” An example 
 fomewhat like this happen’d lately in the Eaji In¬ 
 dies , as I was lately informed by a letter from 
 thence. The thing in fliort was this: at a place 
 about feven days journey from Ducca, the earth 
 trembled about 32 days-, and the fequel was, that 
 it raifed the bottom of a lake, fo as to drive out 
 all the water and fifh upon the land, fo that a place 
 which was formerly a lake is now dry ground. 
 This was written from Ballafore , Jan. 6, 1665. 
 
 The fecond lpecieS of effects of earthquakes, is 
 the raifing a confiderable part of the bottom of the 
 fea, and making it lie above the furface of the wa¬ 
 ter, by which means feveral iflands have been ge¬ 
 nerated. Of this Pliny gives us feveral inftances”. 
 ■Ndfcuntur et alio modo terra (having in the preced¬ 
 ing chapter fpoken of the fhores rifing above the 
 water, or the waters deceding from the fhore) ac 
 repente in aliquo mari emergunt , veluti paria fecum 
 faciente natura , quaque bauferit hiatus , alio loco red- 
 dtente. Clara jamfridem infula , Delos et Rhodes, 
 wemoria prodant enata. Pojlea minores, ultra Melon 
 Anaphe (of which Strabo makes mention".) Inter 
 Lemnitm et Hellefponlem Nea. Inter Lebedum et 1 eon , 
 Alone: interCycladas, Olympiadis cxxxv. anno 4 t0 , 'The- 
 Ya et Iherafta. Inter eafdem pojl am. exxx Hiera: 
 
 " C\b. ii. cap. 86, 87, n Lib. x. 
 
101 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 
 
 et ab ea duobus Jladijs pojl ann. cx in nojlro *evo, M. 
 Junio Syllano, L. Balbo COSS. ad VIII Jdus Julias, 
 Thia. Two of which hiftories are alfo confirmed 
 by Seneca °, where explicating the effects of earth*- 
 quakes by the commixture of fire and water, he fays, 
 Tberen et Therafiam et . banc nojlro a-tatis infulam, 
 fpeblantibus nobis in JEg<eo man enatam quis dubitat 
 quin in lucem fpiritus vexerit. Sandys fpeaking of 
 the lolian iflands, faith, “ Of thofe there were on- 
 “ ]y feven, now there are eleven in number, 
 “ which heretofore all flamed; now only Vulcano 
 “ and Strombylo, two of that number, do burn.” 
 Vulcano is faid firft of all to have appeared above 
 water about the time that Scipio Africanus died. 
 But we have much later inftances to confirm this 
 our afiertion : for about 28 years fince, an ifland 
 was made among the Azores by an eruption of fire, 
 of which divers have related the ftory. But Kir- 
 cher p , from the relation of the Jefuits, has added 
 the molt particular one. Having fpoken of the ex¬ 
 ceeding height of the Pike of Tenerife in the Ca¬ 
 naries, and of the eruptions of fire in it, and the 
 hot fprings round about it, he adds, that in the A” 
 zores alfo there are found places having almoft the 
 fame properties. The Pico de Fayal de Santo Gre¬ 
 gorio, being almoft of equal height, and St. Mi¬ 
 chael's ifland having had heretofore feveral Vulcans, 
 and having been troubled with many earthquakes, 
 and very notably about 38 years fince, wherein all 
 the ifland was fo terribly fhaken, that the utter 
 ruin and fubverfion of the whole was feared. The 
 hiftory of which, in fhort, is this •, that “ June 
 • Qu*ft. nat. lib. vi. p Mund. fubterr. 
 
 H 3 “ 2 6 , 
 
102 DISCOURSE'S OB 
 
 “ 26, 1638, the whole ifland began to be fhaken 
 “ with earthquakes for eight days, fo that the in- 
 ‘‘ habitants left cities, caftles and houfes, and dwelt 
 “ in the fields, but efpecially thofe of a place call- 
 “ ed Vargen , where the motion was more violent. 
 “ After which earthquake this prodigy followed. 
 “ At a place of the fea, where fifhermen ufed to 
 “ fifh in fummer, becaufe of the great abundance 
 of fifh there caught, called La Femera, about 
 “ fix miles from Pico Delle Carmerine, upon the firft 
 ‘ c funday in July , a fubterraneous fire, notwith- 
 “ Handing the weight and depth of the fea in that 
 “ place, which was 120 foot, as the fifhermen had 
 “ often before that found by founding, and the 
 “ multitude of waters, which one would have 
 thought fufficient to have quenched the fire : a 
 fubterraneous fire, I fay, broke out with a moft 
 “ inexpreflible violence, carrying up into the clouds 
 “ with it water, fand, earth, ftones, and other 
 “ vaft bulks of bodies ; which to the fad fpefta- 
 “ tors, at a diftance, appeared like flocks of wool 
 “ or cotton, and falling back on the furface of 
 ** the water, look’d like froth. The fpace of this 
 “ eruption was about as big as a fpace of land, 
 that might well be fown by two bufhels of grain. 
 “ By great providence the wind blew from the 
 “ land ; otherwife the whole ifland would, in all 
 “ probability, have perifhed by the mercilefs rage 
 of thefe devouring flames. Such vaft bulks of 
 “ ftonewere thrown up into the air, about the height, 
 f ‘ to leeming, of three pikes length, that one would 
 “ rather think them mountains than rocks : and 
 ff which added further to this dreadful fight, was, 
 
 “ that 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 103 
 
 * l that thefe mountains returning again, often met 
 “ with others afcending or being thrown up, and 
 “ were thereby daflit into a thoufand pieces j di- 
 “ vers of which pieces being afterwards taken up 
 “ and bruifed, eafily turned into a black Alining 
 “ fand. Out of the great multitude and variety 
 “ of thefe vaft rejected bodies, and the immenle 
 “ heaps of rocks and ftones, after a while was 
 “ formed a new ifland out of the main ocean, 
 “ which at firft was not above five furlongs over; 
 “ but after a while, by daily accefies of new mat- 
 “ ter, it increafed after fourteen days to an ifland 
 “ of five miles over. From this eruption, fo great 
 c ‘ a quantity of fifh was deftroyed and thrown up- 
 “ on the next adjacent ifland, that eight of the 
 “ biggeft Indian galeons would not be fufficient to 
 “ contain them •, which the inhabitants fearing, 
 “ left the ftink of them might create a plague, for 
 “ eighteen miles round colledled and buried in 
 “ deep pits. The ftink of the brimftone was 
 “ plainly fmelt at 24 miles diftance.” But we 
 have an inftance more of the generation of an if¬ 
 land out of the bottom of the lea, by an eruption; 
 which becaufe it happened very lately, namely in 
 1650, and near an ifland in the Archipelago , which 
 Pliny relates to have been heretofore after the fame 
 manner produc’d, I ftiall in fhort relate, as it is 
 more largely recorded by Kircher q - from the mouth 
 of Father Francifcus Riccardus, a Jefuit, who was 
 at the fame time in the adjoining ifland, and an 
 eye witnefs of all the phaenomena. 
 
 “* Mund. fubterran. 
 
 h 4 
 
 “ From 
 
io4 DISCOURSES 
 
 “ From the 24th of September to the gth of Oc- 
 
 tober 1650, the ifland of Sanlerinum, formerly 
 ** called by Pliny, 7 her a, was dreadfully fhaken 
 “ with earthquakes, fo that the inhabitants expeft- 
 “ ed nothing but utter ruin ; and were yet more 
 “ amazed by a horrid eruption of fire out of the 
 “ bottom of the fea, about four miles to the eaft- 
 “ ward of the ifland: before which the water of 
 <£ the place was raifed above 30 cubits perpendi- 
 “ cularly. (I fuppofe he means as to appearance 
 “ from the ifland, otherwife ’tis but very little) 
 “ which wave fpreading itfelf round every way, 
 “ overturned every thing it met, deftroying fhips 
 “ and galleys in the harbour of Candie , which was 
 “ 80 miles diftant. The eruption filled the air 
 “ with afhes and horrible fulphureous ftinks, and 
 “ dreadful lightnings and thunder fucceeded. All 
 “ things in the ifland were covered with a yellow 
 “ fulphureous cruff, and the people almofl blind- 
 “ ed as well as choaked. Multitudes of pumice 
 “ and other ftones were thrown up, and carried 
 “ as far as Conjlantinople, and to places at a very 
 “ great diftance. The force of this eruption was 
 “ greateft the two firft months, when all the 
 “ neighbouring fea feefned to boil, and the Vul- 
 “ can continually vomited up fire balls. Upon 
 “ the turning of the wind, great mifchief was 
 “ done in the ifland of Santerinum ; many beafts 
 and birds were killed : and on the 29th of Ofio- 
 “ her and the 4th of November, about go men 
 “ were killed by it. The Other four months it 
 ‘‘ lafted, tho’ much abated of its former fierce- 
 .** nefs> yet it flill caR up ftone, and feemed to en¬ 
 deavour 
 
3 
 
 EARTH QJU A K E S. 105 
 
 <l deavour the making of a new ifland •, which tho’ 
 “ it do not yet perfedtly appear above water, yet 
 “ ’tis covered but eight foot by the water ; and the 
 “ bubbling of the water feems to befpeak another 
 “ eruption, that may in time finifh natures birth.” 
 And though our natural hiftorians have been very 
 fcarce in the world, and conlequently fuch hifto- 
 ries are very few ; yet there has been no age where¬ 
 in fuch hiftorians have lived, but has afforded them 
 an example of fuch effedts of earthquakes. And 
 I doubt not, but had the world been always fur- 
 nifhed with fuch hiftorians as had been inquifitive 
 and knowing, we fhould have found not only Thera 
 or Santerinum , and Vulcano , and Delos , and that in 
 the Azores, and one lately in the Canaries , but a 
 very great part of the illands of the whole world, 
 to have been raifed out of the fea, or feparated from 
 the land, by earthquakes : for which opinion I 
 lhall afterwards relate feveral obfervations both of 
 my own and others, which feem to afford proba¬ 
 ble arguments. 
 
 But to proceed to the third kind or fpecies of 
 1 effedls produced by earthquakes, which is the raif- 
 ii ing very confiderable mountains out of plains. Of 
 j. this I fhall add a few inftances; but none more 
 notable, than that of the new mountain near Na- 
 8 pies, of which I faid fomewhat before out of San- 
 
 [i dys’ s travels. In the year 1538, Sept. 29th, this 
 
 mountain viffbly afeended about the fecond hour 
 of the night, with a hideous roaring, horribly vo¬ 
 miting ftones, and fuch ftore of cinders as over¬ 
 whelmed all the buildings thereabouts, and the fa- 
 Jubrious baths of Tripergula , for fo many ages ce- 
 1 lebrated, 
 
106 DISCOURSES ot 
 
 celebrated, confirming all the vines toafhes, and kill¬ 
 ing birds and beafts, and frightning away all the in¬ 
 habitants, who fled naked and defiled through the 
 dark: and has advanced its top a mile above the ba¬ 
 lls : the ftones of it are fo light and pcfrey that they 
 will not fink when thrown into the fea. This new 
 mountain, when new raifed, had a numbei of if- 
 fues, fome of them fmoking, lome flaming, others 
 difgorging rivulets of hot water, keeping within 
 a terrible rumbling ; and many perilhed that ven¬ 
 tur’d into the hollownefs above. But that hollow 
 on the top is at prelent an orchard, and the moun¬ 
 tain throughout berelt ol its terrors. It is re- 
 “ ported, fays Childrey r , that by the fea fide, not 
 “ f ar from Axbridge in Somerfetjhire, within thefe 
 “ ^o years, a parcel of land fwell d up like a hill, 
 “ but on a fudden clave afunder, and fell down 
 
 “ into the earth ; and in the place of it remains a 
 cc great pool.” Our ILngliJh chronicles fay, at 
 Oxenhal , in the bifhoprick of Durham , on Chrijl- 
 mas day 1179, the ground heav’d up aloft like a tow¬ 
 er, and continued all the day unmovable, till e- 
 vening, and then fell with a horrible noife, finking 
 into the earth, and leaving three deep pits called 
 hell-kettles. Vorenius f tells us of a new mountain 
 likewife raifed in Java, in the year 1586, with the 
 like effedts of thofe I formerly named of the new 
 mountain ; firft fhaking the earth, then heaving 
 up, and throwing up into the air, the upper parts 
 of the earth, afterwards the rock and inner parts, 
 then fiery coals and cinders, overwhelming the cir¬ 
 cumjacent fields and towns, and killing above 
 ’ Britan Baconic. f Geogr. 
 
 1 
 
 10,000 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 107 
 
 xo,ooo men, and burning what was not over¬ 
 whelmed. I have not time to reckon up the mul¬ 
 titude of inftances I have met with in authors; 
 fuch as Alina in Sicily, Vefuvius in Italy , one in 
 Croatia , near the city Valonia , the Pike in 5T eneriffe, 
 and the Pike in the Azores , Hecla , Helga, and ano¬ 
 ther in IJland: the mount Gonnapi in one of the if¬ 
 lands of Banda , which made an horrid eruption at 
 the fame time with that in Java. The mount Ba- 
 lavane in Sumatra: others in the Molucca iflands, 
 in China , Japan, and the Philippines , and in fome 
 of the Mauritian iflands, and feveral other parts 
 of the Eaft Indies. In the IVcfl Indies alfo we have 
 multitudes of examples •, feveral in Nicaragua, and 
 all along the ledge of mountains in Peru and Chili , 
 and in New Spain and Mexico: in the iflands of 
 Papoys , difcovered by La Mair joining to the fouth 
 continent in Mar Del Zur: all which are fo many 
 Jfliining torches to diredt us in the fearch after this 
 truth. There are many other inftances of moun¬ 
 tains, that have but lately, as it were, left to burn, 
 and are covered with wood and grown fruitful. 
 So the new mountain I formerly mentioned, has 
 an orchard growing where the fire at firft flamed. 
 Another in the ifland Quimada , near the river Pla¬ 
 ta in Brafil: the iflands alfo of St. Helena, and 
 Afcenfion, difcovered by the great plenty of cinders, 
 and the fafliions of the hills, to have formerly con¬ 
 tained Vulcanos , and probably were at firft made 
 by fome fubterraneous eruption, as indeed moft of 
 thofe iflands in the main ocean, fuch as the Cana¬ 
 ries , and the Azores , and the Eajl Indian , and the 
 Qaribbee iflands, and divers others feem to have 
 
 been, 
 
10 8 DISCOURSES 
 
 been. A paflage to make this afifertion fomewhat 
 the more probable, I have met with in Linfchoten 's 
 defcription of the ifle of Tercera , which, as Pur- 
 chas has epitomized 1 , I have here added. “ The land 
 “ is very high, and, as it feemeth, hollow ; for 
 “ that as theypafsover an hill or.ftone, the ground 
 « foundeth under them as if it were a cellar: fo 
 “ that it feems in divers places to have holes un- 
 “ der the earth, whereby it is much fubjedt to 
 « earthquakes, as alfo all the other iflands are; 
 “ for there it is a common thing : and all thole 
 “ iflands, for the moft part, have had mines of 
 “ brim (tone; for that in many places of Trrcera 
 “ and St. Michael , the fmoke and favour of brim- 
 “ ftone doth Hill iflue out of the ground, and the 
 “ country round about is all finged and burnt. 
 “ Alfo there are places wherein there are wells, 
 “ the water whereof is fo hot that it will boil an 
 “ egg, as if it were over a fire.” Befides which, 
 the fhape of the hills, and feveral other circum- 
 ftances mentioned by Linfchoten , do make it pro¬ 
 bable that thofe have been all Vulcano’s. 
 
 But to proceed to the fourth fpecies of the effefts 
 of earthquakes under this head; and that is, the raif- 
 ing of the parts of the earth, by the throwing on a 
 great accels of new earth : of this I have already 
 given many inftances in the newly mentioned hif- 
 tories of eruptions, where I mentioned the over¬ 
 whelming of fields, towns and woods. I fhall on¬ 
 ly add one inftance or two mere to confirm this 
 head, and then proceed. The firfl: is that menti¬ 
 oned by Olaus Wormins u , where he gives an ac- 
 ' pijgr. part iv, p. 1670, 11 Mufei. lib. i. feft. i. chappy. 
 
 count 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 109 
 
 count of an extraordinary earthquake in Iceland , 
 which filled the air with dull, earth, and cinders, 
 and overwhelmed towns, fields, and even fhips a 
 good way diftant at fea •, and which fent forth its 
 fumes with fuch violence and plenty, as covered all 
 the decks and fails of fhips lying on the coaft of 
 Norway , fome hundred leagues diftant. And to 
 make this of Wormius the more probable, I have 
 now by me a paper of duft, which was rained out 
 of the air upon a fhip lying at Algier upon the coaft 
 of Barbary , upon a great eruption of Vefuvins in 
 the year 1600. But what is beyond all, is the late 
 eruption of Mongibell or /Etna. 
 
 And to confirm this propofition yet further, 1 
 cannot pafs by a very remarkable rain of earth and 
 allies, that happened in Peru , anno 1600, mention¬ 
 ed by Garcelajfo de la Vega , one of the offspring of 
 the Inca's of Peru , in his hiftory of America. The 
 epitome of which by Purcbas' v , is this. “ I might 
 “ add the great earthquakes anno 1600 in Peru at 
 “ Arequepa , the raining of fand, as alfo of allies a- 
 “ bout 20 days from a Vulcano breaking forth; 
 “ the allies falling in places above a yard thick, 
 “ in fome places more than two, and where leaft, 
 “ above a quarter of a yard, which buried the corn 
 “ grounds of maize and wheat, and the boughs 
 “ of trees were broken and fruitlefs, and the cat- 
 “ tie great and fmall died for want of pafture : for 
 “ the fand which rained covered the fields thirty 
 “ leagues one way, and above forty leagues ano- 
 “ ther way. Round about Arequepa they found 
 “ their kine dead by 500 together in leveral herds, 
 w Pilg. part iv. p. 1476. 
 
 
 
 H3; 
 
 and 
 
O' 
 
 no DISCOURSES^ 
 
 «« and whole flocks of flieep, and herds of goats 
 « and fwine buried. Houfes fell with the weight 
 “ of the fand, and others coft much induftry to 
 “ fave them. Mighty thunders and lightning 
 “ were heard and feen 3° leagues about Arequepa. 
 
 “ It was fo dark whilft thofe fliowers lafted, that 
 “ a t mid-day they burned candles to fee to do 
 « bufinefs.”—I could add divers other inftances 
 to confirm this propofition, but thefe may at pre- 
 fent fuffice. 
 
 But this is but one way by which divers things 
 have been buried : there is another way which I 
 can only at prefent mention, and muft refer the 
 probation and profecution to fome other occafion; 
 and that is, that very many of the lower fuperfici- 
 al parts of the earth, have been, and are continu¬ 
 ally covered and buried by the accefsof matter, tum¬ 
 bled and walked down by excefies of wind and rain, 
 and by the continual fweepings of rivers, and ftreams 
 of water. Under this head I lhall Ihew feveral 
 places and countries in the world, that are nothing 
 elfe but the productions of thefe caufes. To this 
 purpofe Peter de la Valle x gives fome obfervations 
 which he made in Egypt , “ Of the former feven 
 “ mouths of Nile, there are only four left, and of 
 “ thofe but two navigable ; the reft are either fill- 
 “ ed, or run no more, or are fmall ftreams not 
 “ taken notice of, or only torrents in the time of 
 “ great rains : but I could learn nothing of them, 
 “ becaufe the great expence of the ancients for 
 “ cleanflng the ditches, has been intermitted for 
 “ feveral hundreds of years.” He is likewife of 
 x Letter xith dated from Grand Cairo, Jan. 25, 1616. 
 
 opinion, 
 
 f 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. in 
 
 opinion, with Herodotus , that the Delta , and all 
 the lower Egypt , where the Greeks navigated in his 
 time, was in the firft ages of the world made by 
 the fand and mud of Nile. 
 
 All which hiftories and particulars do manifeft- 
 ly enough evince, that there have been in very ma¬ 
 ny parts of the world confiderable mutations of the 
 fuperficial parts, fince the beginning ; and that 
 therefore thofe places where thefe petrified bodies 
 are found, though they now feem never fo much 
 foreign, and differing from the likely native places 
 of fuch animated bodies, may notwithftanding 
 heretofore have been in fuch another kind of con¬ 
 dition, as was moll fuitable to the breeding and 
 nourifhment of them, which I fhall yet further 
 manifeft, by comparing the other effects produced 
 by earthquakes; fuch as the finking, and burying, 
 and tranfpofing, and overturning of the fuperficial 
 parts of the earth. 
 
 Another fort of effects, is the finking of the fu¬ 
 perficial parts of the earth, and placing them be¬ 
 low their former pofition, both in refpedi: of fome 
 parts newly raifed, and in refpefi; of fome other ad¬ 
 jacent parts not difplaced. And this feems to be 
 caufed by the fubfiding or finking thofe parts into 
 fuch caverns, as by the ftrength of the eruption paf- 
 fing below, before it breaks out, are made under¬ 
 neath. And if the parts of the earth underneath 
 are fo Ioofe or obnoxious to the force of the fire, as 
 to be dillodged ; unlefs the remaining parts be Very 
 ftrong, and conftitute a very firm ftony arch, the 
 earth does very eafily tumble into the holes and 
 hollows made by the fire. Now it cannot be ima¬ 
 gined 
 
U2 DISCOURSES on 
 
 gincd but that all thofc vaft congeries of earth, 
 which I have already mentioned to have been 
 thrown up, and to create new iflands and new 
 mountains, and the like, muft leave vaft caverns 
 below them, to be filled, either with the parts of 
 the earth that hang immediately over them, or 
 with the fea, or other fubterraneous waters, if the 
 roofs of thefe cavities be ftrong enough to fuftain 
 the earth above them from finking. And fome 
 fuch power as thefe fubterraneous fires, feems to 
 me to have been the caufe of the ftrange pofitions 
 and intermixture of the veins of ores and minerals 
 in the bowels of the mountains, where, for the 
 moft part, they are now found; and even of bring¬ 
 ing thofe fubftances fo near the furface of the earth, 
 which from the confideration of very many circum- 
 ftances, feem to me to be naturally fituated at a 
 much greater depth below within the bowels of 
 this globe. And hence may be rendred a reafon of 
 the figures of thofe minerals, and other of thofe 
 fubftances mixed with them, and of the com¬ 
 pounding and blending of feveral of thefe fub¬ 
 ftances together, whereby fome of them are very 
 ftrangely united and alter’d. But this I mention 
 only by the by, and fliall not infift on it, belong¬ 
 ing more properly to another head. To proceed 
 then, under this general head are comprifed feveral 
 kinds of effe&s, differing only according to the 
 parts of the earth they have been wrought upon. 
 
 The firll is, the finking of feveral inland parts, 
 which were before eminent, and laying them much 
 lower into vales. Sometimes, the finking of a 
 part of the earth to a very great depth, and leav¬ 
 ing 
 
 p> 
 

 EARTHQUAKES. '113 
 
 ing behind, inftead of a firm ground, a lake of 
 fait or fea-water. Of thefe we have feveral in- 
 ftances in natural hiftorians. And, to pafs by 
 many others, I Ihall only mention fuch as have 
 lately happened. Of this kind Mr. Childrey in his 
 Britannia Baconica , has collected feveral inftances, 
 two out of our Englijh chronicles: his relations are 
 thefe y. “ Auguft the 4th, 1585, after a very vi¬ 
 olent ftorm of thunder and rain, at Mottingham 
 “ in Kent, eight miles from London, the ground fud- 
 denly began to fink; and three great elms grow¬ 
 ing upon it, were carried fo deep into the earth, 
 
 “ that no part of them could any more be feen. 
 The hole left (faith the ftory) is in compafs 80 
 yards about, and a line of 50 fathoms, plumm’d 
 “ into it finds no bottom.” Alfo, “ December 18, 
 1596, a mile and half from IVeJlram fouthward 
 “ (which is not many miles from Mottingham) a 
 4C P art of an hedge of allies, 12 perches long, was 
 “ funk fix foot and an half deep ; the next morn- 
 “ ing 15 foot more; and the third morning 80 
 “ foot more at leaft, and fo daily.” (And pre- 
 fently afterwards he fays) “ Moreover in one 
 part of the plain field there is a great hole made 
 " by finking of the earth, to the depth of 30 foot 
 at leaf!:, being in breadth in lome places, two 
 “ perches over, and in length five or fix perches. 
 
 “ There are fundry other finkings in divers other 
 “ places; one of 60 foot, another of 47, and an¬ 
 other 34 foot; by means of which confufion it 
 is come to pafs, that where the higheft hills 
 
 y Page 62. 
 
 I “ were. 
 
 «C 
 
H4 DISCOURSES <>» 
 
 “ were, there be the loweft dales, and the loweft 
 « dales are become the higheft grounds, c 
 And again % he gives an inftance upon his own 
 knowledge, much to the fame purpofe, which 
 lately happened. “ July the 8 th 1657, about three 
 “ of the clock, in the pari dr of Bickly, was heard 
 tl a very great node like thunder afar off"j which 
 « W as much wondered at, becaufe the fky was 
 “ clear, and no appearance of a cloud. Shortly 
 “ after (faith the author of this relation) a neigh- 
 “ bour came to me, and told me, I fhould fee a 
 “ very ftrange thing if I would go with him. So 
 “ coming into a field, called the Lay-Field, we 
 “ found a very great bank of earth, which had 
 “ many tall oaks growing on it, quite funk into 
 “ the ground, trees and all. At firft we durft 
 “ not go near it, becaufe the earth, for near 20 
 “ yards about, was exceedingly much rent, and 
 “ feemed ready to fall: but fince that time myfelf 
 “ and fome others have ventur’d to fee the bot- 
 “ tom, I mean to go to the brink, fo as to difcern 
 “ the vifible bottom, which is water, and con- 
 “ ceived to be about 30 yards from us; under 
 “ which is funk all the earth about it, for 16 yards 
 “ round at leaft, three tall oaks, a very tall awber, 
 “ and certain other fmall trees, and not a fprig of 
 “ them to be feen above water. Four or five oaks 
 “ more are expected to fall every moment, and 
 “ a great quantity of land is like to fall, indeed 
 <£ never ceafing more or leis; and when any con- 
 “ fiderable clod falls, it is much like the report 
 “ of a cannon. We can difcern the ground hol- 
 * Page 131. 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. ii$ 
 
 “ low above the water a great depth •, but how far 
 “ hollow, or how deep, is not to be found out by 
 “ man. Some of the water (as I have been told) 
 “ drawn out of this pit with a bucket, was found 
 “ to be as fait as fea water, Use.” 
 
 “ A confiderable circumftance alfo to confirm 
 this propofition, is a paflage in that hiftory I have 
 mentioned out of Linfchoten , of the ifiand of Ter- 
 cera , where he fays, and fome of the bills were de¬ 
 faced and made even with the ground. 
 
 Kircher tells us a very remarkable hiftory of the 
 finking of a town, and the land about it, and the 
 generation of a lake inftead of it*. Contigit hac 
 eadem hord res teternd ac immortali memories digna, 
 &c. “ At this very time happened a thing wor^ 
 
 thy never to be forgotten, to wit the fubverfioa 
 “ of the moft famous town called St. Euphemia: 
 
 “ ’twas fituated at the fide of the bay under the ju- 
 “ rifdiftion of the knights of Malta. When 
 “ therefore we had come to Lopiz , almoft dead 
 “ from the violent fhaking of the earth, and lying 
 “ proftrate on the ground, at laft the Paroxyfm of 
 “ nature remitting, calling our eyes towards the 
 “ neighbouring places, we faW the forementioned 
 “ town encompalfed with a great, wonderful,' and 
 “ unufual cloud, which was feen by us three times, 
 
 “ efpecially at three o’clock in the afternnon, the 
 “ heavens being clear. This cloud being by de- 
 “ grees diffipated, we look’d for the town, but 
 <c found it not; a (linking lake, to our wonder, 
 
 “ appearing in the place of it. We fought for 
 “ fome perfon or other, to give us fome certain 
 “ account of this unulual event; but could not 
 I 2 “ find 
 
 * Mund, fubterr. prsefat. cap. 2. 
 
n6 DISCOURSES^ 
 
 “ find one to tell any news of this dreadful acci- 
 “ dent and great deftruaion, (Sc. We profecuting 
 “ our journey, and pafilng by Nicajlro , Amantea , 
 
 “ Paula , Belvedere , found nothing for 200 miles, 
 
 “ but the remaining carcafies of cities and caftles, 
 
 “ and horrid deftrudions •, the men lying in the 
 “ open fields, and, as it were, dead and withered 
 “ through fear and terror.” 
 
 To this purpofe give me leave to fubjoin an ex- 
 traa of a letter, fent from Balafore in the Eajl In¬ 
 dies ,, Jan. 6, 1665. “ The fame ftar appeared in 
 
 “ our horizon about the fame time ’twas feen with 
 “ you. The effeds have in part been felt here 
 ** by unfeafonable weather, great mortalities a- 
 “ mong the natives, Englijh, and others. We have 
 “ had feveral earthquakes, unufualhere, which with 
 “ hideous noifes, have in feveral places broke out, 
 « and fwallowed up houfes and towns. But about 
 “ feven days journey from Ducca, where were at 
 “ that time three or four Dutch , they and the na- 
 “ tives relate, that in the market place, the earth 
 “ trembled about 32 days and nights, without in- 
 “ termiffion. At the latter end, in the market 
 “ place, the ground turned round as dull in a 
 “ whirlwind, and fo continued feveral days and 
 “ nights, and fwallowed up feveral men who were 
 “ fpeftators, who funk and turned round with the 
 “ earth, as in a quagmire. At laft: the earth 
 “ worked and call up a great fifii, bigger than 
 “ hath been feen in this country, which the peo- 
 “ pie caught: but the conclufion of all was, that 
 the earth funk with 300 houfes, and all the men, 
 “ where now appears a large lake fome fathoms 
 1 “ deep. 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 117 
 
 “ deep. About a mile from this town was a lake 
 “ full of fifli, which in thefe 32 days of the earth- 
 “ quake call up all her filh on dry land, where 
 “ might have been gathered many, which had 
 “ run out of the water upon dry land, and there 
 “ died : but when the other great lake appeared, 
 “ this former dried up, and is now firm land.” 
 
 To the fame purpofe alfo we have feveral o- 
 ther inftances, fome later, and fome nearer home. 
 “ Near Darlington , (fays Childrey b , fpeaking of 
 “ the rarities of the bifhoprick of Durham ) are 
 “ three pits, whofe waters are warm, (hot fays 
 “ Cambden) wonderful deep, called hell-kettles. 
 ** Thefe are thought to come of an earthquake, 
 “ that happened anno 1179. For on Cbrijlmas 
 “ day, fay our chronicles, at Oxenhall , which is 
 “ this place, the ground heaved up aloft like a 
 “ tower, and fo continued all that day, as it were 
 “ immoveable, till evening, and then fell in with a 
 “ very horrible noife, and the earth fwallow’d it up, 
 “ and made in the fame place three deep pits.” 
 The fame, in the feftion of Brecknock , fays, “ Two 
 “ miles eaft of Brecknock , is a meer, called Llin- 
 “ favathan , which, as the people dwelling there 
 “ fay, was once a city •, but the city was fwallow- 
 “ cd up by an earthquake, and this water or lake 
 “ fucceeded in the place; the lake is encompafled 
 “ with fteep high hills, &V.” 
 
 “ Near Falkirk , fays Lithgow , remain the ruins 
 “ and marks of a town, &c. fwallow’d up into 
 “ the earth by an earthquake, and the void place 
 “ is filled with water.” Pliny alfo records a like 
 b Prasfat, Mund. fubterr. cap. 2, 
 
 13 in- 
 
n 8 DISCOURSES <?« 
 
 inftance % Mox in his montern Epopon, &c. “ Prc- 
 “ fently the mountain Epopon (when fuddenly a 
 flame had fhone out of it) was levell d with the 
 “ plain, and in the fame plain a town was fwal- 
 ‘‘ lowed up into the deep, and by another motion 
 “ of the earth became a lake. And in another 
 “ place the mountain being tumbled down, the 
 ‘ c ifland Erochyta arofe, &c.” 
 
 The Bead Sea alfo in Palejline, was the produc¬ 
 tion of a molt terrible earthquake, and a fire fent 
 from heaven. For, methinks, the relation of the 
 fad cataftropbe of thofe four cities, Sodom, Gomor- 
 rha, Zeboim, Adtna , mentioned in fcripture, feem 
 fomewhat like that I have newly related out of Kir¬ 
 ch er of St. Euphemia , There are a multitude of o- 
 ther inflances which I could bring on this head, of 
 the finking of mountains and hills into plains, and 
 all thefe into lakes, of which Pliny gives feveral in- 
 ftances d . The Pico in the Molucca’s, accounted 
 of equal height with that of Eeneriffe, was, by a 
 late earthquake, quite fwallowed into the earth, 
 and left a lake in its place. Vesuvius and Strongy- 
 lus, are by late earthquakes reduced to almoft half 
 their former height. Many of thofe vaft moun¬ 
 tains of the Andes in Chili, were by an earthquake 
 (inn. 1646, quite fwallowed up and loft, as Kircher 
 relates. I could add many hiftories of the fatal 
 cataftrophe’s of many towns, and other places of 
 note •, but thefe, I hope, may fuffice to lhew this 
 kind alfo of mutation in the fuperficial parts of the 
 earth, to be effected by earthquakes. 
 
 * Britann. Baconic. d Hilt, nat. lib. ii. cap. 88. 
 
 Nor 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 119 
 
 Nor do earthquakes only fink mountains and in¬ 
 land parts; but fuch parts alfo as are near to, e- 
 qual with, and under the furface of the fea. Of 
 this we have inftances near home, of JVmchelfea 
 and of the Goodwin Lands , and of the towns in 
 Freezland , that have been about 400 years fince 
 fwallowed up by the fea ; and nothing but towers 
 and the Goodwin Sands, are now to be found of 
 them. 1 he like happened to feveral parts of Scot¬ 
 land, as He ft or Boethius relates. Linfchoten, in his 
 hiftory of the Weft Indies, relates, among many 
 other hiftories this confiderable paflage. “ Since, 
 “ in the year 1586, in the month o I July, fell 
 “ another earthquake in the city of Kings, the 
 “ which, as the vice-roy did write, had run 170 
 “ leagues along the coaft, and athwart to the Sierra 
 “ 50 leagues. It ruined a great part of the city. 
 “ It caus’d the like trouble and motion of the 
 “ fea, as it had done at Chili, which happened 
 “ prefently after the earthquake; fo as they might 
 “ fee the fea to fiy furioufly out of her bounds, and 
 “ to run near two leagues into the land, rifing a- 
 “ bove fourteen fathom. It covered all the plain, 
 “ fo as the ditches were filled, and pieces of wood 
 “ that were here, fwam in the water.” There 
 are multitudes of inftances of the like effedts in fe¬ 
 veral other parts of the world, which have been 
 wrought by earthquakes, which may be found in 
 natural hiftorians ; which, for brevity’s fake, I o- 
 mit, they ferving only to prove a propofition, 
 which I fuppofe will be granted by any that have 
 either leen or heard of the effedts of earthquakes. 
 
120 DISCOURSES 
 
 Now, though I find a general deficiency in na¬ 
 tural hiftorians, of inftances to prove, that the 
 fubmarine parts have likewife l'uffered the like ef- 
 feds of finking; they lying out of view, and fo 
 cannot without fome trouble and diligence be ob- 
 ferved ; yet if we confider from how great a depth 
 thefe eruptions proceed, and how little diftindion 
 they make between mountains and plains, as to the 
 weight of removing, we may eafily believe, that 
 the bottom of the fea is as fubjed to thefe muta¬ 
 tions, as the parts of the land. And fince, by 
 the former relations, we have many inftances of 
 the railing of the bottom of the fea, ’tis very pro¬ 
 bable, that what quantity of matter is thrown to and 
 raifed in one place, is funk, and falls into that ca¬ 
 vity left by another. An ifland cannot be raifed 
 in one place, without leaving an abyfs in another. 
 And I do not doubt, but there have been as ma¬ 
 ny earthquakes in the parts of the earth under the 
 ocean, as there have been in the parts of the dry 
 land : but being for the moft part till of late, un¬ 
 frequented by mankind, and even now but very 
 thinly, ’tis almoft a thoufand to one, that what 
 happen are never feen; and a hundred to one, 
 if they have been feen, whether they be recorded : 
 for how few writers are there of natural hiftory ?— 
 There is fomewhat of probability in the ftory re¬ 
 lated by Plato, in his 7 im#us, of the ifland Atlan¬ 
 tis, in the Atlantic ocean, which, he fays, was 
 fwallowed up by an earthquake, into the fea. And 
 ’tis not unlikely, but that moft of thofe iflands that 
 are now appearing, have been either thrown up out 
 of the fea by eruptions, ftich as the Canaries, Azo¬ 
 res, 
 
121 
 
 EARTH QJU AKE 3 . 
 
 res, St. Helena, &c. which the form of them, and 
 the Vulcano's in them, and the cinders and pumice 
 ftones found about them, and 'the frequent earth¬ 
 quakes they are troubled with, and the remaining 
 hills of extinguifhed Vulcano's, do all ftrongly ar¬ 
 gue for: or elfe, that they are, fome of them at 
 leaft, fome relicks of that great ifland which is 
 now not to be found •, and yet we have no records 
 hereof. That there is as great inequality in the 
 depth of the fea, as there is in the height of the 
 land, the obfervations of feamen, experimented by 
 their founding-lines, do fufficiently inform us : for 
 hills, we have deep holes; and for mountains and 
 pikes, abyfles and malftrooms: and that thefe mull 
 have, in all ages, been filling with parts of the 
 earth, tumbled by the motion of the waters, and 
 rowling to the loweft place, is very probable; and 
 fo they would in time have been filled up, had not 
 earthquakes, by their eruptions and tumblings, 
 created new irregularities. And therefore that 
 there are (till fuch places, is an argument, that 
 there have been of later ages earthquakes in fome 
 of them. Of thefe I fhall mention one or two in- 
 llances, which I meet with in voyages, and the re¬ 
 lations of travellers. 
 
 In the relation of the circumnavigation of Sir 
 Francis Drake, fpeakingof theflraights of Magellane, 
 he fays, page 35, “ They faw an ifland with ave- 
 <e ry high Vulcano and the next page he fays, 
 “ They had need to have carried nothing but an- 
 “ chors and cables, to find ground, the fea was 
 “ fo very deep-,” which depth is explained more 
 exprefsly page 42, where it is faid, “ Being driven 
 ' ** fron> 
 
122 D I $ C O U R S E S on 
 
 “ from our firft place of anchoring, fo unmea- 
 “ furable was the depth that 500 fathom would 
 “ fetch no ground/’ And in page 99, of the fame 
 relation, the author tells, how their fhip ftruck 
 upon a rock, which, page 102, he fays “ At low 
 “ water was but fix foot under water, and juft by 
 “ it no bottom to be found, by reafon of the 
 “ great depth.” 
 
 Mr. Ricatit, in a letter of his to the Royal So¬ 
 ciety, dated from Conjlantinople , Nov. 1667, fays, 
 “ That the water runs out of the Euxine fea into 
 “ the Propontis with a wonderful fwiftnefs, which is 
 “ more wonderful in regard of the depth of the 
 “ Bofphorus , being in the channel 50 or 55 fathom 
 “ water, and along the land in moft places the 
 “ Ihips may lie on ftiore with their heads, and yet 
 “ have 20 fathom water at their fterns.” 
 
 Beftdes thefe effects of raifing and linking the 
 parts of the earth, there is a third fort, .which is 
 the tranfpofing, converting, fubverting, and jum¬ 
 bling the parts of the earth together; overthrowing 
 mountains, and turning them upfide down; throw¬ 
 ing the parts of the earth from one place to another; 
 burying the fuperficial parts, and raifing the fub- 
 terraneous. Of thefe kinds of changes, there are 
 many inftances in the former relations I have men¬ 
 tioned, and particularly that of Linfchoten of the 
 earthquake in the Terceras , and that of Jofepbus 
 Acojta , of the earthquake upon the coaft of Chili. 
 And there are a multitude of others I could here 
 let down, but I lhall only mention fome of them. 
 “ Soon after (fays Acofia , in the place before men- 
 “ tioned, which was in the year ,1582) happened 
 
 “ that 
 
EARTH QJtJ A K E S. 123 
 
 “ that earthquake of Arequipa , which in a manner 
 “ overthrew the whole city.” And a little before in 
 the fame place, he tells of a terrible earthquake in 
 Guatimala , in the year 1586, which overthrew al- 
 moft all the city, and that the Vulcan for above fix 
 months together continually vomited a flood of 
 fire from the top of it. And a little after the fame 
 author, in the fame place, fays “ In the year 
 “ 1581, in Cugiano , a city of Peru , otherwife call- 
 “ ed the Pear , there happened a Arrange accident 
 
 touching this fubjeft; a village called Angoango^ 
 ‘ c (where many Indians dwelt that were forcerers 
 “ and idolaters) fell fuddenly to ruin, fo as a great 
 “ part thereof was raifed up and carried away, and 
 “ many of the Indians fmothered; and that which 
 “ feemed incredible, yet teftified by men of credit, 
 “ the earth that was ruined and fo beaten down, 
 “ did run and Aide upon the land for the fpace of 
 “ a league and a half, as if it had been water or 
 “ wax melted, fo as it flopped and filled up a 
 “ lake, and remained fo fpread all over the whole 
 “ country.” 
 
 Nor are there wanting examples of this kind e- 
 ven in this ifland. Mr. Childrey e has collefled fe- 
 veral out of Cambden ; as that in Herefordshire , 
 where “ In the year 1571, Marcley Hill in the eafl 
 “ part of the fhire, with a roaring noife, removed 
 “ itfelf from the place where it flood, and for three 
 “ days together travelled from its old feat. It 
 ‘‘ began firft to take its journey Feb. 17, being 
 if Saturday , at fix of the clock at night, and by 
 * e feven the next morning it had gone 40 paces, 
 
 ' Britann. Baconic. 
 
124 DISCOURSES^ 
 
 “ carrying with it fheep in their cotes, hedge- 
 “ rows, and trees, whereof fome were overturn- 
 “ ed* and fome that flood upon the plain, are 
 “ firmly growing upon the hill; thofe that were 
 “ eaft were turned weft, and thofe in the weft 
 “ were fet in the eaft. In this remove it over- 
 “ threw Kinajlon chappel, and turned two high 
 “ ways near a ioo yards from their old paths: 
 “ the ground that they removed was about 26 a- 
 “ cres, which opening itfelf with rocks and all, 
 “ bore the earth before it for 400 yards fpace with- 
 ** out any flay-, leaving pafturages in the places 
 of tillage, and the tillage overfpread with paftu- 
 “ rage. Laftly, overwhelming its lower parts, 
 it mounted to a hill of 12 fathoms high, and 
 “ there refted after three days travel.” 
 
 “ At Hermitage in Borfetjhire, fays Slow in his 
 « Summary , Jan. the 3d 1582, a piece of ground 
 of three acres removed from its old place, and 
 “ W as carried over another dole, where alders and 
 “ willows grew, the fpace of 40 rods or perches, 
 « and flopped up the highway that led to Came , 
 “ a market town ; and yet the hedges that it 
 « was inclofed with inclofe it ftill, and the trees 
 “ ftand bolt upright, and the place where this 
 “ ground was, is left like a great pit.” And ’tis 
 not a little obfervable that at the fame time that 
 thefe changes happened in America , the like alfo 
 happened in England , of which I fhall hereafter 
 give divers other inftances, and fhall alfo deduce 
 corollaries, that may otherwife feem very ftrange, 
 and yet I queftion not to prove the truth of them. 
 
EARTH QJJ AK E S. 125 
 
 Pliny fays f Maximus terra memoria mortalium extitit 
 motus , &c. “ There happened once (which I found 
 “ in the books of the Pufcan learning) within the 
 “ territories of Modena , L. Marcius and S. Julius 
 “ being confuls, a great wonder of the earth : for 
 “ two hills encountered each other, charging one 
 “ another with a great crafh, and retiring again, 
 “ a great flame and fmoke in the day-time ifluing 
 “ out from between them to the fky, while a great 
 “ many of the Roman knights, their friends and 
 “ travellers, beheld it from the Aimyiian road. 
 “ With this conflict, and meeting together, all the 
 “ country houfes were dalhed to pieces, many a- 
 “ nimals that were between them perifhed. This 
 “ happened a year before the Social war. 1 know 
 “ not whether it were more pernicious to Italy than 
 “ the civil wars. No lefs a wonder was that in 
 “ our age, in the laft year of Nero, as we have 
 “ fhewn in our afls, when meadows and olive trees, 
 “ the publick way lying between them, went into 
 “ contrary {exchanged) places, in the Marrucine 
 “ territory, on 'the lands of VeEtius Marcellus , a 
 “ Roman knight, procurator under Nero.” 
 
 There are many of the like inftances to be met 
 with in authors, of the placing parts perpendicular 
 or inclining, which were before horizontal; of the 
 turning of other parts upfide downwards, of throw¬ 
 ing parts from place to place ; of flopping the paf- 
 fage of rivers, and turning them another way •, of 
 fwallowing fome rivers, and producing others a- 
 newj of changing countries from barren to fruit¬ 
 ful, and from fruitful to barren •, of making iflands 
 f Hill, nat. lib. ii. cap. r8. 
 
 join 
 
126 DISCOURSES cfc 
 
 join to the continent, and feparating parts of the 
 continent into iflands. There are other relations 
 which mention the vaft fpaces of ground, that have 
 been all at once (haken and overturned ; fome of 
 500 miles in length, and a 150 in breadth: of 
 the communication of Vulcans , which are, as it 
 were, the noftrils, or conftant breathing places of 
 thefe monfters, tho’ placed at a very great diftance 
 one from another, by fubterraneous caverns. Ci¬ 
 ther relations furnifh us with inftances of the fub- 
 ftances they vomit out; fuch as pumice (tones, 
 and feveral other forts of calcined and melted (tones, 
 and rocks, afhes, minerals, hot water, fulphur, 
 flame, fmoke, and various other fubftances. 
 
 In others we find inftances of liquefactions, 
 vitrifications, calcinations, fublimations, diftilla- 
 tions, petrifactions, transformations, fuffocations, 
 and infective, or deadly (teams deftroying all things 
 near them, which probably may be one caufe of 
 the fcarcity of relations, where ’tis probable, there 
 have been fo very many effects wrought in the 
 world, of this kind. But thefe I (hall not infift 
 ppon. 
 
 There is only one thing more, that I think per¬ 
 tinent to our prefent purpofe, and that is the uni-- 
 verfaiity of this active principle: there is no coun¬ 
 try, almoft in the world, but has been (bme time 
 or other (haken by earthquakes, that has not fuffered 
 fome, if not moft part of thefe effects. Seneca 
 fays * omnia ejufdem forth funt , &c. “All things 
 are fubject to the fame chance; though they are 
 not yet moved they are moveable; for we err. 
 
 g In praefat, lib. vi. quseft. nat. 
 
 2 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 127 
 
 “ if we believe any part of the earth excufed and 
 “ freed from this hazard; all are fubjedt to the 
 “ fame law-, nothing is made by nature fo fixt as 
 “ to be immoveable; fome fink at one time, fome 
 “ at another. And as in great cities, now this 
 “ houfe, now that houfe hangs tottering on props; 
 “ fo on the great face of the earth, now this part 
 “ prevails, now that. ‘Tyre formerly was remarka- 
 “ ble for its deftrudtion : Afia loft at once twelve 
 “ cities. Whatever the power may be, the for- 
 “ mer year Achara and Macedonia felt it, now 
 “ Campania . Fate takes its rounds, and repeats 
 “ what it had long before adted : it brings fome 
 “ things often on the ftage, fome feldom •, but fuf- 
 “ fers nothing to remain abfolutely free and un- 
 “ touch’d. Not we men only are brought forth 
 “ fhort liv’d, frail beings: cities, countries, fhores, 
 “ nay the fea itfelf, are the Oaves of fate. Why 
 “ therefore do we flatter ourfelves that the gifts of 
 “ fortune will ftick by us, or that happinefs will 
 “ obferve any rule or meafure •, happinefs, the 
 “ moft fleetingof all human things! Theythatpro- 
 “ mife to themfelves all things flxt, furely never 
 “ think that the ground we ftand upon is itfelf un- 
 “ fixt. Nor was that the frailty only of Catnpa- 
 “ nia or Achaia-, ’tis the fame in all foils and coun- 
 “ tries, to be loofely joined and compacted, but 
 “ eafily, and by many ways diflblvedj the whole 
 “ remains, while each part changes and finks into 
 “ ruin and alteration.” 
 
 Thus we fee all countries in the world are fub¬ 
 jedt to thefe convulfions, but thofe moft of all, 
 that are moft mountainous: fuch are ufually, all 
 ■ the 
 
128 DISCOURSES 0* 
 
 the fea coafts. Therefore Pliny fays, that “ The 
 “ Alpes and Apennine mountains have very often 
 “ been troubled with earthquakes-, maritime places 
 “ are mod fhaken, nor do the mountainous efcape, 
 ** for I have found that the Alpes and Apennines 
 “ tremble.” 
 
 For mod probably thofe that are moft mountain¬ 
 ous, are moft cavernous underneath; to countenance 
 which opinion, I have taken notice in certain very 
 high cliffs towards the fea, where the hills feemed 
 as it were cleft afunder, the one half having been 
 probably foundered and tumbled into the fea, and 
 the other, as it were remaining, that at the bottom, 
 near the water, for almoft the whole length, there 
 were very many large caverns, which by feveral cir- 
 cumftances, feemed to be made before the accefs of 
 the fea thereunto, and not by the waffling and beat¬ 
 ing of the waves againft the bottom of the cliffs: for 
 I obferved in many of them, that the plates or 
 layers, as I may fo call thofe parts between the 
 clefts in rocks, and cliffs to lean contrary ways, 
 and not to meet, as it were, at the top like the 
 roof of a houfe and others of them in other forms, 
 as if they had been caverns left between many vaft 
 rocks tumbled confufedly one upon another. And 
 indeed I cannot imagine, but that under thefe 
 mountains, iffands, cliffs or lands, that have been 
 much raifed above their former level, there mult 
 be left vaft caverns, whence all that matter was 
 thrown, where probably may be the feat or place 
 of the generation of thofe prodigious powers. But 
 this only by the by, for I intend not here to exa¬ 
 mine the caufts ot their beginnings, force, and 
 
 powerful 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 129 
 
 powerful effects, nor of their remaining, ceafing, 
 renewing, or the like : it being fufficient for my 
 prefent purpofe, to Ihew that they have been cer¬ 
 tainly oblerved to produce thofe extraordinary ef¬ 
 fects, from what caule foever they proceed : that 
 they have been heretofore in many places where 
 they have now ceafed for many ages; and that they 
 have lately happened in places where we have no 
 hiftory that does allure us they have been hereto¬ 
 fore : that they have turned plains into mountains, 
 and mountains into plains; feas into land, and 
 land into feas : made rivers where there were none 
 before, and fwallowed up others that formerly 
 were: made and deft'royed lakes; made peninfulas 
 iflands, and iflands peninfulas : vomited up illands 
 in fome places, and fwallowed them down in o- 
 thers; overturned, tumbled and thrown from place 
 to place cities, woods, hills, &c. covered, burnt, 
 wafted, and changed the fuperficial parts in others; 
 and many the like ftrange effects, which fince the 
 creation of the world, have wrought many very 
 great changes on the fuperficial parts of the earth, 
 and have been the gfeat inftruments or caufes of 
 placing fhells, bones, plants, fifties, and the like, 
 in thofe places, where, with much aftoniftiment, 
 we find them. 
 
 Concerning the viciflitudes that places are fub- 
 jeft to in relation to earthquakes, I find a memor¬ 
 able paftage fent by Paul Ricaut , Efq-, now conful 
 at Smyrna , dated Nov. 23, 1667. “ Conftantinopk 
 is not now fubjeft to earthquakes as reported in 
 former times, there having not happened in the 
 “ laft feven years, in which I have been an inha-' 
 
 K “ bitan 
 
13 o DISCOURSES** 
 
 “ bitant there, above one of which I have been 
 “ fenfible •, but within the twenty days, in Smyr- 
 “ na, fell out an earthquake which dangeroufly 
 “ Ihook all the buildings, but did little or no 
 “ harm : the fhips in the road, and others at an 
 “ anchor, about three leagues from hence, were 
 “ fenfible of it. It is reported that this city hath 
 “ been already feven times devoured by earth- 
 “ quakes, and it is prophefied, that it Ihall be fo 
 “ again as foon as the houfes reach the old caftle 
 “ upon the top of the hill, on the fide of which 
 “ remains the ruins of the old city, and the tomb 
 “ of St. Polycarp, St. John's difciple, ftill pre- 
 ferved by the Cjvccks in grc3>t veneration. 
 
 There is another caufe which has been alfo a 
 great inftrument in promoting the alterations on 
 the earth’s furface, the motion of water; whether 
 by its defeent from on high, as in rivers, thro’ the 
 immediate fall of rain or fnow, or by the melting 
 of fnow ; or fecondly, by the feas natural motions, 
 as tides and currents •, or thirdly, by its accidental 
 motions from winds and florms. Of each of thefe 
 natural hiftorians abound in inftances. The for¬ 
 mer principle feems to be that which generates 
 hills, holes, cliffs and caverns, and all irregula¬ 
 rity and afperity on the earth’s furface-, and this is 
 what endeavours to reduce them to their priftine 
 evennefs by wafhing down the tops of hills, and 
 filling up the bottoms of pits, confonant to all the 
 other methods of nature in working with contrary 
 principles; by which there is a kind of continual 
 circulation. Water is raifed in vapours by one 
 quality, and precipitated in drops by another ; the 
 i rivers 
 
EARTH QJJAK E S. , 3 , 
 
 rivers run into the Tea, and the fea fupplies them. 
 In the planets there is a proje&ile force which 
 makes them endeavour to recede from the fun, and* 
 an attractive power, which keeps them from re¬ 
 ceding. The air impregnates the ground in one 
 place, and is impregnated by it in another; all 
 things almoft circulate and have their viciffitudes: 
 we have multitudes of inftances of the wafting of 
 the tops of hills, and of the filling and encreafing 
 of the plains or lower grounds ; of rivers continu¬ 
 ally carrying along with them great quantities of 
 land, mud, &c. from higher to lower places; of 
 the feas walhing cliffs away, and wafting the Ihores j 
 of land-floods carrying away with them all things 
 that ftand in their way, and covering the lands -•> 
 with mud, levelling ridges and filling ditches. 
 Tides and currents in the fea a ft in all probability 
 what floods and rivers do at land ; and ftorms ef- 
 fed that on the fea-coaft, that great land-floods 
 do on the banks of rivers. Egypt , as lying very 
 low, and yearly overflowed, is inlarged by the fe- 
 diment of the Nile ; efpecially towards thofe parts 
 where that river falls into the Mediterranean. The 
 gulph of Venice is almoft choak’d with the fand of 
 the Po. The mouth of the ’Thames is grown very 
 lhallow by the continual fupply of fand brought • 
 down with the ftream. Molt part of the cliffs 
 which wall in this ifland, do yearly founder and 
 tumble into the fea. By thefe means many parts 
 are covered and raifed by mud and fand, that lie 
 almoft level with the water, and others are difco- 
 vered and laid open that for many ages have been 
 hid. 
 
 K 2 Of 
 
 f 
 
 ) 
 
a me- 
 
 132 DISCOURSES 0/z 
 Of this kind the Royal Society received 
 morable account from the learned Dr. Brown, con¬ 
 cerning a petrified bone of a prodigious bignefs, 
 difcovered by the falling of fome clifts; the words 
 of the relation are thefe, “ This bone (which is 
 now in their repofit ory) “ was found laft year 1666, 
 
 “ on the fea (here, not far from Winterton in Nor- 
 “ folk , near the cliff after two great floods, fome 
 “ thoufand loads of earth being torn away by the 
 “ rage of the fea, as it often happens upon this 
 “ coaft, where the cliffs confift not of rock, but 
 “ of earth. That it came not out of the fea may 
 “ be conjeftured, becaufe it was found near the 
 “ cliff-, and by the colour of it, for if out of the 
 r “ fea it would have been whiter. Upon the fame 
 ‘‘ coaft, but, as I take it, nearer Hajhorongh, di- 
 “ vers great bones are faid to have been found, 
 “ and I have feen a lower jaw containing teeth, 
 “ of a prodigious bignefs, and fomething petri- 
 “ fled. All that have been found on this coaft, 
 “ were after the falling of fome cliff: where the 
 “ outward cruft is fallen off it clearly refembles 
 “ the bones of whales, and great cetaceous ani- 
 “ nials, upon comparing it with the fkull and 
 “ bones of a whale, which was caft upon the coaft 
 • “ near Wells , and which I have by me, the weight 
 
 “ whereof is 55 pounds.” To this may be added 
 the Chartham news, or the difeovery of the fea- 
 horfe, or Hippopotamus’s teeth printed in the Phi- 
 lof. Tranf, N p 272, p. 882. 
 
 Nor are thefe changes now only, but they have, 
 in all probability, been of as long ftanding as the 
 world. So ’tis probable there, may have been fe- 
 1 veral 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 133 
 
 veral viciflitudes of changes wrought on the fame 
 part of the earth : it may have been of an exaft 
 fpherical form, with the reft of the earths or pla¬ 
 nets, at the creation of the world, before the eter¬ 
 nal command of the Almighty, that the waters un¬ 
 der the heaven ftiould go to their place, which be¬ 
 fore covered the earth, fo as that it was do^arog 
 Xy ocjctxjaLa'KEVoig'og Xy oxovog iTtoevu tx d( 3 u<r<rx x) 
 “7TVEVfi0i 9sX £7T£(p£|3£TO ETTctVM TX t jSoiT©-> } invifible 
 
 and incompleated, and the darknefs of the deep 
 was over it, (being all covered with a very thick 
 fliell of water which irrvironed it on every fide, it 
 being then, in all probability, created of an exa£t 
 fpherical figure; and fo the waters, being of them- 
 felves lighter than the earth, muft equally fpread 
 themfelves over the whole furface of the earth) and 
 where the breath of the Lord moved above or up¬ 
 on the furface of thofe waters. It may, I fay, in 
 probability, have been then a part of the exaA 
 fpherical furface of the earth, and upon the com¬ 
 mand that the waters under the air or atmofphere 
 (which feems to be denoted by g~B^.Eca l u,cc or firma¬ 
 ment ; for the Hebrew word fignifies an expanfum) 
 lhou 'd be gathered together in one place, and that 
 the dry land fhould appear. It may have been by 
 that extraordinary earthquake (whereby.the hills 
 and land were raifed in one place, and that the 
 pits or deeper places, whither the water was to re¬ 
 cede, and be gathered together, to conftitute the 
 fea were funk in another) raifed perhaps to lie on 
 the top of a hill, or in a plain, or funk into the 
 bottom of the fea, and by the wafhing of waters 
 in motion, either carried to a lower place to cover 
 K 3 fome 
 
lome part of the vale, or elfe be covered with ad¬ 
 ventitious earth, brought down upon it from fome 
 higher place; which kinds of alterations were cer- 
 
 (which opinion Seneca aferibes to Fabianus') cc Ergo 
 (fays he) cum affuerit ilia necejfitas temporis , mult a 
 fimul fata caufas movent nec fine concujftone mundi tan - 
 ta mutatio eft , ut quidam put ant , inter quos Fabianus 
 eft. His defeription of the manner and effefts of 
 a flood, is fine, and very fuiting to my prefent 
 hypothefis. This part being thus covered with o- 
 ther earth, perhaps in the bottom of the fea, may, 
 by fome fubfequent earthquakes, have fince been 
 thrown up to the top of an hill, where thofe parts, 
 with which it was by the former means covered. 
 
EARTH QJJAK E S. i 35 
 
 great falls of rain, or fomething flopping their 
 courfe. Of thefe we have many inftances in voy¬ 
 ages : and we have often here at London felt the ef¬ 
 fects of the wind driving in the tide with fo great 
 force as to have overflowed the banks and filled 
 the ftreets and cellars. “ At Chatmos in Lanca- 
 “ Jhire , fays Childrey h , is a low mofiy ground, 
 “ very large, a great part of which, according to 
 “ Cambden , not long ago, upon the brooks fwell- 
 “ ing high, was carried quite away with them, 
 “ whereby the rivers were corrupted, and a num- 
 “ ber of frefh fifh perilhed. In which place now 
 “ lies a low vale watered with a little brook, 
 “ where trees have been digged up lying along, 
 “ which are fuppofed by fome to have come thus. 
 “ The channel of the brooks being not flowered, 
 “ the brooks have rifen, and made all the land 
 “ moorifh that lay lower than others, whereby the 
 “ roots of trees being loofened, by reafon of the 
 “ bogginefs of the ground, or by the water find- 
 “ ing a paflage under ground, the trees have, ei- 
 “ ther by their own weight, or by fome ftorm, 
 “ been blown down, and fo funk into that foft 
 “ earth and been fwallowed up: for ’tis obfervable 
 “ that trees are no where digged out of the earth 
 “ but where the foil is boggy; and even upon hills 
 “ fuch moorifli and moift grounds are commonly 
 “ found •, the wood of fuch trees burning very 
 “ bright, like touch-wood (which perhaps is by 
 “ reafon of the bituminous earth in which they 
 “ have been fo long) fo as fome take them for fir- 
 “ trees. Such mighty trees are often found in 
 ^ Britann. Baconic. p. 167, 1 63 . 
 
 K4 HoL 
 
i 3 6 DISCOURSES^ 
 
 “ Holland , which are thought to be undermined 
 “ by the waves working into the fhore, or by 
 “ winds driven forwards and brought to thofe 
 “ lower places where they fettled and funk.” 
 
 Again “ The fea has eaten a great part of 
 “ the land away of the eaftern fhires. There are 
 “ on the fhore of this fhire ( Cumberland) trees dif- 
 “ covered by the winds fometimes at low water, 
 “ which are elfe covered over with fand; and it is 
 “ reported by the people dwelling thereabouts, that 
 “ they dig up trees without boughs, out of the 
 “ ground, in ieveral places of the (hire, and many 
 “ trees are found and digged out of the earth of 
 “ the ifle of Man." 
 
 Again k , “ In divers parts of the low grounds 
 “ and champain fields of Hnglefea, the inhabitants 
 “ every day find and dig out of the earth, the bo- 
 “ dies of huge trees with their roots, and fir-trees 
 “ of a wonderful bignefs and length.” 
 
 Again 5 , “ At the fame time that Henry II. made 
 “ his abode in Ireland , were extraordinary violent 
 and lading dorms of wind and weather, fo that 
 “ the fandy fhore on the coafts of Pembrokejhire , 
 “ was laid bare to the very hard ground, which 
 “ had lain hid for many ages, and by further 
 “ fearch the people found great trunks of trees, 
 “ which when they had digged up, they were ap- 
 “ parently lopped, fo that one might fee the ftrokes 
 “ of the ax upon them, as if they had been given 
 “ but the day before: the earth looked very black, 
 “ and the wood of thefe trunks was altogether like 
 ebony. At the firft difcovery made by thefe 
 j Britan. Baconie. p. 171. * lb. p. 150. 1 lb. p. 142.143, 
 
 f ‘ dorms, 
 
EARTH QJJ A fc E S. 137 
 
 14 florms, the trees we fpeak of lay fo thick, that 
 “ the whole fhore feemed nothing but a lopped 
 “ grove •, whence may be gathered, that the Tea 
 “ hath overflowed much land on this coafl, as it 
 “ has indeed many countries bordering upon the 
 “ fea, which is to be imputed to the ignorance of 
 “ the Britons, and other barbarous nations, who 
 “ underflood not thofe ways to reprefs the fury of 
 “ the fca, which we now do.” 
 
 And again m , “ In the low places on the fouth 
 “ fide of Chejhire, by the river Wever, trees are 
 “ often found by digging under ground, which 
 C£ people think have lain buried there ever fince 
 “ Noah's flood. St. Bonnet's in the Holm hath 
 “ fuch fenny and rotten ground (fays Camhden) 
 “ that if a man cut up the roots or firings of trees, 
 “ it flotes on the water. Hereabout alfo are coc- 
 “ kies and periwinkles fometimes digged up out 
 “ of the earth, which makes fome think, that it 
 “ was formerly overflowed by the fea.” 
 
 The lignum foffile which is found in Italy, of which 
 we have a good account given by Francifco StellUti , 
 from many circumflances of the hiftory, feems to 
 me to have been firfl buried by fome earthquakes, 
 and afterwards to be variouily metamorphofed by 
 the fymptoms which ufually follow them, and 
 which this place is much vexed with, as is indeed 
 almofl all the country of Italy , for it emits hot 
 fleams and fmoke proceeding from fubterraneous 
 fires, which do there often fkift their places; burn 
 the parts of fome of thofe trunks into black and 
 brittle coals; melt a kind of ore into the pores of 
 ” lb. p. 129. 
 
 others; 
 
on 
 
 j 3 8 DISCOURSES 
 
 others ; petrify the fubflance of another fort; bake 
 the dirt and clayifh fubftances which have foaked 
 into the pores of a fourth fort into a kind of brick; 
 rot the parts of others, and convert them into a 
 kind of dirt or muddy earth; and fo aft varioufly, 
 and produce differing effects, upon thofe buried 
 fubftances, according to the nature of the earths, 
 minerals, waters, falts, heats, fmoaks, fleams, 
 and other adtive inftruments cafually apply’d to the 
 parts of the buried trunks, by the confufion of the 
 earthquakes, and by immediate application, and 
 long continuance, and digeftion, as I may call it, 
 in this laboratory of nature, transformed into o- 
 ther fubftances, and exhibit all thofe admirable 
 phenomena mentioned by that author, whereby 
 the buried bodies are transformed. Nor is it fo 
 much to be wondered at, that fuch fubftances as 
 vegetables, fhould after many ages remain entire, 
 and rather more fubftantially found than if they 
 were newly cut down; fince if we confider the na^ 
 ture of decay and corruption in all kinds of animal 
 and vegetable fubftances, we fhall find that the 
 chief caufe of them is from the adlion of the fluid 
 parts upon the folid, for the difiblving of them: 
 and wherefoever the internal fluid is either firft 
 changed, or altered by the admixture of fome he¬ 
 terogeneous fubflance, fo as to lofe that diflolving 
 property, as by the addition of fait, fpirit of wine, 
 ?c. or by incorporating with it, and hardening it 
 into a folid fubflance, as in petrifaftions, &c. or 
 fecondly, exhaled by a gradual and gentle heat, 
 and fo the folid parts only left alone, and kept ei¬ 
 ther dry, or filled with a fluid of an heterogeneous 
 
 nature. 
 
EARTH QJJ ARES. 139 
 
 nature, fuch as unftuous and fpicy juices with wa¬ 
 tery fubftances. Or, thirdly, congealed and har¬ 
 dened, either by cold, or the peculiar nature of the 
 juice itfelf; fuch is freezing, and the hardening 
 of the coralline plants, or fubmarine vegetables, 
 horns, gums, bones, hair, feathers, fsfc. Where-, 
 foever, I fay, bodies are by thefe means put into 
 fuch a conftitution, that the parts aft not, and 
 continue in that ftate, by being preferved from ad¬ 
 ventitious moifture, or foftening by homogeneous 
 fluids, they are, as it were, perpetual, unlefs, by 
 extraordinary heat, many of thofe otherwife folid 
 and unaftive fubftances are made fluid by fuch ac¬ 
 tive diflolvents; or unlefs they be immerfed in 
 fuch liquors or menftruums as do of themfelves 
 diflblve and work on them - x we fhall not, I fay, 
 wonder at the laftingnefs of thefe buried fubftances, 
 if we confider alfo the various juices with which fe- 
 veral parts of the earth are furniihed; unftuous, 
 watery, ftyptic, feline, petrifaftive, corrofive, and 
 what not. There are fbme juices of the earth 
 which do, as it were, perpetuate them, by turn¬ 
 ing them into ftone. Others do fo deeply pierce 
 and intimately mix with their parts, that they 
 wholly, as it were, change the nature of their fub¬ 
 ftances, and deftflby that property of congruity 
 which all bodies generated in the air and water 
 feem to have, which are very apt to be diflblved 
 and corrupted by innate aerial and aqueous fub¬ 
 ftances. Such are all kinds almoft of oleaginous 
 and fulphureous bodies, and divers feline and mi¬ 
 neral juices. Others indeed do not preferve the 
 yery fubftance of thofe vegetables, but by infinu- 
 
 ating 
 
 
140 DISCOURSES 
 aring into their pores, and there, as it were, fixing, 
 they retain and perpetuate the fhape and figure, 
 but corrupt and dilTolve the interpofed part ot the 
 vegetable; of all which kinds I have feen fome 
 fpecimens, as I have alfo of divers other fubftances, 
 pickled, dried, candied, conferved, preferved, or 
 mummified by nature. Where therefore the fub- 
 fta-nces have happened to be buried with preierva- 
 tive juices, they have withftood the injury of time; 
 but where thofe juices have been wanting, there we 
 find no footfteps of thefe monuments of antiquity. 
 
 But to return to what I was profecuting •, ano¬ 
 ther caufe which may make alterations on the fur- 
 face of the earth, is any violent motions of the air, 
 whereby the parts of the earth, in dry weather, 
 are tranfported from place to place, in the form of 
 dull. Of this kind travellers tell us very ftrange 
 ftories as to the removal of the fands in the deferts 
 of Arabia , and other deferts of Africa •, and we 
 have fome inftances of it here in England , to wit 
 in Norfolk and Devonfhire , in the former of which 
 there are often found natural mummies which have 
 been buried alive by thofe removing fands, and 
 by their drynefs preferved. But thefe greater and 
 more hidden removals of fand and duft are not fo 
 univerfal, and therefore not fo mtrch to my prefent 
 purpofe; though pofilbly they may have been 
 more frequent heretofore, which the layers of fands 
 to be found in digging pits and wells feem to hint: 
 but that which is moft univerfal, is very flow, 
 and almoft imperceptible, namely the removing of 
 the duft from the higher parts, and fettling thereof 
 in the lower, by the. wind or motion of the air. 
 
 I 
 
EARTH QJJ a K E S. 141 
 
 I might mention alfo another caufe of the tranf- 
 pofition of the fuperficial parts of the earth, and that 
 is from the gradual fubliding or finking into the 
 earth of the more heavy, and the ebullition, or re- 
 fpeftive rifing of the more light parts upwards. 
 Hence we may obferve, that many old and vaft 
 buildings and towers have funk into the earth : 
 and th°like we may judge of thofe vaft ftones on 
 Salijbury plain, as we find conftantly in almoft all 
 ftone monuments placed in church-yards, and in 
 all old churches, unlefs placed on a very high 
 place, and founded on fome rock. This caufe may 
 pofiibly have great influence where the earth is very 
 foft, fpungy, or boggy; and perhaps many of 
 thofe trees which are found in boggy grounds, may 
 have been buried, by having been either felled, or 
 blown down with wind, or wafhed down by fome 
 inundation, well impregnated with mineral juices, 
 and fo made heavier than the fubjacent earth, and 
 fwal lowed into it. Several of the former relations 
 do indeed pretty well agree with this hypothefis; 
 and I am very apt to think that where' the furface 
 of the earth has not been much altered fince the 
 creation, if any fuch there be; if it were fearched 
 into, it would be found that the lighted parts lie 
 next the furface, and the heavier in the lower parts; 
 which makes me imagine that the natural place of 
 minerals is very deep under the furface of the earth, 
 and pofiibly to be found under every ftep of 
 ground, were fearch made to a fufficient depth; 
 and that the reafon why we find them fometimes 
 near the furface, as in mountains, is not becaufe 
 they were there generated, but becaule they have 
 
 been 
 
142 discourses*# 
 
 been by fome former fubterraneous eruption, by 
 which thofe hills and mountains were made, thrown 
 up towards the furface of the earth. And as gold 
 is the heavieft, fo is it the fcarceft of all metals : 
 Nor do I at all queilion but that there may be 
 other bodies or metals as much heavier than gold, 
 as gold is heavier than common earth. To make 
 thefe conjectures the more probable, fee what Sir 
 Philiberto Vernatii writes from Batavia in the Eaft 
 Indies , in anfwer to fome queries fent him by the 
 Royal Society. “ I have often felt earthquakes 
 “ here, but they do not continue long. In the year 
 <c 1656, or 57, (I do not remember well the time) 
 “ Batavia was covered in one afternoon about two 
 “ of the clock, with a black duft, which being 
 “ gathered together, was fo ponderous that it ex- 
 “ ceeded the weigly of gold. It is here thought 
 “ that it came out of a hill that burneth in Suma- 
 “ tra, near Endrapeor .” 
 
 Thefe fiery eruptions in all probability come 
 from a very great depth, and with a great vio¬ 
 lence ; and poffibly even that golden powder that 
 is fometimes thrown up, may have fomewhat con¬ 
 duced to the caufe of the violence of it. We know 
 not what method nature may have to prepare an^a- 
 rum fulminant of her own, great quantities of which, 
 being any ways heated, and fo fired, may have pro¬ 
 duced the powder. However, whether fo or not, 
 it is very well worth trial to examine, whether the 
 flower which may be catch’d in a glafs body, upon 
 fulminating a quantity of fuch powder gradually, 
 by imall parcels, would, by being ordered as com- 
 mon gold, make again an aurum fulminant: or 
 
 W'he- 
 
E A R T H QJJ A K E S. 143 
 
 whether this fulmination, which is a kind of inflam¬ 
 ing of the body of gold, does not make fome very 
 confiderable alteration in the nature and texture of 
 
 it. 
 
 But to proceed to the lad argument to confirm 
 the fixth propofition I at firft undertook to prove; 
 namely, that very many parts of the furface of the 
 earth have been transformed, tranfpofed, and 
 many ways alter’d fince the firft creation of it. 
 And that which to me feems the ftrongeft and 
 moll cogent argument of all, is this •, that at the 
 tops of fome of the higheft hills, and in the bot¬ 
 tom of fome of the deepeft mines, in the midft of 
 mountains and quarries of ftone, divers bodies 
 have been, and daily are found, which if we tho¬ 
 roughly examine, we lhall find to be the real fhells 
 of fifties, which, for thefe following reafons, we 
 conclude to have been at firft generated by the 
 plaftic faculty of the foul or life-principle of fome 
 animal, and not from the imaginary influence of 
 the ftars, or from any plaftic faculty inherent in 
 the earth itfelf fo formed; the ftrefs of which ar¬ 
 gument lies in thefe particulars. 
 
 I. That the bodies there found have exactly the 
 form and matter, that is, are of the fame kind ot 
 fubftance, for all its fenfible properties, and have 
 the fame external and internal figure or Ihape with 
 the fhells of animals. 
 
 II. That it is contrary to all other adts of na¬ 
 ture, that does nothing in vain, but always aims 
 at an end, to make two bodies exaftly of the fame 
 fubftance and figure, and one of them to be wholly 
 
 ufelefs 
 
144- D I S C O U R S E S on 
 
 ufelefs, or at leaft, without any defign that we can 
 with any plaufibility imagine. 
 
 III. Therefore, wherever nature works by pe¬ 
 culiar forms and fubftances, we find that Ihe al¬ 
 ways joins the body fo framed with fome other 
 peculiar fubftance. Thus the fhells of animals, 
 whilft they are forming are joined with the flefii of 
 the animal to which they belong. Peculiar flowers, 
 leaves and fruit are appropriated to peculiar roots, 
 whereas thefe on the contrary are found mixed with 
 all kind of fubftances, in ftones of all kinds, in all 
 kinds of earth, fometimes expofed in the open air, 
 without any coherence to any thing. This is, at 
 leaft, an argument, that they were not generated 
 in that pofture they are found ; that very probably 
 they have been heretofore diftind and difunited 
 from the bodies with which they are now mixt, 
 and that they were not formed out of thefe very 
 ftones or earth, as fome imagine, but derived their 
 beings from fome preceding principle. 
 
 IV. Wherever elfe nature works by peculiar 
 forms, we find her always to compleat that form, 
 and not break off abruptly. But thefe fhells that 
 are found in the middle of ftones, are moft of them 
 broken, very few compleat, nay, I have feen many 
 bruifed and flawed, and the parts at a pretty dis¬ 
 tance one from another, which is an argument that 
 they were not generated in the place where they 
 were found, and in that pofture, but that they 
 have been fometimes diftind and diftant from thofe 
 fubftances, and then only placed, broken and dif- 
 figured by chance, but had a preceding and more 
 noble principle to which they owed their form, 
 
 and 
 
o 
 
 EARTH Q_U A K E S. 145 
 
 and by fome hand of providence were call into fuch 
 places where they were filled with fuch fubftances, 
 as in tradl of time have condenfed and hardened 
 into ftone. This, I think, any impartial examiner 
 of thefe bodies will eafily grant to be very probable, 
 efpecially if he takes notice of the circumftances 
 I have already mentioned. Now, if it be granted, 
 that there have been preceding moulds, and that 
 curioufly figured ftones do not owe their form to a 
 plaftic or forming principle inherent in their fub¬ 
 ftances i why might not thefe be fuppofed Ihells, 
 as well as other bodies of the fame fliape and fub- 
 ftance, generated, none knows how, nor can ima¬ 
 gine for what ? 
 
 V. Further, if thefe be the apifii tricks of na¬ 
 ture, why does fhe not imitate feveral other of her 
 own works? Why do we not dig out of mines e- 
 verlafting vegetables, as grafs, for inftance, or 
 rofes, of the fame fubftance, colour, fmell 
 were it not that the Ihells of fifties are made of a 
 kind of ftony fubftance, which is not apt to cor¬ 
 rupt and decay ? Whereas plants and other animal 
 fubftances, even bones, horns, teeth and claws, 
 are more liable to the univerfal menftruum of time. 
 ’Tis probable therefore, that the fixedncfs of their 
 fubftance has preferved them in their priftine form; 
 and not that a new plaftic principle has newly ge¬ 
 nerated them. Befides, why fhould we not then 
 doubt of all the fhells taken up by the fea lhore, or 
 out of the fea, (if they had none when we found 
 them) whether they ever had any filh in them or 
 not? Why fhould we not alfo here conceit a plaf¬ 
 tic faculty, diftinct from that of the life principle 
 
 L of 
 
 
14 6 DISCOURSES 
 
 of fome animal ? Is it becaufe this is more like a 
 
 Ihe'll than the other? That, I am fure cannot be. 
 
 Is it becaufe it is more obvious how a fhell ftiould 
 be placed there than the other? If fo, ’twould be 
 as good reafon^to doubt, if an anchor fhould be 
 found at the top of a hill, as the poet affirms, or 
 an urn or coins buried under ground, or in the 
 bottom of a mine, whether it were ever an anchor 
 or an urn, or a coined face, or made by the plaftic 
 faculty of the earth; than which, what could be 
 more abfurd ? And thofe perfons that will needs 
 be fo over confident of their omnifcience of all that 
 has been done in the world, or that could be, may, 
 if they will vouchfafe, fuffer themfelves to be alked 
 a queftion, who informed them? Who told them 
 where England was before the flood; nay even 
 where it was before the Roman conqueft, for about 
 4 or 5000 years, and perhaps much longer; much 
 more where did they ever read or hear of what 
 changes and tranfpofitions there have been of the 
 parts of it before that ? What hiftory informs us 
 of the burying of thofe trees in Chejhire and Angle- 
 Who can tell when Te tier iffe was made? 
 AncTyet we find that molt judicious ’men that have 
 been thety and well confidered the form and pof- 
 ture of it, conclude it to have been at firft that way 
 produced. But I fuppofe the moft confident will 
 quickly, upon examination, find that there is a de¬ 
 fect of natural hiftory. If therefore we are left to 
 conjecture, then that mull certainly be the belt 
 thaf is backed with moft reafon; that clay, and 
 fand and common Ihells, can be changed and in¬ 
 corporated together into ftones very hard. I have 
 1 already 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 147 
 
 already given many inftances, and can produce 
 hundreds of others, but that I think it needlefs, 
 that feveral parts of the bottom of the fea have 
 been thrown up into iflands and mountains. I have 
 alfo given divers inftances, and thofe, fome of 
 them, within the memory of man, where ’tis not 
 in the leaft to be doubted but that there may be 
 found fome ages hence feveral ftiells at the tops of 
 thofe hills there generated; and as little, that if 
 quarries of ftone fhould be hereafter digged in 
 thofe places, there would be found fhells incorpo¬ 
 rated with them; and were they not beholding to 
 this inquifitive and learned age for the hiftory of 
 that eruption, they might as much wonder ho./ 
 thofe fhells fhould come there, and afcribe them to 
 a plaftic faculty, or fome imaginary influence, as ^ 
 plaufibly as fome now do. 
 
 Now if all thefe bodies have been really fuch 
 fhells of fifties as they moft refemble, and that they 
 are found at the tops of the moft confiderable 
 mountains in the world, as Caucafus , the Aipes, 
 the Andes , the Apennine and Pyrenean mountains, 
 and that ’tis not very probable they were carried 
 thither by mens hands, or by the deluge of Noah , 
 or by any other more likely way than that of 
 earthquakes ’tis a very cogent argument that the 
 fuperficial parts of the earth have been very much 
 changed fince the beginning, that the tops of the 
 mountains have been under water, and confequent- 
 ly alfo that divers parts of the fea’s bottom have 
 been heretofore mountains. 
 
 The feventh propofition was, that ’tis very pro¬ 
 bable divers of thefe tranfpofitions and metamor- 
 L 2 phofes 
 
r 
 
 148 DISCOURSES on 
 phofes have been wrought here in England . Many 
 of its hills have probably been heretofore under fea. 
 Of the latter of thefe I have given many inftances 
 already, and the firft is probable from the great 
 quantity of fhells found in the mod inland parts 
 of the ifland •, in hills, plains, bottoms of mines 
 and middle of mountains and quarries. Of this 
 kind are the infinite numbers in the Portland , Pur- 
 beck, Burford and Northamptonjhire ftones: out of 
 which I have often pickt mufcles, cockles, peri¬ 
 
 winkles, oifters, fcallops, &c. 
 
 ’Tis improbable that either mens hands, or the 
 general deluge, which lafted but a little while, 
 fhould bring them there: nothing more likely and 
 fufficient than an earthquake, which might here¬ 
 tofore raile thefe iflands of Great Britain and Ireland 
 out of the fea, as it lately did thofe in the Canaries 
 and Azores , in the fight of divers who are yet alive. 
 Poffibly England and Ireland might be raifed by the 
 fame earthquake by which the Atlantis , if we will 
 
 believe Plato , was funk. 
 
 Eighthly, that mod of thefe mountains and in¬ 
 land places where thefe kind of petrified bodies and 
 fhells are found at prefent, or have been hereto¬ 
 fore, were formerly under water •, and that from 
 the defending of the waters to fome other place, 
 by the tranflation of the centre of gravity of the 
 whole mafs, or rather by the eruption of fome fub- 
 terraneous fires, or earthquakes, great quantities 
 of earth'have been deferted by the water, and laid 
 bare and dry. That divers places have been io 
 raifed, has been already proved from many hifto- 
 riesj why then may not all of them have the fame 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 149 
 
 original ? There is no coin can fo well inform an 
 antiquary that fuch and fuch a place was once fub- 
 je< 5 t to fuch a prince, as foflil fhells will certify a 
 natural antiquary, that fuch and fuch places have 
 been under water: and methinks providence feems 
 to have defigned thefe permanent lhapes, as mo¬ 
 numents and records to inftruft fucceeding ages 
 of what pafs’d in preceding ones. 
 
 Ninthly, it feems probable, that the tops of the 
 moll confiderable mountains in the world have 
 been under water, and were raifed to that height 
 by fome eruption-, fo that thofe prodigious piles 
 are nothing but the effefts of fome great earth¬ 
 quakes. This truth, ’tis likely, the poets have 
 veiled under the feign’d ftory of the giants, thofe 
 earth-born brothers, waging war with the gods, 
 and heaping up mountains upon mountains -, OJfa 
 and Olympus upon Peleon , and to hurl up great 
 ftones and fire againft heaven, but that at lalt o- 
 vercome by Jupiter's thunder, they were buried 
 under mountains, and the chiefeft of them, 7 j“ 
 phaus and Enceladus under Sicily, according to O- 
 vid n and Virgil °. 
 
 And as the poets had particular dories and gi¬ 
 ants for Sicily and Mtna , fo had they alfo for other 
 vulcano’s and from the frequency of them in for¬ 
 mer ages about Greece and other parts of the Me¬ 
 diterranean: Sophocles calls them 0 yriyevrjg crTpxrog 
 ytyuvruv, the earth-born army of the giants. And 
 that nothing but earthquakes were meant by thefe 
 giants, may be further collected from the place 
 where they were faid to be bred, the Phlegrean 
 “ Metamorph. lib. v. 0 JEneid, lib. iii. 
 
 fields 
 
150 DISCOURSES^ 
 
 fields in Campania , part of which, now called Vul- 
 catfs court, is the vent of many fubterraneous fires. 
 Befides, how well do their actions agree with the 
 effefts of earthquakes ? For they are faid to throw 
 up burning trees againft heaven, and huge rocks, 
 and vaft hills, which, falling into the fea, became 
 iflands, an'd mountains, lighting on the land. In 
 a word, he that will read the defcription of the 
 moft notable of them, Typhieus, and compare it 
 with a natural defcription of an earthquake, will 
 eafily explicate the ieveral parts of the poets myfti- 
 cal defcriptions. 
 
 Though it be hard to prove this theory pofitivcly, 
 thro’ deficiency of natural hiftory, yet if we con- 
 fider that the Alps, Apennine and Pyrenean hills, 
 much the higheft in Europe , have been infefted 
 with earthquakes* both formerly and lately, as we 
 have feveral hiftories that teftify •, and if other e- 
 ruptions and earthquakes have raifed mountains 
 even out of the bottom of the fea, and that the 
 power of included fire is fufficient to move and raife 
 even a whole country all at once, for fome hun¬ 
 dreds of miles, as hiftorians allure us •, if we con- 
 fider all this I fay, we may have real'on to find it 
 more than probable. And if to this we add the 
 univerfal filence in hiftory, of any part of Europe , 
 nay of the whole world for almoft 200 years after 
 the flood, I think there will be much lefs fcruple 
 to grant that the many high mountains on whofe 
 tops are found fuch numbers and varieties of true 
 fea Ihells, may have been heretofore raifed up from 
 under the fea, and now are fuftained by the finking of 
 
 other 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 151 
 
 other parts into the places from whence they were 
 railed. 
 
 The tenth and laft propofition is, that it feems 
 not improbable but that the greateft part of the 
 inequality of the earth’s lurface may have proceed¬ 
 ed from the fubverfions and overturnings of fome 
 preceding earthquakes. 
 
 To prove this probability, I might repeat the 
 argument, already urged •, I could alfo inftance in 
 a multitude of other fmaller effeCls of earthquakes, 
 making the furface of the earth irregular, but they 
 are fo numerous and well known that 1 fhall not 
 infill on them. I might add ailfo the univerfality 
 of earthquakes, there being no part of the known 
 world but we find to have been fhaken by them. 
 Thus much only I fhall offer at prefent, that from 
 what I have inftanced about petrifactions, and 
 hardening of feveral fubftances, it feems very like¬ 
 ly that the earth in the beginning confilled for the 
 moll part of fluid fubftances, which by degrees have 
 fettled, congealed, and been converted into Hones, 
 minerals, metals, clays, earth, &V. and fo in pro- 
 cefs of time loft their fluidity, ,and that the earth 
 itfelf waxes old almoft in the fame manner as ani-- 
 mais and vegetables do ; its moifture gradually de¬ 
 caying or wafting, either into air, and from thence 
 into aether; or elfe by degrees the parts commu¬ 
 nicating their motion to the fluid aether, grow im¬ 
 moveable and hard. Therefore if it be probable 
 that the parts of the earth have been formerly fof- 
 ter and more yielding, how much more powerful 
 might earthquakes then be in breaking, railing, 
 overturning, and otherwife changing the fuperfi- 
 L 4 cial 
 
152 DISCOURSES 00 
 
 cial parts of the earth: befides they might be more 
 frequent before the fuels of the fubterraneous fires 
 were much fpent; for that thofe do alfo wafte and 
 decay, is evident from the extinftion and ceafing 
 of feveral vulcano’s that have heretofore raged ; 
 which eonfiderations may afford us fufficient argu¬ 
 ments to believe that earthquakes have heretofore, 
 not only been much more frequent and univerfal, 
 but likewife much more powerful. 
 
 Corollaries deduced from the preceding 
 Proportions . 
 
 1 /'HAT there may have been in paft ages, 
 j[ whole countries, either fwallowed up into 
 the earth, or funk fo low as to be drowned by the 
 coming in of the fea, or divers other ways quite 
 deftroyed; as Plato ’s Atlantis , &c. 
 
 II. That there may have been as many countries 
 new made and produced, by being raifed from un¬ 
 der the water, or from the hidden parts of the bo¬ 
 dy of the earth, as England, 
 
 III. That there may have been divers fpecies of 
 things wholly deftroyed and annihilated, and di¬ 
 vers others changed and varied: for fince we find 
 that there are fome kinds of animals and vegeta¬ 
 bles peculiar to certain places, and not to be found 
 elfewhere; if fuch places have been fwallowed up, 
 *tis not improbable but that thofe animal beings 
 may have been deftroyed with them; and this may 
 be true both of aerial and aquatic animals : for 
 thofe animated bodies, whether vegetables or ani¬ 
 mals, 
 
u 
 
 EARTH Q_U A K E S. 153 
 
 mals, which were naturally nouriflied or refreftied 
 by the air, would be deftroyed by the water. And 
 this I imagine to be the reafon why we oft find 
 the fhells of divers fifhes petrified in {tone, of 
 which we have now none of the fame kind > as 
 divers of thofe fnake or fnail {tones whereof great 
 varieties are found about England , and dug out of 
 the midft of the very quarry, fometimes, in Port¬ 
 land, of a prodigious bignefs. 
 
 IV. That there may have been divers new va¬ 
 rieties generated of the fame fpecies, and that by 
 the change of the foil by which it was produced: 
 for fince we find that the alteration of the clime, 
 foil and nourifhment often produces a very great 
 alteration in vegetables •, ’tis not to be doubted 
 but that alterations alfo of this nature may caufe a 
 very great change in the fhape, and other accidents 
 of an animated body. And this I imagine to be the 
 reafon we find divers kinds of petrified {hells, of 
 which kind we have none now naturally produced. 
 
 V. ’Tis not impoffible but that there may have 
 been a preceding learned age, wherein pofiibly as 
 many things may have been known as are now, 
 and perhaps many more, all cultivated and reduc¬ 
 ed to their higheft pitch-, and all thefe annihilated, 
 deftroyed, and loft by fucceeding devaftations. 
 
 VI. ’Tis not impoffible but that this may have 
 been the caufe of a total deluge, which may have 
 brought on a deftru&ion of all things then living 
 in the air: for if earthquakes can raife the furface 
 of the earth in one place, and fink it in another, fo 
 as to make it uneven and rugged with hills and 
 pits, it may, on the contrary, level thofe moun¬ 
 tains 
 
i 5 4 DISCOURSES 
 
 tains again, and fill thofe pits and reduce the body 
 of the earth to its primitive roundnefs, and then the 
 waters muft neceflarily cover all the face of the 
 earth again, as it did at the beginning of the 
 world, and by this means nOt only a learned age 
 may be wholly annihilated, and no relicks of it 
 left, but alfo a great number of the fpecies of ani¬ 
 mals and plants. 
 
 VII. ’Tis not impoflible but that fome of thefe 
 great alterations may have altered alfo the polar 
 directions of the earth; fo that what is now under 
 the pole, or aequator, or any other degree of lati¬ 
 tude, may have formerly been under another: for 
 •fince ’tis probable that divers of thefe parts that 
 have fuch a quality, may have been tranlpofed, 
 ’tis not unlikely but that the asquatoreal axis of the 
 whole may be alter’d by it, after the fame manner, 
 as we may find by experiments on a loadftone, that 
 the breaking off and tranfpofing the parts of it, 
 do caufe a variation of the magnetic axis. 
 
 Of Earthquakes in the Leeward Iflands. 
 
 HE greatcll objection againll my theory of 
 the varieties obfervable in the prefent fu- 
 perficies of the earth, as caufed by the power of 
 earthquakes, or eruptions of fiery conflagrations 
 inkindled in the fubterraneous regions, is, I find, 
 the want of hiftory to confirm it. For that all 
 places, countries, fea~, rivers, iflands, &c. have 
 all continued the fame for fo long a time as we can 
 reach backwards with any hiftory. All Greece , 
 
 and 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 155 
 
 and the Grecian IJlands , Italy , AEgypt, &c. are all 
 the fame as they were 2000 years fince, and there¬ 
 fore they were fo from the creation, and will be 
 fo to the general conflagration ; and as to the ef¬ 
 fects of earthquakes, firft, they have happened but 
 feldom; and, fecondly, they have not produced 
 any notable change, fuch as I have fuppofed them 
 to be the authors and efficients of. So that it feems 
 but a bare conjecture, and without ground and 
 foundation fufficient to found and raife fuch a fu- 
 perftruCture of conclufions, as I have thereupon 
 raifed. 
 
 In anfwer to which, I fhall not repeat here what 
 I have formerly produced; but (ball take notice 
 of fome particular inftances which have happened 
 within our own memory, and more particularly of 
 the late inftance which hath happened in the An¬ 
 tilles, of which we have an account in the Gazette, 
 namely in that of June 30th and another in that of 
 June 16th preceding, both which relations, tho’ 
 they are but fhort and imperfeCt, as to what I 
 could havewifhed for and fhall endeavour to obtain; 
 yet, as they are, they will be found to contain 
 many particulars which very much illuftrate and 
 confirm my conjectures. And tho’ the particular 
 effeCts were not To great as to equalize thofe which 
 I have fuppofed to have been the productions of for¬ 
 mer eruptions; fuch as the raffing of the Alpes , Py¬ 
 reneans, Apennine , Andes , and the like mountains; 
 or the making of new lands, iflands, &c. or the 
 finking of countries and drowning of iflands, as 
 the Platonic Atlantis and contiguous iflands, yet 
 if they be confidered, they will be found to be of 
 
 the 
 
156 DISCOURSES c« 
 
 the fame nature, and to differ only in magnitude, 
 but not in efience. 
 
 The fiift account is dated from Nevis , April the 
 30th, (1690) in thefe words. “ On Sunday the 
 “ 6th inftant, about five o’clock in the evening, 
 “ was, for fome minutes, heard a ftrange hollow 
 “ noife, which was thought to proceed from the 
 “ great mountain in the middle of the ifland, to 
 “ the admiration of all people; but immediately 
 “ after, to their great amazement, began a mighty 
 “ earthquake-, with that violence, that almoft all 
 “ the houfes in Charles Town, that were built of 
 “ brick or ftone, were, in an inftant, levelled with 
 “ the ground, and thofe built with timber (hook, 
 “ that every body made what hafte they could to 
 “ get out of them. In the ftreets the ground in 
 “ feveral places clove about tw r o foot afunder, and 
 “ hot ftinking w'ater fpouted out of the earth a 
 “ great height. The fea left its ufual bounds 
 “ more than a third of a mile, fo that very large 
 “ fifh lay bare upon the fhore, but the water pre- 
 “ lently returned again: and afterwards the fame 
 “ ftrange motion happened feveral times, but the 
 “ water retired not fo far as at firft. The earth 
 “ in many places was thrown up in great quanti- 
 “ ties, and thoufands of large tAes went with it, 
 “ which were buried and no more feen. ’Tis 
 “ ufual at almoft every houfe to have a large cif- 
 “ tern, to contain the rain water, of about nine 
 “ or ten foot deep, and fifteen or twenty foot di«- 
 “ ameter; feveral of which, with the violence of 
 “ the earthquake, threw' out the water eight or 
 “ ten foot high; and the motion of the earth all 
 
 “ over 
 
u 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 157 
 
 “ over the ifland was fuch, that nothing could be 
 «< more terrible. In the ifland of St. Chriftopher 
 “ (as fome French gentlemen who are come hither 
 “ to treat about the exchange of prifoners do re- 
 “ port) there has likewife been an earthquake, 
 
 “ the earth opening in many places nine foot, and 
 “ burying folid timber, fugar mills, &c. and 
 “ throwing down the Jefuits college, and all other 
 “ ftone buildings. It was alfo in a manner as 
 “ violent at Ant ego and Montserrat ; and they had 
 “ fome feeling of it at Barbadoes. Several fmall 
 “ earthquakes have happened fince, three or four 
 “ in 24 hours; fome of which made the biggeft 
 “ rocks have a great motion, but we are now in 
 “ great hopes there will be no more.” 
 
 This is the whole of the relation from Nevis: 
 but the other account from Barbadoes , of the 23d 
 of April, takes notice of other particulars than what 
 are mentioned in this letter: the printed account 
 is as follows. “ About three weeks fince there 
 “ were felt mod violent earthquakes in the Leeward 
 “ Iflands of Montserrat , Nevis and Ant ego ; in the 
 “ two firft no confiderable mifchief was done, 
 “ mod of their buildings being of timber; but 
 “ where there were ftone buildings, they were ge- 
 “ nerally thrown down, which fell very hard in 
 “ Antego , moft of their houfes, fugar mills, and 
 “ wind mills being of ftone. This earthquake 
 “ was felt in fome places of this ifland, but did 
 “ no manner of hurt to men or cattle; nor was a- 
 “ ny loft in the Leeward Iflands , it happening in the 
 « day-time. It is reported to have been yet more 
 “ violent in Martinico, and other French iflands, 
 
 “ and 
 
 1 
 
i 5 8 DISCOURSES c;z 
 
 “ and feveral (loops which came from Nevis and 
 “ Ant ego, paffing between St. Lucia and Martinico , 
 “ felt it at fea; the agitation of the water being 
 “ fo violent, that they thought themfelves on rocks 
 “ and (helves, the vefiels (haking as if they would 
 “ break in pieces. And others paffing by a rock 
 “ and uninhabited ifland, called Rodunda , found 
 “ the earthquake fo violent there, that a great 
 “ part of that rocky ifland fplit and tumbled into 
 “ the fea, and was there funk, making a noife as 
 “ of many cannon, and a very great cloud of daft 
 “ afcending into the air at the fall. Two very 
 “ great comets have lately appeared in thefe parts 
 “ of the world, and in an hour and a quarter’s 
 “ time the fea ebbed and flowed to an unufual de- 
 “ gree, three times.” 
 
 In thefe relations are many confiderable effedts 
 produced which will much confirm my former 
 dodtrine about earthquakes. And firft, it is very 
 remarkable, that this earthquake was not confined 
 to a fmall fpot or place of the earth, fuch as the 
 eruption of /Etna or Vefuvius out of one mouth, 
 but it extended above five degrees, or 350 miles 
 in length, from Barbadoes to St. Chrjfiopher'%, and 
 poffibly much farther: and tho’ there might not 
 be opportunities of noticing the effedts in all places 
 of the fea where it might have been felt ■, yet by 
 the few inftances related, we may guefs that its ef- 
 fedts might be very confiderable, and fenfible a 
 great way in breadth under the fea; for we find 
 that the fuccuffions were felt by vefiels failing over 
 feme parts of the fea fo affedted, and thofe fo vio¬ 
 lent, as if the veflels had ft ruck upon rocks; which 
 
 could 
 
EARTH QJJ AK E S. 159 
 
 could be from nothing elfe but the fudden riling 
 of the bottom of the fea, which raifed the fea alfo 
 with it, like water in a tub or dilh: and that this 
 was of that nature, does further appear by the un- 
 ufual tides at Barbadoes mentioned in the laft re¬ 
 lation, which in all probability was nothing elfe 
 but waves propagated from the places where the 
 ground underneath, and the fea above, had been, 
 by the concuffions of the earthquake, raifed up¬ 
 wards. This appears alfo farther by the recefs of 
 the fea at Nevis •, for the whole ifland being raifed 
 by the fwelling or eruption of the vapour or fire 
 underneath, made the fea run oft from the fliores, 
 ’till it fettled down again, after the vapour had 
 broken its way out thro’ the clefts that were made 
 by thofe fwellings. From all which particulars, 
 and feveral others, ’tis manifeft, that the fpace of 
 earth raifed or ftruck upwards by the impetuofity 
 of the fubterraneous powers, was of great extent, 
 and might far exceed the length of the Alpes or 
 the Pyreneans , &c. 
 
 Another notable particular is the recefs of the 
 fea from the fhore, and the leaving the filh upon 
 the fo raifed bottom : and tho’ this part foon after 
 funk again, fo that the fea returned to its former 
 bounds; yet if fome other parts of the fubterrane¬ 
 ous ground had filled up the new made cavity, or 
 had fo tumbled as to fupport the fo raifed parts, 
 then it would have left fome fuch kind of tradl as is 
 now in Virginia , where, for many miles in length, 
 the lowland is nothing but fea fand and fhells, 
 which have been, in all probability, fo raifed into 
 the air, and there fupported and kept from finking 
 
 down 
 

 n 
 
 I.... 
 
 I lit 
 
 | K 
 
 Ji 
 
 [' t 
 
 i 
 
 mg 
 
 160 DISCOURSES 
 
 down again into the fea. There can be no doubt 
 that the fhells taken up from this trad did belong 
 to fifli of their kind, they remaining perfe< 5 t fcallop 
 fhells to this day. 
 
 A third remarkable particular, is the burying 
 and covering of thoufands of trees by the earth 
 ■which was thrown up by the eruption. This is a 
 plain inftance how trees found buried in many parts 
 of England may have come to be fo depofited, pro¬ 
 bably at a time before any writings or records were 
 kept here; or, if fince the Roman conqueft, the 
 neighbouring inhabitants might have perifhed in 
 the cataftrcphe, whilft thole at a diftance might 
 not think themfelves fufficiently interefted in tranf- 
 mitting the account to pofterity. Arijlotle fpeak- 
 of the like events q , fays, “ Now, becaufe 
 many of thefe changes happen but flowly, in 
 ‘ ‘ comparifon to the quicknefs and Ihortnefs of the 
 “ life of man, therefore they are hardly taken notice 
 “ of, a whole generation having palfed away be- 
 “ fore fuch changes have come to perfection. O- 
 “ ther cataftrophies that have been more quick, 
 “ have been forgotten, by reafon that fuch as ef- 
 “ caped them were removed to fome other parts, 
 “ and there the memory of them was foon loft; at 
 “ leaft a longer tradt of time did quite obliterate 
 “ the rememlarance of them, and the tranfplanting 
 “ and tranfmigration of people from place to place 
 “ much contributed thereto.” This is made plain 
 by the little remembrance there was found in Ame¬ 
 rica of their preceding eftate, when they were firft 
 vifited by the Spaniards and other Europeans. 
 
 , Meteor, lib. i. cap. 14. 
 
 A 
 
> 
 
 EARTH Q JJ A K E S. 161 
 
 nn . A fourth particular remarkable in thefe rela¬ 
 
 tions, is the chopping and cleaving of the earth 
 and rocks, and the fpouting offtinking water out 
 • of them to a great height, as alfo of fmoke or 
 
 ;in i dull-, which ferves to explain the reafon and caufes 
 
 of the flaws and veins in marbles and other ftones: 
 
 S 1$ j 
 
 for by the power and violence of the fubterraneous 
 heavings or fuccufiions, the ftony quarries become 
 broken, flawed and cleft, and fubterraneous mi- 
 ■ . • neral waters impregnated with faline, metalline, 
 
 fulphureous, or other fubftances are driven into 
 them and fill them up, which having petrifying 
 qualities, do, in procefs of time, petrify in thofe 
 clefts, and thereby form a fort of ftony veins, of 
 different colour, hardnefs, and other qualifications, 
 than what the parts of the broken quarry had be- 
 fore, and oft-times inclofe divers other fubftances, 
 by their petrifying quality, which have happened 
 to fall into thofe clefts; and thence fometimes 
 there are found ftiells petrified in the middle of a 
 vein, and other fubftances. Thefe clefts or chaps 
 happen not only upon the land, but even under 
 the fea; fo that not only the fea water may defcend 
 and fill them up, but may carry with it fand, ftiells, 
 
 > a! mud, and divers other matters from the bottom 
 
 :rate of the fea, that then lay above it; there to be in 
 
 ltin S procefs of time changed into ftone, fomewhat of 
 
 the nature of that which has been fo cleft. 
 
 F Fifthly, ’tis worth noting, that this earthquake 
 
 happened at fo great a diftance from the main land 
 and great continent, and that the noife of the fame 
 was firft obferved to begin at the great mountain 
 in the middle of the ifland of Nevis, not but that 
 
 M 
 
 A 
 
 in 
 
162 DISCOURSES^ 
 
 in other parts it might have begun fooner or at o- 
 ther times-, from which I infer: firft, that it feems 
 probable that this great mountain may have been 
 firft produced by fome fuch power, and fo have 
 great cavities within its bowels formed by fuch a 
 preceding eruption, the dillocated parts not return¬ 
 ing each to his own place. And next, that it may 
 hence feem probable, that fome fuch preceding 
 earthquake, perhaps more violent for the firft 
 time, might not only be the caufe of raifing this 
 mountain, but of lifting up from the bottom the 
 whole ifle, nay pofiibly of all the iflands of the 
 Antilles, fince one feems as pofiible as the other, 
 and the northermoft of them all feems to hint as 
 much, if confidered in the map: befides, there 
 feems to be many inftances of a like nature, as in 
 the Canaries , Tenerife is a remarkable chara&er of 
 fuch a fuppofition; to which may be added Del 
 Fuego and Madeira-, Sicily , Strombulo and Lipary in 
 the Mediterranean-, Iceland in the North Sea-, Maf- 
 carenos near Madagafcar with the many iflands of 
 the Archipelago , which though they have now no 
 great fign of burning mountains, yet to this day 
 earthquakes are very frequent there, and ancient 
 ' traditions do preferve fomewhat of the memory of 
 very great alterations that have happened from 
 fuch caufes. And I do not queftion but that all 
 iflands which lie far in the fea, would plainly ma- 
 nifeft, if they were thoroughly examined, whence 
 they have proceeded, and this by chara&ers of na¬ 
 ture’s writing, which to me are far beyond any o- 
 ther record whatloever. 
 
 Sixthly, 
 
EARTH QJU AKER 163 
 
 Sixthly, ’tis very remarkable that the IHe of Ro~ 
 dunda , being all an uninhabited rock, was fplit, 
 and part of it tumbled down and funk into the 
 fea, with a noife as of many cannon; fending up at 
 the fame time a great cloud of dull, as they term 
 it, which in all probability was alfo mingled with 
 fmoak: which puts me in mind of the phenome¬ 
 na I obferved lately, when the powder mill and 
 magazine at Hackney blew up; for befides the very 
 great noife of the blow I heard, being within a 
 mile of it in the fields, I obferved immediately a 
 great white cloud of fmoak to rife in a body to a 
 great height in the air, and to be carried by the 
 wind for two miles and better, without dilperfing 
 or falling down, and perfectly refembling the white 
 fummer clouds. From thefe phasnomena of the 
 earthquake itfeems very probable, that it proceeded 
 from fuch fubterraneous inkindling as refembles 
 gun-powder, both by the noife it yielded, and its 
 fuddennefs of firing, and its powerful expanfion 
 when fired. Next, the fplitting of the rocky if- 
 land proves its power to be very great, which is 
 proved yet farther by the blow and ftrokes it com¬ 
 municated to the fea, and to the fhips that failed 
 on it; for no flow motion whatever could have 
 communicated fuch a concuffion through the wa¬ 
 ter to the veflels upon it, but it mull be as fudden 
 as that of powder; for if it had been a gradual rif- 
 ing from the bottom, the lea would gradually have 
 ran off from it, and upon its finking again have 
 gradually returned, and the veflels on it would only 
 have been fenfible, at mod, but of a current or 
 running of the water, to or from the place of fink- 
 M 2 ing 
 
discourses® 
 
 ing or rifing, fomewhat like the e it eft which hap¬ 
 pened at Nevis •, which plainly (hews, that befides 
 the fudden ftrokes or concuflions, there was alfo a 
 confiderable rifing and finking of the whole ifland: 
 but what I principally note under this head, is, a 
 good part of the ifland’s tumbling and finking into 
 the fea, which fhews how many parts of the earth 
 come to be buried, and difplaced from their for¬ 
 mer fituations, and thence how lhips anchors, 
 bones, teeth, that have been digged up from 
 great depths, may have been there buried. 
 
 Seventhly, ’tis remarkable alfo, that this erup¬ 
 tion fent up into the air vaft clouds of duft and 
 fmoke, which for the moft part muft foon fall 
 down again into the fea, or contiguous parts of the 
 ifland. This will give a probable account how 
 the layers of the fuperficial parts of the earth may 
 come to be madej for the molt part of this duft 
 muft come down to the bottom firft, and fettle to 
 a certain thicknefs, and make a bed of gravel, and 
 then will follow beds of coarfe fand, then beds of a 
 finer fand, and laft, of clays or moulds of feveral 
 forts. Again, much of that which fell upon the 
 higher parts of the ifland, will, by the rivers, be 
 wafhed down into the vales, and there produce the 
 like beds or layers of feveral kinds, and fo bury 
 many of the parts that were before on the furface. 
 Thus plants and vegetable fubftances may come to 
 be buried, and the bones and teeth of the carcaffes 
 of dead animals: thefe may alfo fometimes be bu¬ 
 ried under beds or crufts of ftone, when the parts 
 that thus make the layers, chance to be mixed 
 •with fuch fubterraneous fubftances as carry with 
 
 them 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 165 
 
 them a petrifying quality. I could heartily wiSh 
 that fome care were taken, that a more particular 
 account were procured of thefe earthquakes whilft 
 their efFeCts were frefh in memory, .that they might 
 be recorded and added to the collections of natural 
 hiftory : and for the fame end it were defireable to 
 know what former earthquakes have been taken 
 notice of in thefe iflands, as 'Jamaica , Cuba , Hi- 
 fpaniola , Porto Rico , &c. for the circumstances of 
 fuch accidents, if they be not collected and record¬ 
 ed whilft the fpedtators are in being, are foon for¬ 
 gotten, and loft, or not regarded by fucceeding 
 generations, as Arijiotle has well obferved in a 
 chapter I before quoted. 
 
 Why IJlands and Sea Coajls are moft 
 fubjeEl to Earthquakes. 
 
 W HAT is moft remarkable in thefe earth¬ 
 quakes in the Leeward IJlands, is, that 
 they have all happened to places not far diftant 
 from the fea, or even under the fea itfelf, though 
 the eruptions have been, for the moft part, on the 
 land. 50 that there feems to be fome reafon to 
 conjedlure, as Signior Bottom does in his Pyrologia 
 ‘Topographica, that the faline quality of the fea 
 water may conduce to the production of the fub- 
 terraneous fermentation with the fulphureous mi¬ 
 nerals there placed, which an experiment lately ex¬ 
 hibited before the Royal Society, makes Still more 
 probable; for it appeared that the mixing of fpirit 
 pf fait with iron, did produce fuch a fermentation 
 M 3 . as 
 
{ 
 
 166 DISCOURSES <?« 
 
 as raifed a vapour or fleam which by an actual 
 flame was immediately fired like gun-powder, and 
 if inclofed would, in all probability, have had a 
 like effetft of raifing and difperfing of thofe parts 
 that bounded and imprifoned it. Now, the mel¬ 
 ted matter vomited out of ALtna in the year 1669, 
 was very much like to melted or call iron, and I 
 doubt not but that there may be much of that mi¬ 
 neral in it; befides the foot of that mountain ex¬ 
 tends even to the very fea, and in all probability 
 may have caverns under the fea itfelf, which 
 is argued alfo from the fimultaneous conflagration 
 of Sirombolo and Lipary, iflands confiderably dif- 
 tant from it by fea, where it is generally be¬ 
 lieved that there may be cavernous paflages be¬ 
 tween them, by which they communicate; fo that 
 fometimes it begins in JEtna, and is communicated 
 to Strombolo , and reciprocally communicated to 
 Mongibel. 
 
 This may poflibly afford a probable reafon why 
 iflands are now more iubjedt to earthquakes, than 
 continents and inland parts; and indeed how fo 
 many iflands came to be difperfed up and down in 
 the fea; for that thefe fermentations may have been 
 wrought up in fubmarine parts of the earth, and 
 being ripe may have taken fire, and fo have had 
 force enough to raife a fufficient quantity of the 
 earth above it, to make its way through the fea, 
 and there gain a vent, as that of the Canaries did 
 in the year 1639, which, if fufficiently copious, 
 may produce an ifland, as that did for a time, but 
 has fince again funk under the furface of the fea. 
 Put the ifland of Ajcenfion, which by all appearance 
 
 feems 
 
o 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 167 
 
 Teems to have been produced the fame way, ftill 
 remains a witnefs to prove this hypothefis. Like 
 teftimonies are the ifland and Pike of Teneriffe, He- 
 cla of Iceland , Bearenberg of John Mayens or Trinity 
 IJland, Del Fuego of the Cape Verd iflands, Ternate 
 of the Moluccas , Mafcarenas , fome about Mada- 
 gafcar , and the Antilles or Caribbees. And tho’ the 
 fires be exdndt in many of the other iflands, yet 
 ’tis obfervable that the prodigious high mountains 
 or fugar-loaf pikes do yet remain as marks of what 
 they had been heretofore •, fo the Pike of Fayal a- 
 mong the Terceras , and the whole ifland of St. 
 Helena and feveral about Madagafcar and in the Eajl 
 Indies , and the Antilles , and that of St. Martha 
 mentioned by Dampier, feem plain evidences of the 
 original caufes of them all, tho’ at various periods 
 of time. 
 
 Of the Caufes of EARTHQUAKES. 
 
 T HE materials that ferve to produce earth¬ 
 quakes, I conceive to be lomewhat analo¬ 
 gous to the materials of gun-powder; not that they 
 muft neceffarily be the very lame, either as to the 
 parts, or as to the manner or order of compofi- 
 tion, or as to the way of inkindling or accenfion ; 
 for that as much the fame effeft may be produced 
 by differing agents, fo the methods and order of 
 proceeding may be altogether as various : a clear 
 inftance of which we have in the phaenomena of 
 lightning, wherein we may obferve that the effedts 
 are very like to the effects of gun-powder. For 
 we have firft the flafh of light, which is very fud- 
 M 4 den. 
 
(7 
 
 168 DISCOURSES* 
 
 den, very bright, and of very fhort continuance, 
 being almoft momentaneous. Next we may ob- 
 ferve the violence of the crack, which is likewife 
 momentaneous, if it be fingle, but if there be ma¬ 
 ny particular accenfions which contribute to this 
 eflredt, and thofe made at feveral diftances, then 
 the thunder is heard longer than the duration of 
 the flafhes, as I conceive, from two caufes; firft, 
 for that thofe flafhes that are farther diftant, have 
 their thunder a longer time in palling to the ear, 
 than thofe which are nearer-, becaufe that, though 
 the motion be almoft inftantaneous, yet the mo¬ 
 tion requires a fenfible time to pafs a fenfible 
 fpace, and the times are proportionably longer, as 
 the lpaces palled are greater. But a fecond caufe 
 of the duration of thunder, I imagine, proceeds 
 from echoes that are rebounded, both from parts 
 of the earth, and parts of the air, as from charged 
 clouds -, of both which I am fenfibly aflfured, having 
 obferved the fame effects produced by the echoing 
 and rebounding of the found of a piece of ordnance. 
 But thirdly, we have alfo the power and violence 
 of the force of the fire and expanfion, in firing fe¬ 
 veral combuftibles, in fuddenly melting of metals 
 and other materials, otherwife difficult and flow e- 
 nough to be made to flow; in rending, tearing 
 throwing down, and deftroying whatever ftands in 
 its way, &c. and yet after all, that which caufes 
 thefe, and many other ftrange effedts refembling 
 thofe of gun-powder, feems to be nothing but a 
 vapour or fleam, mixed with the body of the air, 
 which is kindled, not by any adlive fire, but by a 
 kind of fermentation, or inward working of the 
 
 faid 
 
EARTH Q_U A K E S. 169 
 
 faid vapour. Again, we find that the Pulvis Ful¬ 
 minant, as ’tis called, which has fome of its mate¬ 
 rials differing from that of common powder; as 
 alfo Aurum Fulminant, which differs ffcill more, 
 both as to its materials, and its way of kindling, 
 have yet moll of the fame effedls with gun-powder, 
 both as to the flafhing and thundering noife, and 
 as to the force and violence: fo that thefe are dif¬ 
 fering in many particulars, and yet produce much 
 the fame effedls; whence ’tis probable, that what 
 is the caufe of earthquakes, and fubterraneous 
 thundring, lightning, and violent expanfion, as 
 I may fo call thofe phaenomena obfervable in thofe 
 crifes of nature, may be in divers particulars, dif¬ 
 ferent from every one of thefe, both as to the ma¬ 
 terials, and the form and manner of accenfion; 
 and yet, as to the effedls, they may be very ana¬ 
 logous and fimilar: fo that ’tis but one operation 
 in nature, and that which caufes the effedl in one 
 caufes the effect in all the reft; the outward ap¬ 
 pearances of the different materials, and the differ¬ 
 ing way of operating, being nothing but their dif¬ 
 ferent modes of adding their feveral parts, which, 
 when they have done, they are at an end, and there 
 muft be a new fet of adtors to do the fame thing 
 again. So the materials that make the fubterrane¬ 
 ous fire, flame, or expanfion, call it by which 
 name you pleafe, is confumed and converted into 
 another fubftance, unfit to produce any more the 
 fame effedl; and if the conflagration be fo great 
 as to confume all the prefent ftore, you may fafely 
 conclude that place will no more be troubled with 
 fuch effedls; but if there be left relidls, either al¬ 
 ready 
 
O' 
 
 jyo DISCOURSES on 
 
 ready fit and prepared, though flickered from ac- 
 cenfion, by fome interpofing incombuflible mate¬ 
 rials, or that there be other parts not thoroughly 
 ripe and fufficiently prepared for fuch accenfion, 
 then a concurrence of after caufes may repeat the 
 fame e Iff els, and that toties quoties, ’till all the 
 mine be exhaufted; which I look upon both pof- 
 fible and probable, nay neceffary, becaufe I find 
 it to be the general method of nature, always to be 
 going forward in a progrefs of changing all things 
 from the ftate in which it finds them. All things, 
 as they proceed to their perfection, fo they pro¬ 
 ceed alfo to their diffolution and corruption, as to 
 their former ftate; and where nature repeats the 
 procefs, ’tis always on a new individual. 
 
 Now tho’ it may be objected of the material pro¬ 
 duction of lightning, that notwithftanding it feems 
 to be all kindled and burnt off by the flafh, yet af¬ 
 ter fome time the fame is again renewed, and fo 
 from time to time and therefore as one operation 
 deftroys and confumes it, fo another generates and 
 reproduces it, and thence it feems probable that 
 the fame may be done in the lubterraneous regi¬ 
 ons, fo that there would be little reafon to fuppofe 
 that former earthquakes Ihould have been greater 
 than thofe obferved in the prefent age: I would 
 anlwer, that tho’ it feems plain that the matter of 
 lightning is renewed, yet I conceive that to be on¬ 
 ly by new emanations from the proper minerals in 
 the bowels of the earth, and not becaufe the fame 
 fubftance burnt off in the lightning, is again re- 
 ftored to its former ftate, and fitted for a fecond 
 accenfion j for though a previous digeftion of the 
 
 fleams 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 171 
 
 fleams may be neceflary, yet that only prepares it, 
 but it muft be fome proper mineral that muft fur- 
 nifh the materials. And the fame is more evi¬ 
 dent in vulcano’s, which are there only obferved 
 to break forth where there is plenty of brimftone 
 and other combuftible fubftances •, for were it only 
 a continual new generation of materials for fire, 
 then I fee no reafon why thofe incendiums fhould 
 not be equally frequent and great in all places. It 
 follows therefore, that it muft be caufed, not by 
 the renovation of the fewel, but from the duration 
 of the mines or minerals that fupply fit materials, 
 and confequently, that when thofe ftiall be quite 
 confumed, then, and not till then, will the fire 
 go quite out. Nay, that there are fome fuch in- 
 ftances of preceding vulcano’s, which have here¬ 
 tofore burned, and are now quite fpent, may be 
 concluded from the Pike of ‘Teneriffe , which feems 
 to carry the ftrongeft evidence of having been for¬ 
 merly a burning mountain •, and the ifland of Af- 
 cenfion feems to be another fuch inftance. All which 
 conflagrations are the feveral fymptoms of the pro- 
 grefs of nature in her determined courfe and me¬ 
 thod. 
 
 I cannot therefore perceive any abfurdity in 
 thinking or aflertihg, that this globe of the earth 
 is in a ftate of progreffion from one degree of per¬ 
 fection to another, in as much as it is the progrefs 
 of nature; and at the fame time that it fnay be 
 conceived in a ftate of corruption and dififolution, 
 in as much as it is continually changed from its 
 preceding ftate to a new one, which may be, up¬ 
 on fome accounts, confidered as more perfect, tho’ 
 
 upon 
 
4 
 
 i 7 2 DISCOURSES* 
 
 upon others it may be reckoned corrupting, and 
 tending to its final difiolution •, and as *tis mod: 
 certain that it is continually older in refpe« 5 t of time 
 and duration, fo I conceive alfo that it grows older, 
 as to its conftitution and powers; and that there 
 have been many more effeds produced by it in its 
 more juvenile ftate, than it can now produce in its 
 more fenile, particularly as to earthquakes and e- 
 ruptions; for to me it feems beyond a doubt that 
 there have been in preceding ages many of thefe 
 which have infinitely lurpafs’djtny of later years, 
 or indeed all that we have any certain account of 
 in hiftory. A notice of fome ancient traditions 
 concerning a very great one, feems to be preferved 
 in the mythological hiftory of Phaeton ; of which 
 Plato alfo tells us, that the y Egyptians had a more 
 perfect account, than ever the Greeks w’ere mafters 
 of, who, at belt, as to hiftories of preceding ages, 
 were by the priefts of Egypt accounted boys and chil¬ 
 dren. In which cafe we are to diftinguifh between 
 hiftories of matters of fad, and thofe ol opinion ; 
 and Plato hints as much in mentioning the rela¬ 
 tion. The matters of fad: feem to have been the 
 conflagration of many parts of the earth at once, 
 and thofe the moft eminent, fuch as the moun¬ 
 tains, it being probable that this was the time of 
 their produdion. We are not to conclude that 
 fuch huge mountains as the Andes , Caucafus , Atlas , 
 &c. could never be produced by means of earth¬ 
 quakes and eruptions, becaufe we do not now find 
 inftances of eflfeds of the fame grandeur, in this 
 age, or in others of which we have fome tolerable 
 account; fince in remoter times there has been 
 
 much 
 
o 
 
 EARTH QJJ A K E S. 173 
 
 much greater plenty of proper minerals, which 
 were then confumed, and whofe relifts are now but 
 fmall, and probably not fo apt for conflagration, 
 nor fo ftrong in their operations; befides many 
 that were left, may have been fince petrified, or 
 converted into other fubftances, wholly unfit for 
 the foment or fewel of fuch kinds of fires. 
 
 Petrification is a fymptom of very old age, as 
 plenty of fpirituous, unftuous and combuftible or * 
 inflammable juices and moifture is a fign of youth. 
 Fluidity is an infeparable concomitant of what we 
 call fpirituous fubftances •, and ’tis the plenty of 
 thofe that makes both plants and animals to flou- 
 rilh in their youthful ftate, and the confumption 
 and lack of them that make them decay and grow 
 old, ftiff, dry, rough, and fhriveled; all which 
 marks may plainly be difcovered alfo in the body 
 of the earth; and I am apt to think would be much 
 more evident, if we could be truly informed of the 
 younger condition thereof: I have very good rea- 
 fon to believe that times have been when it had a 
 much fmoother, fofter and fuccous fkin than now; 
 when it abounded more with fpirituous fubftances, 
 when all its powers were ftrong and vegete, with¬ 
 out any of its prefent fears, afperities and ftiffnefs: 
 and tho’ fome may poffibly think all thefe concep¬ 
 tions groundlefs, and merely conjeftural, yet I may 
 in good time manifeft, that there are other ways 
 of coming at the difeovery of many truths, than 
 what have been hitherto made ufe of to this pur- 
 pofe, which yet are not lefs capable of proof and 
 confirmation, than hiftories and records are from 
 coins, inferiptions or monuments. 
 
 i 
 
i 7 5 DISCOURSES on 
 
 To conclude. The aflertion of the earth’s grow¬ 
 ing old, cannot be looked upon either as a hete- 
 rodoxical, or a fchifmatical one: the kingly pro¬ 
 phet has an expreffion which does plainly declare 
 it, not only of the earth, but of the heavens took 
 “ Of old haft thou laid the foundations of the 
 “ earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands; 
 “ they fhall perilh, but thou fhalt endure, yea all 
 “ of them fhall wax old like a garment, as a vef- 
 “ ture {halt thou change them, and they fhall be 
 “ changed.” Which expreffion is almoft verbally 
 repeated by the prophet Ifaiah f . “ Lift up your 
 “ eyes to heaven, and look upon the earth be- 
 u neath; for the heavens fhall vanifh away like 
 “ fmoak, and the earth fhall wax old like a gar- 
 “ ment.” Nay this expreffion of the pfalmift 
 is again verbatim repeated by the apoftle to the 
 Hebrews *. “ And thou Lord in the beginning haft 
 “ laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens 
 “ are the work of thine hands: they fhall perilh, 
 “ but thou remained:; and they all fhall wax old 
 “ as doth a garment •, and as a vefture fhalt thou 
 “ fold them up; and they fhall be changed.” By 
 all which it is evident at leaft, that David , lfaiab , 
 and St. Paul , were all of this belief. I could pro¬ 
 duce many expreffions to the like purpofe, both in 
 facred and prophane hiftories of chriftian and hea¬ 
 then writers, but thofe I have quoted 1 fuppofe 
 may be fufficient to anfwer fuch objectors. 
 
 r Pfalm cii. v. 25, 26. * Chap. li. v. 6. ' Chap. i. 
 
 r. io, 11, i2. 
 
 EARTH- 
 

 EARTHQUAKES 
 
 Caufed by Tome accidental obftru&ion 
 of a continual fubterranean Heat. 
 
 I Suppofe that the fubterranean heat or fire, 
 which is continually elevating water out of the 
 abyfs to fumifli the earth with rain, dew, 
 fprings and rivers, when it is flopped in any part 
 of the earth, and fo diverted from its ordinary 
 courfe by fome accidental glut, or obftruCtion in 
 the pores or palfages thro’ which it ufed to afcend 
 to the furface, becomes by this means preternatu- 
 rally affembled, in a greater quantity than ufual, 
 into one place •, and therefore caufes a great rare¬ 
 faction and intumefcence of the water of the abyfs, 
 putting it into very great commotions and difor- 
 ders •, and at the fame time making the like effort 
 on the earth, which is expanded upon the face of 
 the abyfs; and that this occafions that agitation 
 and concuflion of it, which we call an earthquake. 
 
 That this effort is in fome earthquakes fo vehe¬ 
 ment, that it fplits and tears the earth, making 
 cracks and chafms in it fome miles in length, 
 which open at the inftant of the fhock, and clofe 
 again in the intervals betwixt them; nay, ’tis fome- 
 times fo extreamly violent, that it plainly forces 
 
 i the 
 
 
176 EARTHQUAKES/«« 
 
 the fuperincumbent ftrata ; breaks them all through¬ 
 out, and thereby perfectly undermines and ruins 
 the foundation of them ; fo that thefe failing, the 
 whole trad, as foon as ever the fhock is over, finks 
 down to rights into the abyfs underneath, and is 
 fwallowed up by it, the water thereof immediately 
 riling up, and forming a lake in the place where 
 the faid trad before was. 
 
 That feveral confiderable trads of land, and 
 fome with cities and towns Handing upon them; as 
 alfo whole mountains, many of them very large, 
 and of great height, have been thus totally fwal- 
 low’d up. 
 
 That this effort being made in all diredions in¬ 
 differently; upwards, downwards, and on every 
 fide; the fire dilating and expanding on all hands, 
 and endeavouring proportionably to the quantity 
 and ftrength of it, to get room, and make its way 
 through all obftacles, falls as foul upon the water 
 of the abyfs beneath, as upon the earth above, 
 forcing it forth which way foever it can find vent or 
 palfage, as well through its ordinary exits, wells, 
 Iprings, and the outlets of rivers; as thro’ the 
 chafms then newly open’d; through the camini or 
 fpiracles of jEtna, or other near vulcano’s •, and 
 thofe hiatus at the bottom of the fea, whereby 
 the abyfs below opens into it, and communicates 
 with it. 
 
 That as the water refident in the abyfs, is in all 
 parts of it, ftored with a confiderable quantity of 
 heat, and more efpecially in thofe where thefe ex¬ 
 traordinary aggregations of this fire happen, fo 
 likewife is the water which is thus forced out of 
 
 it; 
 
OBSTRUCTED AIR. 177 
 
 it; infomuch, that when thrown forth, and mixed 
 with the waters of wells, of fprings, of rivers, and 
 the fea, it renders them very fenfibly hot. 
 
 That it is ufually expelled forth in vaft quanti¬ 
 ties, and with great impetuofity, infomuch that 
 it hath been feen to fpout out of deep wells, and 
 fly forth at the tops of them, upon the face of the 
 ground; with like rapidity comes it out of the 
 fources of rivers, filling them fo of a fudden, as 
 to make them run over their banks, and overflow 
 their neighbouring territories, without fo much as 
 one drop of rain falling into them, or any other 
 concurrent water to raife and augment them. 
 
 That it fpews out of the Chafms, opened by the 
 earthquake in great abundance; mounting up in 
 mighty ftreams to an incredible height in the air, 
 and this oftentimes at many miles diftance from any 
 fea. 
 
 That it likewife flies forth of the volcano’s in 
 vaft floods, and with wonderful violence: that ’tis 
 forced through the hiatus's, at the bottom of the 
 fea, with fuch vehemence, that it puts the fea im¬ 
 mediately into the moft horrible diforder and per¬ 
 turbation imaginable, even when there is not the 
 leaft breath of wind ftirring, but all till then calm 
 and ftill; making it rage and roar with a moft 
 hideous and amazing noife, raifing its furface into 
 prodigious waves, and tolling and rowling them 
 about in a very ftrange and furious manner; over- 
 fetting ftiips in the harbours, and finking them to 
 the bottom, with many other like outrages. 
 
 That ’tis refunded out of thefe hiatus’s in fuch 
 quantity all'o, that it makes a vaft addition to the 
 N water 
 
J 
 
 .,^8 EARTHQUAKES from 
 water of the fea; raifing it many fathoms higher 
 than ever, it flows in the higheft tides, fo as to 
 pour it forth far beyond its ufual bounds, and 
 make it overwhelm the adjacent country, by this 
 means ruining and deftroying towns and cities, 
 drowning both men and cattle - , breaking the ca¬ 
 bles of Ihips, driving them from their anchors, 
 bearing them along with the inundation feveral 
 miles up into the country, and there running them 
 aground - , ftranding whales likewife, and other 
 oreat fifhes, and leaving them, at its return, upon 
 dry land. 
 
 That thefe phaenomena are not new, or peculiar 
 to the earthquakes which have happen d in our 
 times, but have been obferved in all ages, and 
 particularly thefe exorbitant commotions of the 
 Water of the globe. 
 
 This we may learn abundantly from the hifto- 
 ries of former times; and ’twas for this reafon 
 that many of the ancients concluded rightly e- 
 nough, that they were caufed by the impulfes and 
 fluctuation of water in the bowels of the earth; 
 and therefore they frequently called Neptune , 
 Es trlxfiuv, as alfo, ’Evotrix^v 'Evoarlycu ©», and 
 T ‘tveatjogoyeuiiei by all which epithets they denoted 
 his power of fluking the earth. 
 
 They fuppofed that he prelided over all water 
 whatever, as well as that within the earth, as the 
 fea, and the reft upon it; and that the earth was 
 fupported by water, its foundations being laid 
 thereon; on which account it was that they be¬ 
 llowed upon him that cognomen Toui ok<&, or fup- 
 
 porter 
 
OBSTRUCTED AIR. i 79 
 
 porter of the earth, and that of ©s^sA^y^©*, or 
 the fuftainer of its foundations. 
 
 They likewife believed, that he having a full 
 fway and command over the water, had power to 
 ftill and compofe it, as well as to move and di- 
 fturb it, and the earth, by means of it; and there¬ 
 fore they alfo gave him the name of A<r<£>sA/©, or, 
 the eftablilher; under which name feveral temples 
 were confecrated to him, and facrifices offered, 
 whenever an earthquake happened, to pacify and 
 appeafe him; requefting that he would allay the 
 commotions of the water, fecure the foundations 
 of the earth, and put an end to the earthquake. 
 
 I hat the fire itfelf, which being thus aifembled 
 and pent up, is the caufe of all thefe perturbations, 
 makes its own way alfo forth, by what pafiages 
 foever it can get vent; through the fpiracles of the 
 next volcano’s, through the cracks and openings 
 of the earth abovementioned, through the aper¬ 
 tures of fprings, efpecially thofe of the therm<e y or 
 any other way that it can either find or make; 
 and being thus difeharged, the earthquake ceafeth, 
 till the caufe returns again, and a frefh colle&ion 
 of this fire commits the fame outrages as before. 
 
 That there is fometimes in commotion, a por¬ 
 tion of the abyfs of that vaft extent, as to lhake 
 the earth incumbent upon it, for fo very large a 
 part of the globe together, that the fhock is felt 
 the fame minute precifely, in countries that are 
 many hundreds of miles diftant from each other ; 
 and this, even tho’ they happen to be parted by 
 the fea lying betwixt them; there wants not in- 
 ftances of fuch an univerfal concuffion of the whole 
 
 N 2 globe. 
 
1S0 EARTH QJJ A K E S from 
 
 globe, as muft needs imply an agitation of the 
 •whole abyfs. 
 
 That though the abyfs be liable to thele com¬ 
 motions in all parts of it, and therefore no coun¬ 
 try can be wholly exempted from the effects of 
 them-, yet thefe effe&s are no where very remark¬ 
 able, nor are there ufually any great damages done 
 by earthquakes, except only in thofe countries 
 which are mountainous and confequently ftony, 
 and cavernous underneath, and efpecially where 
 the difpofition of the jlrata is iuch, that thofe ca¬ 
 verns open into the abyfs, and fo freely admit'and 
 entertain the fire, which affembling therein, is 
 the caufe of the fhock-, it naturally fleering its 
 courfe that way where it finds the readiefl recep¬ 
 tion, which is towards thofe caverns, this being 
 indeed much the caufe of damps in mines. Be- 
 fides, that thofe parts of the earth which abound 
 with Jlratd of flone, or marble, making the ftrong- 
 eft oppofition to this effort, are the moll furiouf- 
 ly fluttered, and fuffer much more by it than thofe 
 which confill of gravel, land, and the like laxer 
 matter, which more eafily give way, and make 
 not fo great refiflance; an event obfervable not 
 only in this, but all other explofions whatever. 
 
 But above all, thofe countries which yield great 
 {lore of fulphur and nitre, are by far the raoft in¬ 
 jured and incommoded by earthquakes-, thofe 
 minerals conflituting in the earth, a kind of na¬ 
 tural gun-powder, which taking fire upon this af- 
 fembly, and approach of it, occafions that mur¬ 
 muring noife, that fubterranean thunder, which 
 is heard rumbling in the bowels of the earth during 
 
 earth- 
 
OBSTRUCTED AIR. 181 
 
 earthquakes, and by the afliftance of its explofive 
 power, renders the lhock much greater, fo as 
 fometimes to make miferable havock and deftruc- 
 tion. 
 
 And ’tis for this reafon, that Italy , Sicily, Ana¬ 
 tolia, and feme parts of Greece , have been fo long, 
 and fo often alarm’d and harafs’d by earthquakes; 
 thefe countries being all mountainous and cavern¬ 
 ous, abounding with ftone and marble, and af¬ 
 fording fulphur and nitre in great plenty. 
 
 That ALlna, V.efuvius, Hecla , and the other vol¬ 
 cano’s, are only fo many fpiracles, ferving for the 
 difeharge of this fubterranean fire, when ’tis thus 
 preternaturally afiembled. That where there hap¬ 
 pens to be fuch a ftru&ure, and conformation of 
 the interior parts of the earth, as that the fire 
 may pafs freely and without impediment, from 
 the caverns wherein it aflembles unto thofe fpira¬ 
 cles, it then readily and eafily gets out, from time 
 to time, without fhaking or diflurbing the earth; 
 but where fuch communication is wanting, or paf- 
 fages not fufficiently large and open, fo that it: can¬ 
 not come at the faid fpiracles without firft forcing 
 and removing all obftacles, it heaves up, andlhocks 
 the earth, with greater or lefler impetuofity, ac¬ 
 cording as the quantity of fire thus afiembled is 
 greater or lefs, till it hath made its way to the 
 mouth of the volcano ; where it rufheth forth fome¬ 
 times in mighty flames, with great velocity, and 
 a terrible bellowing noil'e. 
 
 That therefore, there are fcarcely any countries 
 that are much annoy’d with earthquakes, that have 
 not one of thefe fiery vents, and thefe are con- 
 N 3 ftantly 
 
182 EARTHQUAKE Sfrom &c. 
 
 flantly all in flames when any earthquake happens, 
 they difgorging that fire, which whilft under¬ 
 neath, was the caufe of the difafter; and were it 
 not for thefe diverticula, whereby it gains an exit, 
 ’twould rage in the. bowels of the earth much 
 more furioufly, and make greater havock than 
 now it doth. 
 
 So that tho’ thofe countries, where there are 
 fuch volcano’s, are ufually more or lefs troubled 
 with earthquakes yet were thefe volcano’s want¬ 
 ing, they would be more troubled with them, 
 than now they are ; yea, in all probability, to that 
 degree, as to render the earth for a vaft fpace a- 
 round them, perfeftly uninhabitable. 
 
 In one word, fo beneficial are thefe to the ter¬ 
 ritories where they are, that there do not want in- 
 ftances of fome which have been refcued and wholly 
 delivered from earthquakes by the breaking forth 
 of a new volcano there; this continually difcharg- 
 ing that matter, which being till then barricado’d 
 up, and imprifoned in the bowels of the earth, 
 was the occafion of very great and frequent ca¬ 
 lamities. 
 
 That moft of thofe fpiracles perpetually, and 
 at all fealons fend forth fire, more or lefs-, and 
 tho’ it be fometimes fo little, that the eye cannot 
 difcern it; yet, even then, by a nearer approach 
 of the body, may be dilcovered a copious and ve¬ 
 ry fenfible heat continually ifiiiing out. 
 
 A PHY- 
 
PHYSICO-CHYMICAL 
 
 EXPLANATION 
 
 O F 
 
 Subterraneous Fires, Earthquakes, &c. 
 
 M Y intention is to give, by the means of 
 a cbymical operation, a fenfible idea of 
 what is tranfafted in the clouds when 
 they are burft open during a tempeft, fo as to pro¬ 
 duce lightning and thunder : but before I come to 
 the experiment, it will be proper to fay fomething 
 of the matter which is immediately concern’d in 
 caufing fuch violent effects, and to examine into 
 its nature and origin. 
 
 It cannot reafonably be doubted that the matter 
 of lightning and thunder is a fulphur inflamed and 
 difcharged with prodigious rapidity. The fulphury 
 
 N 4 fmell 
 
184 Chymical Explanation of 
 
 fmell which lightning ever leaves behind it is a 
 fufficient proof of its nature : the difficulty is how 
 to come at the origin of this fulphur : it is not 
 likely that it Jfhould be formed in the clouds, but 
 rather that it is brought thither in vapour. 
 
 To me it appears that the origin of the matter 
 which produces thunder, is the fame as that which 
 caufes earthquakes, hurricanes and fubterraneous 
 fires, &c. I have explained the caufe of thefe 
 grand commotions in my book of chymiftry, on 
 the occafion of a particular preparation of iron 
 called Saffron of Mars , which I publifhed feveral 
 years ago-, and having fince made feveral other 
 experiments which ferve to confirm what I have 
 there advanced, I am willing to give a fuccindt ac- 
 ^-.jCfiunt of them all, the firft of which is this. 
 
 I take a mixture of equal parts of filings of iron 
 and fulphur powdered; this I form into a pafte 
 with water, and leave it to digeft two or three 
 hours, without fire, in which time it ferments and 
 fwellswitha confiderable heat; the fermentation 
 cracks the pafte in divers places, and through the 
 crevices there iffue vapours, which indeed are but 
 barely warm if the mafs be fmall, but when it is 
 confiderable, as thirty or forty pounds, an adtual 
 fl^me comes forth. 
 
 The fermentation accompanied with heat, and 
 even fire, which happens in this operation, pro¬ 
 ceeds from the penetration and violent fridtion 
 which the acid points of the fulphur exert upon the 
 particles of the iron. 
 
 This Angle experiment feems, to me, fully fuf- 
 ftcient for explaining after what manner fermenta^ 
 
 tions, 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 185 
 
 tJons, fhocks and conflagrations are excited in the 
 bowels of the earth, as happens in Vefuvius , JEtna 
 and divers other places: for if iron and fulphur 
 happen to meet together, and are intimately united 
 and penetrate each other, a violent fermentation 
 mull enfue, which will produce fire, as in our o- _ 
 peration. But it is eafy to prove, that in the 
 moun tains I have juft now mentioned, there is both 
 fulphur and iron •, for after the flames are over a- 
 bundance of fulphur is found on the furface of the 
 earth-, and in the paffages through which the fire 
 has pafifed, are difcovered fubftances like thofe 
 which are feparated in our forges. 
 
 The following are experiments which 1 have 
 made fince the laft edition of my book, and which 
 confirm the former and ftrengthen my argument. 
 
 I put of the fame mixture of iron and lulphur 
 in different quantities into tall narrow pots, where 
 I could comprefs the matter clofer than before. 
 Strong fermentations and ignitions enfued, and 
 the matter was rais’d with a degree of violence, 
 and part of it fcattered round the pots. 
 
 In the fummer feafon I put fifty pounds of the 
 fame mixture into a large pot, which I caufed to 
 be placed in a hole dug in the earth in a field; it 
 was covered with linen cloth, and with earth over 
 that, about a foot thick. Eight or nine hours 
 afterwards, the earth fwelled, grew hot and crack¬ 
 ed; then hot fulphury vapours ifiiied forth, and 
 at length flames which widened the crevices, and 
 fcatter’d a black and yellow powder about the 
 place: the earth continued hot a good while, which 
 I removed after it was grown cold, and found no- 
 2 thing 
 
186 Chymical Explanation of 
 
 thing in the pot but a weighty black powder, being 
 the iron filings diverted of part of the fulphur: 
 more earth might have been laid over the pot, but 
 that it was fufpedted that the matter would not 
 kindle for want of air. This operation fucceeds 
 better in furnmer than in winter, on account of the 
 heat of the fun which excites a brifker motion in 
 the particles of the iron and fulphur. 
 
 It is then unneceflary to look out any where elfe 
 for the principle that puts fulphurs in motion in 
 mines, and fets them on fire; their union with 
 iron will produce perfedtly this effect, in like man¬ 
 ner as it produces it in our operations. 
 
 But here offers a difficulty ; namely, that thefe 
 vaft fubterraneous fermentations and conflagra¬ 
 tions cannot have been produced without air: yet 
 it can fcarcely be apprehended how air fhould find 
 a pafiage to fuch depths under ground. 
 
 To this objection I anfwer, that there are in the 
 earth great numbers of chinks and pafiages which 
 are not obvious to our fight, efpecially in hot coun¬ 
 tries, where fuch fubterraneous commotions moft 
 ufually happen: for the great force of the fun- 
 beams heating and calcining, as it were, the earth 
 in divers places, forms crevices in it deep enough 
 for the air to introduce itfelf. 
 
 Earthquakes feem to be occafioned by a vapour, 
 which having been generated in the violent fer¬ 
 mentation of iron and fuphur, is converted into a 
 fulphureous blaft which forces a paflage, and 
 rufhes wherever it can, raifing and fhaking the 
 earth under which it moves. If this fulphureous 
 blaft be continually kept confined fo as not to be 
 2 able 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 187 
 
 able to extricate itfelf through any aperture, the 
 earthquake lafts a confiderable time, and with 
 ftrong plunges, ’till its motion is become languid: 
 but if it procures any paflage to efcape at, it rufhes 
 out impetuoufly, and creates what is called a hur¬ 
 ricane, tolling up the earth, forming abyfles, tear¬ 
 ing up trees by the roots, overfetting houfes; nor 
 can men fecure themfelves from its fury but by 
 falling flat on their faces and clofing their mouths, 
 to fave themfelves from being carried away, and to 
 avoid breathing the hot fuffocating fulphury blaft. 
 
 Subterraneous fires are owing to the fame exha¬ 
 lation the different effebls which it produces a- 
 rifing from feveral caufes ; either from the greater 
 abundance of the matter, and confequently the 
 ftronger fermentation; or from a greater inlet of 
 air-, or from a number of chinks and crevices fa¬ 
 vouring the efcape of the flames, carrying up clouds 
 of afhes along with them fometimes fuffkient to 
 cover whole villages, and fuffocate or blind the in¬ 
 habitants. 
 
 Ignes fatui , and the lights which appear on wa¬ 
 ters in hot countries, feem to derive their origin 
 from the fame caufe; but the fulphureous vapour 
 having been but weak, and its motion impeded in 
 filtering through fand or water, it manifefls itfelf 
 only in a light lambent, fpirituous and erratic 
 flame, not having fuffkient matter to fupport it 
 long. 
 
 It is very probable that hot mineral waters, as 
 thofe of Bourbon , Vichi , Balarue , Aix, See. do ac¬ 
 quire their warmth from fubterraneous fires, or 
 hot fulphury beds over which they glide. For 
 
 when 
 
188 Chymical Explanation of 
 
 when thofe waters are left to fettle, particles of 
 fulphur precipitate from them, and adhere to the 
 fides and bottoms of their containing veflels. 
 
 1 hofe columns of water which are feen fome- 
 times at fea, and threaten fudden deftrudtion to 
 mariners, feem to be owing to thefe fulphureous 
 winds, driven rapidly up from under the fea, after 
 the like fermentations I have been treating of. 
 
 Thefe fulphureous winds which occafion hurri¬ 
 canes, are forced up with fo great violence from 
 under ground, that part of them are driven up e- 
 ven into the clouds, which conftitutes the mate¬ 
 rials and caufe of thunder: for this wind which 
 contains an exalted fulphur, is entangled among 
 the clouds, and being there beaten backwards and 
 forwards, and ftrongly comprefled, acquires mo¬ 
 tion lufficient to ignite it, and produce lightning 
 by burfting the cloud and darting itfelf forthwith 
 with inconceivable rapidity : and this furious mo¬ 
 tion it is which produces the noife, which we hear, 
 of thunder: for this fulphureous blaft ifluing vio¬ 
 lently out from a ftrait confinement, rudely attacks 
 the contiguous air, and rowls through it with an 
 extraordinary velocity, juft as gun-powder out of 
 the cannon wherein it was fired. It may be here 
 faid, that a fubtile nitre wherewith the air is at all 
 times impiegnated, is connected with the fulphur 
 of the thunder, and encreafes the force of its mo¬ 
 tion and adhon; in like manner as when fait petre 
 has been mixed with common brimftone, it pro¬ 
 duces a far more violent effect in the rarefadtion, 
 than it is capable of by itfelf. 
 
 This 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 189 
 
 This fulphureous wind of thunder, after rowJing 
 fome time in the air, flackens its motion •, on 
 ■which account thunder is far more violent and 
 dangerous the moment it is difcharged from the 
 cloud, than after it has performed fome of its 
 whirlings in the air, being in a very ffiort fpace 
 reduced to nothing, and leaving only a fulphury 
 ftench behind it in the places through which it has 
 pafs’d. 
 
 As to the thunder ftones which the vulgar be¬ 
 lieves always to accompany lightning, their ex- 
 iftence may in my opinion well be queftioned, and 
 I verily believe there never was an inftance of any 
 fuch thing: it is not however abfolutely importable, ! 
 that by a rapid afcent of an hurricane to the clouds 
 there may fometimes be carried up with it fome fto- 
 ny or mineral fubftances, which being foftened and 
 melted together by heat, may form what is called 
 a thunder ftone: but fuch ftones are not found in 
 places where it thunders-, and if any fuch fhould 
 be found, it would be more reafonable to believe 
 that it arofe from a mineral fubftance melted and 
 formed by the inflamed fulphur of thunder in 
 the earth itfelf, than to imagine that it was formed 
 in the air or the clouds, and projected downwards 
 with the thunder. 
 
 A difficulty ftill remains-, which is to know how 
 the fulphureous wind, which I have fuppofed to 
 be the matter of thunder, comes to be kindled a- 
 mong the clouds, which conlift of water, and to 
 be there comprefs’d without being extinguiffied; 
 for it fhould feem that the water of the clouds 
 
 fhould 
 
igo Chymical Explanation of 
 
 fhould prevent the accenfion of the fulphur; or 
 at leaft that it fhould abforb it when kindled. 
 
 To anfwer this difficulty, I fay that fulphur, be¬ 
 ing a pinguous fubftance, is not fo liable to the 
 impreffion of water, as other matters are, and that 
 it may be inflamed and burnt in water, like cam- 
 phire and divers other exaltedly fulphureous bo¬ 
 dies. It muft needs be, I own, that fome part of 
 this fulphur being plunged into the mals of water 
 which conftitutes clouds, will be extinguifhed with 
 a great detonation, like what happens when fome 
 folid red hot matter, as iron, is caft into water: 
 this detonation may poffibly contribute to the noife 
 of the thunder, but the other more fubtile part, 
 and the molt difpos’d to motion will be expell’d 
 in a perfedb ftate of ignition. The following ex¬ 
 periment will be a proof of my reafoning. 1 
 Into a moderate fized matras whole neck had 
 been partly cut off, I put three ounces of good 
 fpirit of vitriol, and twelve ounces of commoiTwa- 
 terj having warmed the mixture a little, I threw 
 into it, at feveral times, an ounce or an ounce and 
 half of iron filings, which produced an ebullition 
 and white vapours; I prefented a lighted wax can¬ 
 dle to the mouth of the matras, and the vapour 
 inftantly took fire with a very loud and violent ful- 
 mination; I repeated the application of the candle 
 feveral times, and fulminations fucceeded like the 
 fufl:, during which the matras was often filled with 
 a flame which penetrated and circulated to the very 
 bottom of the liquor, and fometimes the flame laft- 
 ed a confiderable time in the neck of the veffel. 
 
 There 
 
 
EARTH CLU A K E S. 191 
 
 There are feveral remarkable circumftances in 
 this operation. The firft ebullition which happens 
 on the throwing in the iron filings, proceeds from 
 the folution of a portion of the iron by the fpirit 
 of vitriol-, but to render the fumes and the folu¬ 
 tion the ftronger, ’tis neceffary to mix water with 
 the fpirit of vitriol, in the proportion mentioned; 
 for if the fpirit were pure and not diluted, and ex¬ 
 panded with water, its points indeed would attack 
 the iron, but they would be fo embarrafs’d and 
 comprefs’d together, that they would not have a 
 freedom of motion fufficient to produce any ful- 
 mination. 
 
 The fecond is, that the liquor muft be warmed 
 a little to excite the points of the diffolvents to pe¬ 
 netrate the iron and raife fumes; but it muft not 
 be made too hot, for then the fumes would-efcape 
 too faft, and would only flame in the neck of the 
 matras upon applying the candle, without any ful- 
 mination; for that noife arifes from the fulphure- 
 ous part of the matter being kindled quite to the 
 bottom of the matras, and meeting with an obfta- 
 cle to its riling from the body of the water which 
 it endeavours to efcape through. 
 
 The third is, that the fulphur which elevates 
 itfelf in vapour and takes fire, muft neceflarily 
 arife from the filings of iron alone, fince neither 
 the water, nor the fpirit of vitriol, efpecially the 
 ftronger fort which I make ufe of, hold nothing 
 of a fulphureous or inflammable nature, as every 
 one knows: it follows then that the fulphur of 
 the iron filings, having been rarefied and detached 
 
192 Chymical Explanation oj he. 
 by the fpirit of vitriol, is exaled in a vapour ex¬ 
 tremely fufceptible of ignition. 
 
 The fourth, that the acid fpirits of fait, ful- 
 phur and alum produce in this operation, the 
 fame effefb as fpirit of vitriol-, but fpirit of nitre 
 and aqua fortis excite no fulmination. 
 
 O F 
 
OF THE 
 
 Volcano’s and Earthquakes 
 
 I N 
 
 PERU. 
 
 I T is a very eafy matter to examine the internal 
 difpofition of the earth in Peru-, for the whole 
 • province is cut through with Ravines or great 
 trenches, many of which are 200 toifes or fathoms 
 broad, and fixty or eighty deep, and others twice 
 as much. Some of them may probably have been 
 the work of earthquakes, but the greateft part are 
 owing to rapid torrents of water which among 
 the mountains in tempefts are capable of carrying 
 every thing before them, tho’ at other times they 
 are fo reduced that one may frequently pafs them 
 dry-fhod. Sometimes the fides of thefe trenches 
 are cut quite perpendicular, and being purfued to 
 their origin, appear to have been formed by a ver¬ 
 tical fall of water. 
 
 *Tis ; 
 
 O 
 
I 
 
 4 r 
 
 tt r, iff 
 
 [ Il'i: 
 
 ■ P J 1 V 
 
 ■ I "f / 
 
 b i / 
 
 I v*. 
 
 ! 
 
 n f 
 
 194 EARTHQUAKES^. 
 
 ’Tis only neceffary to find out a place proper 
 for defending down this kind of river beds, which 
 feldom hold any quantity of water, in order to fur- 
 vey and examine the qualities of the different Jlra- 
 ta or layers of the earth. None of them difcover 
 any confiderable marks of great inundations, fo 
 frequent in other countries. I have fearched them 
 with all poffible care for fea fhells, but was never 
 able to difcover one. Probably the mountains of 
 Peru are too high. There is a great quantity of 
 that black fand which the loadftone attracts j it is 
 eafy to difcern that thefe layers, whofe colours are 
 readily diftinguifhable, far from being the effect 
 of repeated wafhings, are an expanfion of fub- 
 ftances vomited out by volcano’s-, every thing 
 feems to be the produce of fire. Some of thefe 
 mountains are formed, to a certain depth, of mere 
 cinders, pumice ftones, and fragments of burnt 
 ftones of all fizes, all which are fometimes con¬ 
 cealed under a bed of common earth, on which 
 herbs and trees flourifh. Thefe fubftances are 
 difpos’d in layers, of different thicknefs, diminifh- 
 ing as you recede from the mountain, to a foot, 
 half a foot, an inch; but do not quite vanifh in 
 lefs than four or five leagues diftance, till ap¬ 
 proaching another volcano, you begin to meet 
 with them again. 
 
 All thefe particulars I remarked chiefly at the 
 foot of the mountain Cotopaxi , which is now be¬ 
 come a perfect truncate cone, having loft its head. 
 The bafe of this volcano has been made round and 
 taken a regular form, from the rowling down of 
 the feveral materials which were not thrown out 
 
 with 
 
 
 
IN PERU. i 95 
 
 With fufficient force, or were of too light a nature 
 to receive any great degree of motion. At the 
 foot are beds of burnt ftone reduc’d into fmall par¬ 
 cels, five or fix times a man’s height in thicknefs. 
 The thickeft of them all being the uppermoft ; and 
 I am very fure that this extends alfo the fartheft, 
 and is hid under the good foil, which, ’tis likely, 
 was at firft nothing but afhes. I am induced to 
 believe that this upper bed of calcined ftones is to 
 be attributed to that terrible eruption which hifto- 
 rians fpeak of, after the death of Atahualpa , king 
 of Quito, of which we have feen other extraordi¬ 
 nary marks with the greateft amazement 5 ftones 
 of eight or nine feet diameter, thrown to more 
 than three leagues diftance, feveral of which by the 
 train they have formed, indicate plainly enough 
 from what volcano they were projected. Thefe 
 mafly ftones are no ways burnt, like thofe which 
 cover the foot of the mountain, nor could they 
 have been thrown fo far, but at the firft effort of 
 the explofion; accordingly ’tis improbable that any 
 like effeft will hereafter happen, the mouth of the 
 volcano being at this time 5 or 600 fathoms wide. 
 
 The Indians pretend that this accident had been 
 foretold them, and that they look’d upon it as the 
 fatal moment when it was in vain to defend them- 
 felves longer againft ftrangers who were deftin’d to 
 fubdue them, and had already made very great ad¬ 
 vances in their conqueft : Pedro Cieca de Leon , Gar- 
 filajfo , Herrera , and all the hiftorians mention this: 
 they attributed thefe predictions partly to Huayana 
 Capuc , the twelfth and laft emperor, father of Ata¬ 
 hualpa 5 they called this mountain the volcano 
 O 2 of 
 
iy6 EARTH QJJ A K E S &c. 
 
 of Latacunga , which is five or fix leagues dif- 
 tant from it. If we may guefs at its different e- 
 ruptions by the number of the beds of burnt flones 
 at its foot, without taking notice of fome of the 
 lowefl of them, which are broken and overturned, 
 we muft allow this conflagration to have been at 
 leaft the twentieth-, but ’tis probable that each e- 
 ruption ejedts materials of different colours and 
 kinds, and that they are thrown out fucceffivdy, 
 according to their arrangement in the body of the 
 mountain. However, it is paft all doubt that it 
 has raged feveral times, for the eruption of 1553 
 could not poffibly furnifh all thofe fubftances which 
 r are at this day vifible at the foot of this volcano. 
 If all the beds had been elanc’d at the fame time, 
 the feveral fettlements which the Indians had in that 
 neighbourhood, fome of which full fubfift, had 
 been infallibly deftroyed at once. But what epoch 
 can we affign to thofe overturned beds which we 
 fee below the reft ? Thefe had been ranged paral¬ 
 lel like the other entire ones-, but nature forgetting, 
 as I may fay, her gradual way of afting, threw 
 this part of the Cordiliere into convulfions. I took 
 particular notice of fuch broken beds near a place 
 called Tioupoulou , above four leagues from the vol¬ 
 cano ; they are above 40 feet deep: what a prodi¬ 
 gious agitation muft it have been that was able to 
 break and tumble them one upon another as they 
 now remain? 
 
 It was in all probability in times very remote, 
 and moft likely before the country was inhabited, 
 that the vaft mafs of pumice ftones about feven 
 leagues fouth of Cotopaxi was formed. There are 
 
IN PERU. U 77 
 
 no pumice ftones to be found on the mountains, 
 but of a moderate fize, and all fingle fragments: 
 but here there are whole rocks of them, confuting 
 of parallel banks each five or fix feet thick, and 
 covering more than a league fquare, to what depth 
 is unknown. Can one imagine what fire it muft 
 be that could put this enormous mafs in fufion, 
 and that all together at once and in the place where 
 it now adtually is? for it is manifeft that it never 
 was difturbed, but fettled cold on the very fpot 
 where it had been melted. The neighbouring 
 parts have - profited by this immenfe quarry,, and 
 the whole city of Latacunga , which has very fine 
 houfes, is built out of it, fince the earthquake 
 which defiroyed it in 1698. 
 
 The laft conflagration of Cotopaxi in 1742,. 
 which happened before our eyes, did no mifchief, 
 except by the melting of its fnow; notwithftand- 
 ing that it opened a new mouth in its fide about 
 the middle of that part continually covered with 
 fnow, whillt the flame conftantly iflued through 
 the top of the truncate cone. There were two 
 fudden inundations, on the 24th of June, and the 
 9th of December, but the laft was incomparably 
 the greateft. In the firft place it muft be noted 
 that the water fell at lead 7 or 800 fathoms. The 
 waves it formed in the valley were above fixty feet 
 high, and in fome places it rofe more than 120 
 feet. Not to mention the infinite number of cat¬ 
 tle which it fwept away, it overturned 5 or 600 
 houfes, and defiroyed 8 or 900 perfons. Thefe 
 waters had 17 or 18 leagues to run, or rather to 
 ravage, towards the fouth of the Cordihere before 
 O 3 they 
 
 i 
 
. I 9 S EARTH QJJ A K E S, &c. 
 
 they could get all out of it at the foot of the 
 mountain ‘Tongouragoua-, yet they took up no more 
 than three hours in all that pafiage; which may 
 afford fome conception of their mean velocity, by 
 which I would underftand the mean between the 
 prodigious rapidity they acquired at firft by their 
 fall, and their flowed: motion afterwards: and if 
 we may judge from the feveral effects they pro¬ 
 duced at three or four leagues diftance, they muft 
 have run 40 or 50 feet in a fecond of time. Heavy 
 flones of xo or 12 feet diameter were removed 14 
 or 15 fathoms from their former places on a plain 
 almoft horizontal. 
 
 Every body at Quito was firmly of opinion, 
 that the water iffued from the infide of the moun- 
 tain, being led to think fo, by a whimfical diftinc- 
 tion of volcano’s throughout all that country, into 
 fiery and watery ones. It is n6t indeed impoffible 
 that waters fhould be congefted in the large cavi-* 
 ties which are fometimes formed in the upper parts 
 of mountains, they may be fupplied by the af- 
 cending fleam of the waters below, much in the 
 manner which Defcartes has explained. If the heat of 
 the fun be infufficient, neighbouring fubterraneous 
 fires may furnifh a plentiful evaporation; and when 
 the waters are collefted above, it is not furprizing 
 that they fhould fometimes bear down the walls or 
 bounds of their confinement, and at once fpread 
 themfelves over the country. But no fuch notion 
 was conceived of what happened at Cotopaxi. To 
 prove that the waters boiled in their bafin which 
 was formed for them at the top of the mountain, 
 and that it was the vehemence of this ebullition 
 
 which 
 
IN PERU. 199 
 
 ■which threw them over the brims, they alledg’d 
 the appearance of the dead corpfes below, which 
 almoft all looked as if they had been expofed to 
 the aftion of boiling water. 
 
 I got feveral particulars clear’d up to my fatif- 
 faftion by examining credible witnefles on the fpot. 
 Many who efcaped near the edge of the inundation 
 aflured me that the water was not in the leaft hot. 
 They perceived an oily matter which flamed and 
 fwam on the furface of the flood and was carried 
 along in the front of it; and probably this was 
 what affedted the bodies in fuch a manner. They 
 likewife told me that when they heard a great noife, 
 which the firfl: fall in all likelihood oceafioned, 
 the top of the mountain was furrounded. with 
 clouds; which abfolutely deftroy’d the report of 
 fome who gave out that they faw as it were a rivet- 
 run over the brim of the volcano, like water run¬ 
 ning over the fide of an inclined vefieh It ap¬ 
 peared to me at length after examining the extent 
 of the Ipace it had covered, and all other circum- 
 ftances, that a very fmall quantity of water might 
 caufe the whole difafter. In feveral parts the in* 
 undation did not continue a quarter of a minute. 
 It was preceded by a deafening noife. They warn¬ 
 ed one another of the danger ; but many, inftead 
 of running to elevated places, went rather to meet 
 it. The water difappeared in aa inftant ; and one 
 would have thought it had been a-dream, but for 
 the melancholy monuments it left behind it. I 
 fuppofe that the fnow towards the top of the volca¬ 
 no had been melted fome time. That below being 
 out of the influence of the fire retained its hardnefs, 
 O 4 and 
 
.200 EARTH QUAK E S, &c. 
 
 and formed a fort of bafin with the outfide of the 
 mountain. But the thaw continually encreafing, 
 the weight was too much to be fupported, and fo 
 the water fell, and carried down with it large 
 mafles of fnow, all reeking, which tho’ broken by 
 one another in their fall, meafured fome of therti 
 above 15 and 20 feet in thicknefs. 
 
 There was fomething like this when a furious 
 earthquake threw down the fmall city of Latacun- 
 ga , with a great many leffer towns and villages as 
 far as Ambato , which lie about the. middle of our 
 meridian. A very high mountain almoft adjacent 
 to the mountain Chimboraco, tumbled down, with 
 feveral leffer ones, upon which iffued fuch a great 
 quantity of water as caufed an inundation through¬ 
 out the neighbourhood, if mouldering earth mixed 
 with water into a mud may be fo called •, which 
 mud however was fo liquid as to run like brooks 
 and rivers, whereof many marks ftill remain. Car - 
 gaviraco , the higheft of thefe mountains, has at 
 this time but a moderate height. Others tumbled 
 in part, one half falling, and the other remaining 
 with fuch a deep acclivity as renders them inaccef- 
 fible on that fide. I had the curiofity to afcend 
 one of them called Pugnalic , I found an infinite 
 number of crevices which compell’d me to walk 
 with great caution, and the earth appeared ex¬ 
 tremely loofe. Cargaviraco , fince it has loft its 
 height, has affumed the figure of a very fiat cone, 
 and muft contain falts which promote congelation. 
 Although it wants confiderably of the height of 
 the level which is taken for the loweft limit of con¬ 
 stant fnow in the reft of the mountains, yet its top 
 
 is 
 
 * 
 
I N P E R U. 201 
 
 is covered with perpetual fnow. It is very parti¬ 
 cular in this, that near it you fee green fields plant¬ 
 ed with trees, which extend to the diftance of fome 
 leagues from it. The fate of Latacunga was ex¬ 
 tremely deplorable. Whole families were buried 
 under the fame roof, and there was not a fingle 
 houfe that efcaped without the death of fomebo- 
 dy. This terrible feene was tranfafted on the 20th 
 jot June 1698, about an hour after midnight, and 
 almoft all the mifehief was done by the firft fhock. 
 
 It will not be furprizing that judicial aftrology 
 fhould venture to prognofticate earthquakes in Pe¬ 
 ru. The tafte of that vain fcience prevails in all 
 countries where true knowledge has not made any 
 progrefs. A curious fellow who was deputy pro- 
 fefior of mathematics in the univerfity of Lima , 
 publifhed a work in 1729 with the title of The Dial 
 of Earthquakes. At that time he was contented 
 with barely pointing out the fatal hours in which 
 there was reafon to apprehend a ftroke. But in 
 1734 he publilhed another book containing a Tra¬ 
 gical Period ferving to diftinguilh the years fubjeft 
 to the fame accidents; and he did not fcruple to 
 advance that if in 1729 his dial had been confirmed 
 by 143 obfervations, he had now in 1734 collected 
 70 more equally conformable to it. It has been 
 long ago remarked that maritime places are more 
 expofed to thefe terrible phenomena than inland 
 countries. Call your eyes on all parts of the old 
 world where there are any volcano’s, and you will 
 find them to be almoft all fituated in ifiands or near 
 the fea coaft. It is not the Alpes for example, 
 that are fubjeff to earthquakes, but thofe parts of 
 
 Italy 
 
202 EARTHQUAKES &e. 
 
 ■Italy which are the moft advanced into the Mediter¬ 
 ranean. The fame holds good in America. It may 
 fometimes happen that ftores of inflammable mat¬ 
 ters congefted in the earth, want nothing but the 
 mixture of water to take fire. But when the fea 
 rifes high, whether from the effedt of the tides, 
 or being fimply accumulated by winds, it may 
 wafh over into certain fubterraneous canals, and 
 fo penetrate into many places which it could not 
 any other ways reach. 
 
 From whence it manifeftly follows that the fe- 
 veral circumftances of the moon’s motion which 
 produce any fenfible effedls with regard to the flux 
 and reflux, may do the like alfo with regard to 
 earthquakes, and the eruptions of volcano’s. Thus 
 an aftrologer who is continually prattling about 
 the dragon’s head and tail, the moon’s diftance 
 from the fun, her fituation in relpecl of her apogee 
 and perigee, at the fame time, delivering out every 
 thing in a vague manner, as is their conftant way, 
 may chance to advance fome particulars which will 
 not feem abfolutely void of fenfe. I cannot help 
 thinking the fubjedt worthy of a little ccnfiderati- 
 on: and will venture here in a few words to deli¬ 
 ver the refult of my own remarks, which come 
 naturally enough into the plan of this relation. 
 
 The great number of particular caufes which con¬ 
 duce to thefe terrible accidents, may poflibly be one 
 main reafon that the concurrence of feveral fuch 
 caufes, often fupplies what is deficient on the part of 
 others: but the particular inftant of the effedt in 
 point of time, cannot but be very uncertain. The 
 heat of the fun may contribute a lhare; at leaft we 
 
 fee 
 
I N P E R U. 203 
 
 fee that it promotes the inflammation of fubftances 
 which chymiftry inftru&s us to mix together, for 
 reprefenting the conflagration of a volcano \ The 
 city of Lima has been three times ruin’d, firft in 
 1586, and, again in 1687, and in 1746. The firft 
 time the earthquake happened July the 9th, the 
 two laft in Oblober , to wit the 19th and 28 th, af¬ 
 ter the equino&ial tides might have introduced a 
 great quantity of water into the fubterranean ca¬ 
 verns, and the fun advancing into the fouthern he- 
 mifphere, had begun to heat it more. Three o- 
 ther earthquakes were befides very confiderable 
 ones; that of June 17th 1678, which is no exam¬ 
 ple to our remark, but the other two, that of 
 1630, and that of 1655, both fell out in Novem¬ 
 ber , to wit on the 27th and 13th. 
 
 So of the fix great earthquakes which Lima has 
 felt fince its foundation, there are four of them 
 which inftead of being diftributed indifferently 
 through the feveral parts of the year, have hap¬ 
 pened in OElober and November. This particula¬ 
 rity may perhaps be look’d upon as the effedt of 
 meer chance. But is it impoflible that the return 
 of the heat, and the great tides in September and 
 Oblober , might contribute thereto? The commu¬ 
 nication between the fubterranean caverns may 
 Jikewife be a means of the effeft of the tides ex¬ 
 tending itfelf to a great diftance. Among the fe¬ 
 veral earthquakes which I felt myfelf, one of the 
 inoft violent threw down fome houfes near Lata- 
 cunga , and killed feveral people. At the fame 
 time, tho’ not precifely at the fame inftant, clofe 
 * See the trait immediately preceding this. 
 
rj 
 
 204 EARTHQUAKE'S®, 
 to a neighbouring mountain, a flame was feen to 
 dart up through the water of a lake. This was in 
 1736, about the beginning of December. I have 
 more obfervations of the like kind; and all things 
 confidered, it appears as tadt to me, that tho’ the 
 Peruvians are expofed to. thefe dreadful phenome¬ 
 na at ail leafons, yet are they moft fubjedt to them 
 in the laft months of the year. 
 
 The author I was fpeaking of, afferts that there 
 is abfolutely no critical time except the fix hours 
 and fome odd minutes that the moon is palling 
 from the horary circle of 3 to that of 9; that is, 
 the time of the reflux, for it is high water on al- 
 moft all the coafts of America in the South Sea^ 
 when the moon pafles the horary circle of 3. But 
 it ought to be well examined into how many dif¬ 
 ferent conditions muft concur to make our author’s 
 rule exadl. In the firft place it is necefiary that 
 the focus of the conflagration flhould be always in 
 the fame place, that the water flhould follow the 
 fame'rout, that it.fhould always penetrate with the 
 fame velocity, that the mixture fhould take up 
 precifely the fame' time in its ignition. If thefe 
 feveral conditions do not all take place at once, 
 there muft at lean; be fome fort of compenfatien 
 to fupply the defedl. The earthquake which oc- 
 cafion’d the deftrudtion of Lima in 1746, happened 
 when the moon, inftead of paffing from the hora¬ 
 ry circle of 3 to that of 9, was on the contrary, 
 pafling from that of 9 to that of 3. The author 
 pretends that no danger is to be apprehended but 
 when the moon's nodes are pofited in the malevo¬ 
 lent figns of Scorpio or Aquarius: however at the 
 
 time 
 
IN PERU. 205 
 
 time of that difafter they were in the figns of Virgo 
 and Pifces. 
 
 Scarce a week pafTes without fome flight fliocks 
 and tremblings in Peru-, if they are not felt in one 
 place, they are in another. For the moft part but 
 little attention is given to them; and no body 
 thinks it worth while to regifter them. An aftro- 
 loger is therefore at full liberty to boaft that the 
 obfervation never contradicts his prognoltick. It 
 is the fatal earthquake alone that can bring his 
 fkill in queftion; but happily thofe are rare, and 
 may befides happen as well at one time as at ano¬ 
 ther. The precaution is commonly taken not to 
 confine the prognoltick within too narrow limits. 
 Moreover the pretended rule can never fail of coin¬ 
 ciding with fome of the previous accidents or after 
 confequences, and that is enough to fave the wiz- 
 zard’s credit. 
 
 In a word, to proceed methodically, and difco- 
 ver, if there be in reality any fuch thing as a tra¬ 
 gical period, a quite different road muff be taken. 
 We mull begin with examining the moll Ample 
 cafes; and it feems that eruptions of volcano’s 
 Ihould be the firft objeft of obfervation. But 
 whoever engages in this inquiry mull expeCt to be 
 puzzled with events extremely complicated. Earth¬ 
 quakes may be propagated by the bare contiguity 
 of territories, even to an immenfe dillance from 
 the fpot that is directly over the focus of confla¬ 
 gration. In every place are felt all the tremors 
 which are excited round a certain point, and ’tis not 
 to be known to what place they belong particularly; 
 whereas volcano’s are determin’d points, and con- 
 2 ■ fequently 
 
206 EARTH QJJ AKES &c. 
 
 lequently furnilh lefs equivocal obfervations. The'fe 
 is nothing regular in the return of their ragings. 
 The fame Ihould likewife hold good in regard to 
 earthquakes, which for the reafon juft now align¬ 
 ed, Ihould be ftill lefs confined to rules ; fince ge¬ 
 nerally fpeaking, they depend on a great number 
 of cafualties for any particular place. Rain wa¬ 
 ters do without doubt very often produce the fame 
 effeds as the waters of the fea, and it Ihould be 
 noted, that it is in the laft months of the year that 
 it rains the moft in all the countries I have been 
 fpeaking of. Sometimes a very ftrong tremor in 
 the Cordeliere extends itfelf but over an inconfider- 
 able fpace. There is reafon to imagine that the 
 ftock of the inflammable matter is then not very 
 deep below the furface, and that the fea has no 
 fliare in the accident, at leaft no immediate one. 
 T. he fea contributes to many earthquakes, as well 
 as the rain to feveral others; fo that there is a two¬ 
 fold caufe of their frequency. 
 
 The comparifon of the eruptions of volcano’s 
 and earthquakes throws fome light upon feveral 
 particulars of thele laft. The volcano’s when 
 in a ftate of high conflagration, ad by fits; the 
 flame and fmoak are obferved to iflue out, al- 
 moft always, by blafts. When I was employed in 
 one oi our ftations at Sencgucilcip, my fleep was 
 difturbed all night long by the bellowings of the 
 volcano of Mucas, called Sanga'i. I was diftant 
 from it fomething more than 18000 fathoms, yet 
 the nolle was horrible and awakened me every mo¬ 
 ment. This mountain is in the lhape of a cone, 
 whofe fides are perfedly ftrait, and it wants only 
 2 the 
 
IN PERU. 207 
 
 the vertex. All the neighbouring inhabitants are fa- 
 tisfied that the mafs of the mountain is continual¬ 
 ly decreafing. Its prefent height above the level 
 of the fea is 2664 fathoms. The flame comes out 
 from the top, and frequently a ftream of melted 
 matter runs down its fides to the bottom. A Ra¬ 
 vine of a foot broad has gotten the name of the 
 Sulphur River. The bellowings of the volcano 
 fometimes form a clafliing noife like thunder, but 
 they foon refume their regular period, with a dull 
 noife, with the repetition whereof I was fo greatly 
 incommoded. I obferved likewife blafts of fmoak 
 to iffue out of Cotopaxi by equal intervals; there 
 was about 42 or 43 feconds between each blaft 
 when I obferved them. The ignited matter in the 
 bowels of the volcano was doubtlefs dilated each 
 time: but luch dilatation exhaufting it in part, the 
 inflammation abated a little j which made room 
 for the external air to enter anew, either by the 
 opening at top, or by fome other aperture. Per¬ 
 haps alfo there might be at the fame time an ac- 
 ceiflon of other inflammable matter, which found 
 at that inftant an eafy admiflion. Immediately the 
 conflagration acquired a new force which produced 
 a frefh ifiiie of fmoak or another bellowing. 
 
 The matters which take fire in the bowels of the 
 earth and caufe earthquakes, muft be fubjeft to 
 the fame alternatives. When the fire is kindled 
 up in an hollow cavern, the dilatation of the in¬ 
 flamed matter and of the air muft be extended 
 very far and aft in other fubterraneous hollows 
 which have a communication with the former. 
 The ceiling of the vault is puftied upwards with 
 
 great 
 
208 EARTH QJJ A'KES &c. 
 
 great force, and it may be alfo pufhed laterally tho* 
 the ftock of the materials be exaftly under. The 
 direction of the effort depends then upon the hori¬ 
 zontal fituation or the inclination of the vault ; 
 and this is the caufe that fometimes the walls of 
 houfes are, or are not fpared according to the way 
 they happen to be fituated. The ceiling of the 
 vault returns to its former place by repeated of- 
 cillations which are independent of the aftion of 
 the fire; the effort of the explofion ceafing a little, 
 at the fame time that the air is over much com- 
 prefs’d in all the neighbouring caverns, whence a 
 violent reflux towards the place of the conflagrati¬ 
 on, and a new fit and a ftronger fhock; and thus 
 are brought about the reiterations before mention¬ 
 ed, whofe intervals mud be fenfibly equal, till 
 fome very confiderable alteration happens either in 
 the fubterraneous difpofition or in the inflamed ma¬ 
 terials. The feebleft fliocks are thofe of a foil once 
 lhaken, the ftrongeft are thole that are the imme¬ 
 diate effect of an inflammation; which are analo¬ 
 gous to the bellowings of volcano’s, and muft be 
 repeated with more or lefs frequency, according to 
 the facility with which the matters are ignited, and 
 likewife according to the proportion of their bulk 
 to the extent of the fpaces within which they exert 
 their force. 
 
 THE 
 
>/* 
 
 en- 
 
 on of 
 it, 
 
 jura* jar 
 
 hjd k.ji k._ 
 
 |T*^ 
 
 k.jo( 
 
 THE 
 
 'H 
 
 natural history 
 
 tfe 
 
 r in 
 
 O F 
 
 Earthquakes and Volcano’s. 
 
 B Urning mountains, called volcano’s, contain 
 within them fulphur, bitumen and other 
 materials which are th t pabulum of a fubter- 
 raneous fire, whofe eflfedl, more violent than that 
 of gun-powder or thunder, has been aftonifhing in 
 all ages, terrified mankind, and laid the earch°de- 
 folate. A volcano is a cannon of an immenfe fize, 
 whofe aperture is often more than half a league in 
 circumference. Out of this vaft mouth are vomit¬ 
 ed torrents of frnoak and flames, r»vers of bitu¬ 
 men, fulphur and melted metal, clouds of afhes 
 and flrones, and fometimes it ejefts enormous mafles 
 of rocks to feveral leagues diftance, fuch as no 
 combined human ftrength could be capable of 
 putting in motion. The conflagration is fo hor¬ 
 rible, and the quantity of burning, melted, cal- 
 
 P cin’d 
 
2io NATURAL HISTORY of 
 
 cin’d and vitrified fubftances which the mountain 
 throws out, fo abundant as to bury towns and 
 forefts, cover whole countries a hundred or two 
 hundred feet thick, and fometimes form hills and 
 mountains, which are no other than heaps of thofe 
 compadted matters. The action of the fire is fo 
 vehement, and the force of the explofion fo power¬ 
 ful, as by its reaction to produce fhocks fufficient 
 to fet the earth in a tremor, agitate the fea, over¬ 
 throw mountains, deftroy cities and the moft folid 
 edifices, and that to very confiderable diftances. 
 
 Thefe effedts, though natural, have been lookt 
 upon as prodigies, and notwithftanding we behold 
 in miniature, effedts of fire pretty fimilar to thofe 
 of volcano’s •, yet the grand, of what nature foever 
 it be, has fo irrefiftible a power of amazing, that 
 I am not furprized fome writers have taken thefe 
 mountains for fpiracles of central fire, and the vul¬ 
 gar for the mouths of hell. Aftonifbment begets 
 fear, and fear generates fuperftition. The inhabi¬ 
 tants of the ifle of Iceland do believe the bellowings 
 of their volcano to be the cries of the damned, and 
 that it’s eruptions are the effedts of the fury and 
 defpair of its wretched prifoners. 
 
 All this however is no more than noife, fire and 
 fmoak. There are in mountains veins of fulphur, 
 bitumen and other inflammable materials, and at 
 the fame time there are minerals, as pyrites, capa¬ 
 ble of fermenting, and which this in reality does 
 whenever it is expos’d to air or moifture; it 
 abounds every where in vaft quantities, kindles 
 and produces an explofion in proportion to the 
 quantity of the inflamed fubftances, the effedts of 
 2 which 
 
earth qjj a K E S. 2 i i 
 
 which are greater or lefs in the fame proportion: 
 fuch is the idea of a volcano in the mind of a na- 
 turahft, who may eafily imitate the nature of thofe 
 fubterranean fires, by mixing together a certain 
 quantity of fulphur and filings of iron, and bury¬ 
 ing them under ground. Thus will a fmall vol¬ 
 cano be produced, whofe effe&s are the fame, re¬ 
 gard being had to proportion, as thofe of great 
 ones, for it ignites by mere fermentation, throws 
 off the earth and ftones which cover it, fmoaks, 
 flames and explodes. 
 
 In Europe there are three noted volcano’s, JEtna 
 in Sicily, Hecla in Iceland , and Vefuvius near Naples 
 in Italy. EEtna has burnt time immemorial, its 
 eruptions are very violent, and the fubftances it 
 throws out fo copious, that you may dig in them 
 to the depth of 68 feet, where have been found 
 pavements of marble, and the remains of an anci¬ 
 ent city which was covered and buried under that 
 prodigious bed of ejefted earth, after the like man¬ 
 ner as the city of Heraclea was covered by matters 
 thrown out of Vefuvius. New fiery mouths were 
 formed in s.Etna in 1650, 1669, and at other times: 
 the flame and fmoak of this volcano may be feen 
 as far as Malta, which is 60 leagues; fmoak is 
 continually arifing out of it, and at certain times 
 it vomits out flames and variety of different fub¬ 
 ftances with great impetuofity. In 1537 there was 
 an eruption of this volcano which occafioned an 
 earthquake throughout all Sicily for twelve days, 
 and overthrew a great. number of houfes and 
 edifices; it ceafed by the opening of a new mouth 
 of fire which burnt up every thing within five 
 
 P 2 leagues 
 
2 i 2 NATURAL HISTORY of 
 
 leagues of the mountain. Afnes were thrown out 
 in fuch abundance that they were carried even into 
 Italy , and {hips at a very great diftance from the 
 Sicilian Ihore were incommoded by them. 
 
 This volcano has at prefent two principal 
 mouths, one narrower than the other; thefe two 
 openings always fmoak, but no fire is perceived 
 except in the times of the eruption: it is faid that 
 {tones have been projected out of it to the diftance 
 of 60,000 paces, 
 
 In 1693, there happened a terrible earthquake 
 in Sicily occafioned by a violent eruption of the 
 volcano, which entirely deftroyed the city of Cu¬ 
 tanea, and killed above 60,000 perfons in that 
 place only, befides great numbers in the neigh¬ 
 bouring towns and villages. 
 
 Hula {hoots forth its fires through the ice and 
 fnow of a frozen foil; and yet its eruptions are no 
 lefs violent than thofe ot Jhtna, and odier volca¬ 
 no’s of the more fouthern climes. It throws out 
 vaft quantities of afhes and pumice ftones, and at 
 fome times boiling water; there is no dwelling 
 within fix leagues of this volcano. I he whole i(le 
 of Iceland abounds in fulphur. 1 he hiftory ot its 
 molt violent eruptions may be found in a book 
 written by Dithmar Bleffken. 
 
 Mount Vefuvius , according to the account of hif- 
 torians, has not always burned, nor did it begin to 
 do fo before the feventh confulate of Titus Vefpa- 
 
 fian and Flavius Domitian a . As foon as the ium- 
 
 mit 
 
 » It is however a point not fettled among the learned, 
 whether this great eruption was the firft of that nature, or 
 
EARTII Q^U ARES. 213 
 
 mit was opened the volcano threw out ftones and 
 rocks, and afterwards fire and flames in fuch a- 
 bundance that they burnt two neighbouring cities, 
 and fo thick a fmoak that it darkened the light of 
 the fun. Pliny the elder ventured to take too near 
 a view of it, and was fuffbcated with its fumes b . 
 Dion Caffius relates that this eruption of Vefnvius 
 was fo violent as to throw out afhes and fmoak 
 with that violence as to carry them to Rome, and 
 even acrofs the Mediterranean into Egypt. One of 
 the two cities that were overwhelmed with the re- 
 jefted matter of its firft conflagration was Heraclea , 
 redifcovered of late years at 60 feet depth under 
 the faid matter, whofe furface in procefs of time 
 was become arable, and accordingly cultivated. 
 The relation of the difcovery of Heraclea is in every 
 ones hands, it were only to be defired that fome 
 body well verfed in natural hiftory, would be at 
 the pains of carefully examining the feveral fub- 
 ftances which compofe this immenfe thicknefs, and 
 at the fame time note the difpofition and fitu- 
 ation of them, the alterations that they have pro¬ 
 duced, or fuffered themfelves, the di region which 
 they followed, and the degree of hardnefs they 
 have acquired, &c. 
 
 if fomewhat of the like kind had not happened in ancient 
 ages. M. L Abbe Bannier has taken fome pains about this 
 particular, and has found in Strabo and Diodorus Siculus , that 
 there is mention of very ancient veftiges of the flames of Vefu- 
 'I’tus. ro thefe the Abbe adds the authority of feveral po¬ 
 ets, and upon the whole, concludes that there had been fiery 
 eruptions from that mountain in very remote times. J. B. 
 
 ^ See the younger Pliny 's epiftle to Tacitus. 
 
 P3 
 
 There 
 
/ 
 
 f 
 
 214 NATURAL HISTORY of 
 
 There is fome ground to believe that Naples is 
 fituated on a hollow bed of roafted minerals, fee¬ 
 ing Vefuvius and the Solfatara do appear to have in¬ 
 ternal communications. For when Vefuvius burns, 
 the Solfatara throws out flames, and when that 
 ceafes, the Solfatara does fo too. The city is fitu¬ 
 ated nearly at an equal diftance between them. 
 
 One of the laft and moil violent eruptions of 
 Vefuvius , was that of the year 1737, when the 
 mountain vomited a large torrent of red hot and 
 melted metalline fubftances through feveral mouths, 
 which fpread over the country, and made its way 
 even into the fea. M. de Montealegro , who com¬ 
 municated the relation to the academy of fciences, 
 faw with horrour one of thefe rivers of fire, and ob- 
 ferved that its courfe was fix or feven miles from its 
 fource to the fea, its breadth being 50 or 60 paces, 
 its depth 25 or 30 palms, and in fome hollows of 
 the valleys, more than 120 palms. The matter 
 as it roll’d along look’d like a fkum which runs out 
 of the furnace of a forge, c . 
 
 In Jfia, more efpecially in the iflands of t\it In¬ 
 dian ocean, there is a great number of volcano’s, 
 one of the moft famous of which is mount Albours , 
 near mount T aurus , eight leagues from Herat. Its 
 top is continually fmoaking, and it frequently 
 throws out flames and other fubftances fo abun¬ 
 dantly, that the whole country round is covered 
 with them. In the ifland of Ternate there is a vol¬ 
 cano, which eje&s a fubftance like pumice ftone 
 in immenfe quantities. Some travellers affirm that 
 this volcano burns more furioufly about the time 
 c Hijl. de T Acad . ann. 1737, p. 7 and 8. 
 
 of 
 
EARTH QU AKES 215 
 
 of the equinoxes, than in other feafons of the year, 
 becaufe certain winds do then blow which contri¬ 
 bute to ignite the matter which has fo many years 
 nourilhed its fires' 1 . The ifle of Ternate is but fe- 
 ven leagues round, being no other than the fummit 
 of a mountain. From the fhore you afcend every 
 way towards the middle of the ifland where the 
 volcano is elevated to a very confiderable height, 
 and is in a manner inacceflible. It furnifhes fe- 
 veral fprings of frefh water which run down its fides; 
 and when the air is calm, and the feafon mild, 
 the gulph is in a lefs agitation than when the winds 
 are violent e . This proves that the fire of volca¬ 
 no’s does not come from any great depth within 
 the mountain, but from its upper part, or at leaft, 
 not far down, and that the focus of the conflagra¬ 
 tion cannot be a great way from the top; for if it 
 were not fo, great winds could not contribute to 
 their rage. There are fome other volcano’s among 
 the Molucca iflands. In one of the Mauritian if- 
 lands, about 20 leagues from the Molucca's, there 
 is a volcano as violent in its effefts as that of Ter- 
 nate. The ifland of Sorca , one of the Molucca's> 
 was once inhabited j in the middle of it was a vol¬ 
 cano, being a very high mountain. In 1693 this 
 volcano vomited out bitumen and other inflamed 
 fubftances, in fo great a quantity as to form a 
 burning lake, which extended by degrees till it en¬ 
 tirely covered the whole ifland f . In Japan are al- 
 fo feveral volcano’s •, and in the neighbouring ifles 
 navigators have taken notice of many mountains 
 J Voyages d' Argenfola, tom. i. p. 21. e Voyage de 
 Schouten. { Philof. Tranfatt. abridg’d, vol. ii. p. 391. 
 
 P 4 whof; 
 
216 N AT URAL H I STO RY of 
 
 whofe tops call up flames in the night and fmoak 
 in the day. There are alfo leveral burning moun¬ 
 tains in the Philippine iflands. One of the moft 
 famous volcano’s of the Indian ocean, and at the 
 lame time one of the neweft, is near the town of 
 Panarucan in the ifland of Java. It opened in 
 1586, and there is no account of its having ever 
 burned before that time. In its firft eruption it 
 difcharged an immenfe quantity of fulphur, bitu¬ 
 men and ftones. The fame year the mountain 
 Gcunapi in the ifland of Banda (whofe laid conflagra¬ 
 tion was not above 17 years ago) opened with a 
 moft terrible noife, and vomited out rocks and 
 fubfhnces of every kind. Befides all thefe there 
 are other volcano’s in the Indies , as in Sumatra , 
 and in the northern part of Afia> beyond the river 
 Jenifcea , and the river Pefida , but thefe two laft are 
 not very well known. 
 
 In Africa there is a mountain, or more proper¬ 
 ly a cavern, called Beni-guazeval, near Fez, which 
 always cafts forth fmoak, and fometimes flames. 
 One of the Cape de Verd iflands, called Fuego , is 
 one huge mountain which burns inceflantly; this 
 like the reft throws out much allies and ftones, and 
 the Pcrtugueze who have feveral times attempted to 
 fettle inhabitants in the ifland, have been obliged to 
 dj op their projedt, for fear of the effedts of .he vol¬ 
 cano. In the Canaries the pike of T'eneriffe which 
 pafles for one of the higheft mountains upon earth, 
 throws forth fire, afhes and great ftones; from its 
 top run down rivulets of melted fulphur on the 
 fouth fide, through thick beds of fnow, which by 
 foon coagulating, forms veins that may be feen at 
 a great diftance, Jq 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S 217 
 
 In America there is a great number of volcano’s, 
 efpecially in the mountains of Peru and Mexico. 
 That of Ar equip a is one of the mod famous; it 
 oftentimes occafions earthquakes, which are more 
 frequent in Peru , than in any part of the known 
 world. The volcano of Carapa , and that of Ma- 
 lahallo , are according to the relation of travellers, 
 the mod confiderable after that of Arequipa. But 
 there are a great many others of which we have no 
 very exaft knowledge. 
 
 In Mexico are divers volcano’s, the mod confi¬ 
 derable of which are Popochampeche and Popocate- 
 pac, near which latter Cortez march’d to Mexico , 
 and l'ome of his Spaniards afcended to the top and 
 found the mouth of it half a league round. Sul¬ 
 phureous mountains have alfo been found in Gua- 
 deloupa , ‘Tercera , and others of the Azores iflands; 
 and if all the mountains from whence flame or 
 fmoak arifes, are to be ranked among volcano’s, 
 above 60 of them may be reckoned up; t’nofe we 
 have faid the mod of are the remarkable ones, 
 fuc'n as will endure no inhabitants about them, 
 and which project dones and minerals to a miahty 
 didance. 
 
 The numerous volcano’s among the Cordelieres y 
 as 1 have obferved, are the occafion of frequent, 
 and almod continual earthquakes, fo that no done 
 buildings in that country are carried higher than 
 the fird floor, whatfoever is added above, is of 
 light wood and ruflies. In fome of thefe hiah 
 
 4 _ O 
 
 mountains are found many precipices and large o- 
 penings, whofe fides look black and burnr, as does 
 the precipice of mount Ararat in Armenia , called 
 2 the 
 
Wf 
 
 218 NATURAL HISTORY / 
 
 the Abyfs ; thefe abyfles are the mouths of ancient 
 volcano’s, now in a ftate of extinction. 
 
 Of late years there happened an earthquake at 
 Lima, the effects whereof were mod terrible; the 
 city of Lima and the port of Callao were almoft to¬ 
 tally overwhelmed by it. The fea covered every 
 edifice with its waves, one tower alone excepted, 
 fo that all the inhabitants were drowned: of 25 
 flips which were at that time in the port, four 
 were carried a league in land; the reft the fea 
 fwallowed up. Of the great city of Lima there re¬ 
 mained only 27 houfes (landing, multitudes of per- 
 fons were cruftied to death, efpecially monks and 
 nuns, their buildings being lofty and of folid ma¬ 
 terials. This difafter happened in the night time 
 in the month of Oblober 1746, the fhock having 
 lafted a quarter of an hour. 
 
 Near the port of Pifco in Peru, there was for¬ 
 merly a famous city fituate on the fea coaft, but it 
 was intirely ruin’d and laid wafte by the earthquake 
 of the 19th of Ottober 1682: for the fea having 
 exceeded its wonted bounds wafhed it quite away 
 with all its inhabitants. 
 
 If we confult hiftorians and travellers, we fhall 
 meet with accounts of feveral earthquakes and e- 
 ruptions of volcano’s, whofe effe&s have been no 
 lefs terrible than thofe I have related. Pojfidonius, 
 as cited by Strabo g , relates that there was a city in 
 Phenicia, fituated near Sidon, which was fwallowed 
 up by an earthquake; and with it the neighbour¬ 
 ing territory, and two thirds of the faid city of 
 Sidon, and that this effect did not take place fud- 
 \ Lib. i. 
 
 denly, 
 
■Hi 
 
 f 
 
 icient 
 
 feat 
 ; the 
 ftto- 
 ever)' 
 :pted, 
 of 25 
 four 
 ie fea 
 ten- 
 : per- 
 sand 
 ma- 
 time 
 ring 
 
 for- 
 ut it 
 rake 
 
 “ g 
 ray 
 
 all 
 
 e- 
 
 no 
 
 ins, 
 
 fin i 
 red 
 ur- 
 of 
 
 EARTH QJJ A K E S. 219 
 
 denly, but raoft of the inhabitants had time enough 
 toefcape: that this earthquake extended itfelf al- 
 moft over all Syria, and even to the Cyclades iflands, 
 and to Eubea, where the fountains of Arethufa 
 flopp’d all at once, and flow’d not again till fe- 
 veral days after, and then by new apertures at a 
 confiderable diftance from the old ones; and that 
 the earthquake did not give over Ihaking the ifland 
 in one place or other, till the earth had opened in 
 the valley of Lepanta, and thrown out abundance 
 of ignited matter. Pliny relates h that in the reign 
 of Tiberius there happened an earthquake which de- 
 molifhed 12 cities o {Afia, and in another place 1 
 he fpeaks of a prodigy occafioned by an earthquake 
 in the following terms: Fadlum ejl femel (quod equi- 
 dem in Etrufca difciplina voluminibus invent) ingens 
 terrarum portentum , Lucio Marco , Sex. Julio Cojf. in 
 agro Mutinenji. Namque montes duo inter fe ccncur- 
 rerunt crepitu maximo adfultantes , recedentefque, in¬ 
 ter eos flamma fumoque in ccelum exeunte interdiu ; 
 fpediante e via ASmilia magnd equitum Romanorum , 
 familiarumque et viatorum multitudine. Eo concurfu 
 villa cmnes elifa , animalia permulta, qua intro fue- 
 rant, exanimata funt , &c. St. Aujlin fays k that by 
 a great earthquake a 100 towns were overthrown 
 in Lybia. In the days of Trajan the city of An¬ 
 tioch, and a great part of the adjacent country was 
 fwallowed up by an earthquake; and in the time 
 of Jujlinian , in 528, that city was a fecond time 
 deftroyed by the fame caufe, with above 40,000 
 of its inhabitants; and 60 years after that, in the 
 time of St. Gregory , it was vifited by a third earth- 
 h Lib. i. i Ibid. * Lib. ii. dt Mtraculis. cap. 3. 
 
 quake. 
 
 
J 
 
 1 
 
 220 NATURAL HISTORY,o/’ 
 
 quake, with the iofs of 60,000 inhabitants. In 
 the reign of Saladin , in 1182, moft of the cities of 
 Syria and of the kingdom of Jerufalem were de¬ 
 ftroyed by the fame caufe. In Apulia and Calabria , 
 earthquakes have been more frequent than in any 
 other part of Europe. In the pontificate of Pius 
 II. all the churches and palaces of Naples were 
 thrown down, near 30,000 perfons killed, and 
 the inhabitants that remained alive were forced to 
 live in tents till they could get their houfes rebuilt. 
 In 1629 there were earthquakes in Apulia which 
 deftroyed 7000 perfons; and in 1638 the city of 
 St. Euphemia was fwallowed up, and a kinking 
 lake left in its place; Ragufa and Smyrna were 
 likewife almoft deftroyed. In 1 692 an earthquake 
 extended over England, Holland, Flanders, Germa¬ 
 ny and France, but was felt moft fenfibly along the 
 fea coafls, and near great rivers: it ftiook at leaft 
 2600 fquare leagues, yet it lafted but two mi¬ 
 nutes, and the motion was more confiderable on 
 mountains than in valleys 1 . In 1688 on the 10th 
 of July, there was an earthquake at Smyrna, which 
 began with a motion from weft to eaft. The caf- 
 tle fell firft, its four walls opening and finking fix 
 feet into the fea: this caftle, which was an ifth- 
 mus, is now a real ifiand a too paces from the 
 land. The walls which ftood eaft and weft are 
 fallen, tbofe that ftood north and fouth ftill re¬ 
 main. The city, which is ten miles from the caf¬ 
 tle, was thrown down prefently after; there were 
 in feveral places openings of the earth, from 
 whence fubterraneous noiles were heard; before 
 1 R(iy s difequrfes, p. 272. 
 
 night 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 221 
 
 night five or fix ihocks were felt, the firft lafted 
 about half a minute. The roads were agitated, the 
 ground in the city funk two feet, not above a fourth 
 part of the buildings flood, and thofe chiefly were 
 founded on rocks; they reckon that 15 or 20,000 
 perfons were loft m . In 1695 in an earthquake 
 which was felt at Bologna in Italy , it was particu¬ 
 larly remarked, that the waters were troubled the 
 day before n . 
 
 There was a great earthquake at Tercera on the 
 fourth of May 1614, which in the city of Angra 
 overthrew eleven churches and nine chapels, be- 
 fides private houfes; and in the city of Praya it 
 was fo terrible, that fcarce a houfe was left Hand¬ 
 ing; and on the 16th of June 1628, happened a 
 horrible earthquake in the ifland of Sjt. Michael , 
 near the land the fea opened, and an ifland arofe 
 in a place over which there was before 150 fa¬ 
 thoms of water, which ifland was a league and an 
 half long, and above 60 fathoms high °. 
 
 There was another earthquake in 1591 which 
 began the 26th of July , and lafted in the ifland of 
 St. Michael till the 12th of the following month: 
 tercera and Fayal were Ihaken the next day with 
 fuch violence, that they feemed as though they 
 were turned about, however thefe dreadful fliocks 
 were repeated there but four times, whereas in St. 
 Michael they ceafed not a moment for 15 days: 
 the iflanders having abandoned their houfes, which 
 drop’d as they left them, were all that while ex- 
 pofed to the injuries of the air. A whole city 
 
 m Hijt. de rAcad, dts fciences, atm. 1688. “ Hifi. de 
 
 PAcad. ami. 2696. * Mandelfe'% voyages. 
 
 called 
 

 w 
 
 222 NATURAL HISTORY of 
 
 called Villa Franca , was overturned to its founda¬ 
 tions, and moll of the inhabitants crulhed under 
 the ruins. In many places the plains rofe up into 
 hills, and in fome the mountains funk or changed 
 their fituation. From out of the ground iffued a 
 fountain of frefh water, which run four days, and 
 then was dried up at once : befides this there was 
 fo violent an agitation in the fea and air, that the 
 horrid found of it refembled the bellowings of fo- 
 refts of favage beafts; many died of fear. There 
 were no vefiels in the harbours which did not un¬ 
 dergo the utmoft danger; and others which were 
 at anchor, and fome under fail 20 leagues off thefe 
 illands, were yet more roughly dealt with. Earth¬ 
 quakes are common in the Azores ; 20 years before 
 one happened in the ifiand of St. Michael , which 
 overfet a very high mountain p. In the month of 
 September 1627, at Manilla, an earthquake leveled 
 one of the two mountains called Carvallos, in the 
 province of Cagayan-, in 1645 the third part of the 
 city was ruined by a like accident, and 300 people 
 perifhed; the next year, itfufrered by another: the 
 old Indians fay, they w T ere heretofore flill more ter¬ 
 rible ; tor which reaion they built their houfes of 
 wood only; as the Spaniards do now above the 
 fil'd ftory. The number of volcano’s in that if¬ 
 iand confirm what has been faid. For at certain 
 times they vomit out flames, fhake the earth, and 
 work the feveral effects which Pliny afcribes to thofe 
 of Italy ; that is, to fhift the beds of rivers, caufe 
 the neighbouring feas to retreat, fill all places a- 
 bout them with afhes, and project great {tones to 
 p Gen. Hill, of Voyages vol. i. p. 325. 
 
 a 
 
VJ> 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 223 
 
 a vaft diftance with a noife lowder than that of ord¬ 
 nance q . 
 
 In the year 1646 the mountain of the ifland of 
 Machian was fplit afunder with dreadful cracks and 
 noifes, by an earthquake, an accident not rare in 
 that country •, fuch a quantity of fire iffued out of 
 the rent, as confumed feveral negro plantations 
 with their inhabitants: this prodigious aperture 
 was to be feen in 1685, and ’tis very probable that 
 it ftill fubfifts, it was called the Wheel-rut of Ma¬ 
 chian., becaufe it ran from the top down to the 
 bottom of the mountain like a hollow way r . 
 
 The hiflory of the Parijian academy mentions 
 the earthquakes of Italy in 1702 and 1703, in the 
 * following manner: the earthquake began in Italy 
 in Ottober 1702, and continued till July 1703; 
 the parts which fuffered moft, as alfo where they 
 began, are the city of Norcia with its dependencies, 
 in the Ecclefiajlical State , and the province of A- 
 bruzzio: thefe countries are contiguous and fituat- 
 ed at the foot of the Apennine , on the fouth fide. 
 
 Thefe earthquakes were frequently accompanied 
 with frightful noifes in the air, and the fame noifes 
 have alfo often been heard without any earthquake, 
 the fky being very ferene. The earthquake of 
 February 2, 1703, the moft violent of them all, 
 was accompanied, at Rome at leaft, with very ferene 
 weather and calm air; it lafted there half a mi¬ 
 nute, but at Aquila , the capital of the Abruzzio , 
 three hours. It deftroyed the whole city of Aquila^ 
 
 q Voyage de Gimelli Careri, p. 139. 1 Conqueft of the 
 
 Moluccas, vol. iii. p. 318. 
 
 buried 
 
224 NATURAL HISTORY of 
 
 buried 5000 perfons in the ruins, and committed 
 great ravage round about. 
 
 Commonly the olcillations of the earth were 
 from north to fouth, or nearly fo, which was dif- 
 covered by the vibrating of the chandeliers in 
 churches. 
 
 Two openings were made in a field, out of 
 which were thrown a quantity of ftones with vio¬ 
 lence, which covered it all over and render’d it 
 barren; after the ftones it threw out, from the 
 fame openings, two fpouts of water a great deal 
 higher than the tops of the talleft trees, which laft- 
 ed a quarter of an hour, and inundated all quite 
 to the neighbouring countries: the water was white, 
 like foap-fuds, and without any tafte. 
 
 A mountain near Sigillo , a village about 22 
 miles from Aquila , had upon its top a pretty large 
 plain invironed with rocks which were as a wall 
 to it. 1 he earthquake of the fecond of February 
 changed that plain into a gulph of unequal breadth, 
 its greateft diameter being 25 fathoms, and its 
 leaft 20: the depth of it cannot be meafured, and 
 has been found to exceed 300 fathoms. At the 
 time this opening was formed, flames were ob- 
 ferved to iflfue out, and after them a very thick 
 fmoak which lafted three days with feme interrup¬ 
 tions. 
 
 At Genoa on the firft and fecond of July , they 
 had two fmall tremors, the laft only felt by people 
 on the mole. At the fame time the fea in the port 
 funk fix feet, fo that the galleys touched ground, 
 and this (hallow lafted near a quarter of an hour. 
 
 The 
 
'VI I 
 
 5 Tvoh, 
 
 EARTHQUAKE? 225 
 
 The fufphury water in the road from Rome to 
 diminifhed two feet and a half in depth, 
 both in the bafin and the canal. In feveral places 
 of the plain called Tejiine , there were lprings and 
 brooks which had made it all marfhy, but now it is 
 perfectly dry. The water of the lake called Ehfer , 
 like wife diminifhed three feet in depth: in the place 
 of ancient fprings now dried up, new ones have 
 burft out about a mile from the former, fo that 
 in all probability they are the fame waters, which 
 have alter’d their courfe f . 
 
 The earthquake which formed the Monte di Ce- 
 nere near Puzzoli in 1538, filled the Lucrine lake at 
 the fame time with ftones, earth and alhes, fo that 
 the lake is now a marfhy foil l . 
 
 Some earthquakes are felt a great diftance at fea. 
 Dr. Shaw relates u that in 1724, being on board 
 the Gazelle , an Algerine fhip of 50 guns, they felt 
 fuch violent fhocks one after another, as if the 
 weight of 20 or 30 tons had been let fall from a 
 good height on the ballaft. This was in a part of 
 the Mediterranean where they had more than 200 
 fathom water: he adds that others had felt much 
 more confiderable earthquakes in other places, and 
 one among the reft 40 leagues to the weft of Lijlon. 
 
 ScbouterP , fpeaking of an earthquake which hap¬ 
 pened in the Malacca's , fays, that the mountains 
 were fhalcen, and fhips that v/ere at anchor in 30 
 or 40 fathom water, were jerked as if they had ran 
 afhore, or came foul of rocks-, that daily experi¬ 
 ence fhews that the fame thing happens in the o- 
 
 { Hijl. de l Acad. am. 1704. p. ia. ‘ Ray's Difcourfes, 
 p. 12. u Travels, p. 303. w Tom. vi. p. 103. 
 
 cean 
 
 
 
226 NATURAL HISTORY c/ 
 
 cean where no bottom can be found, and that in 
 earthquakes vefTels are violently tofs’d on a fud- 
 den though the fea be perfectly calm. 
 
 Le Gentil x fpeaks of earthquakes whereof himfelf 
 was witnefs, in the following terms. “ I have 
 “ made fome remarks on earthquakes; firft, that 
 “ half an hour before the tremor, all animals feem 
 “ frightned, horfes neigh, break their halters, and 
 “ run out of the ftables, birds are ftunned as it 
 “ were, and come in a doors, rats and mice come 
 “ out of their holes, &c- Secondly, that lhips at 
 “ anchor fuffer fuch violent agitations, as to feem 
 “ to be falling afunder, their guns bVeak loofe, 
 “ and their malts fpring; this is more than I could 
 “ have eafily believed, had not many unanimous 
 “ teftimonies convinced me. I know well that the 
 “ bottom of the fea is a continuation of the land; 
 “ that if this land be lhaken, it communicates the 
 “ fhock to the waters it fuftains; but the thing 
 “ which I cannot form a conception of, is that ir- 
 “ regular motion of a Ihip whereof all its feveral 
 “ parts do participate, as if the whole velfel were 
 “ a part of the earth, and did not fwim in a fluid; 
 “ whereas I Ihould think fhe lhould be liable to no 
 “ other motions than thofe fine experiences in a 
 “ ftorm: befides, on the occalion I am fpeaking 
 “ of, the furface of the fea was fmooth, almolt 
 “ without a wave, and the whole agitation mull 
 “ be wholly internal, as the wind could have no 
 “ concern in the earthquake. Thirdly, that if the 
 “ cavern of the earth wherein the fubterranean fire 
 “ is confined, runs north and fouth, and if a city 
 
 * Nouveau voyage autour du Monde, tom, i. p, 172, &c. 
 
 “ over 
 
earthquakes. 
 
 over it be fituate in a parallel direction thereto, 
 “ all the houfes will be overthrown! whereas if the 
 “ fame vein or cavern crofies the town, the da- 
 “ mage will be confiderably lefs.” 
 
 It happens in countries iubjedt to earthquakes, 
 that whenever a new volcano is formed, the earth¬ 
 quakes ceafe, and are no more fenfibly felt, but 
 in violent eruptions of the volcano, as was obferv- 
 ed in the ifland of St. Chriftopher y . 
 
 The excefiive ravages occafioned by earthquakes 
 have induced fome naturalifts to imagine that the 
 mountains and other inequalities on the furface of 
 the globe, are the mere effects of fubterraneous 
 fires, and that all the irregularities we difcern over 
 the whole earth, are to be attributed to the violent 
 lhocks and fubverfions which they have produced: 
 Ray , for inftance, is of this opinion •, he believes 
 that all mountains have been formed by earth¬ 
 quakes, or explofions of volcano’s, as the Monte 
 di Cenere, the new ifland near Santorini, Sec. but 
 he has not taken due notice, that the fmall eleva¬ 
 tions formed by the eruption of a volcano, or by 
 the adtion of an earthquake, are not inwardly com- 
 pofed of horizontal ftrata, as all other mountains 
 are, for by digging into Monte di Cenere, there are 
 found calcined ftones, pumice ftones, afhes, burnt 
 earth and drofs of iron, all mingled together like 
 a heap of rubbifh. Befides if the great mountains 
 of the earth, as the Cordilieres, 'Taurus , the Alpes, 
 See. had been produced by earthquakes and fub¬ 
 terraneous fires, the prodigious force requifite to 
 raife thofe enormous mafles, muft at the fame time 
 y Philof % Tranf, abridged, vol. ii. p. 392. 
 
 <v 
 
 
 
 Q? 
 
 hav 
 
 
2* 2 8 NATURAL HISTORY of 
 have deftroyed a good part of the furface of the 
 globe, and the effettof the earthquake would have 
 been extremely, nay inconceivably violent, fince 
 the moll extraordinary earthquakes recorded in hif- 
 tory, have not had force enough to raife moun¬ 
 tains. There was one, for example, as Ammianus 
 Marcellinus reports z , in the days of Valentiman the 
 firft, which was felt all over the known world, but 
 it is not faid, great as it was, to have raifed one 
 mountain. 
 
 It muft however be own’d that it will appear 
 from calculation, that though an earthquake may 
 be powerful enough to raife a mountain, yet it 
 would not be fufficient to difplace the reft of the 
 glebe. 
 
 For let us fuppofe for a moment, that the chain 
 of high mountains which traverfes South America 
 from the point of 'terra Magellanica to the moun¬ 
 tains of New Grenada and the Gulph of Darien , had 
 been raifed all at once by an earthquake, and then 
 let us compute the effetft of this explofion. This 
 ch&in is about 1700 leagues long, and at a mean 
 about 40 leagues broad, including the Sierras., or 
 mountains of lefs elevation than the Andes: the fur- 
 face is about 68,000 fquare leagues: I fuppofe the 
 thicknefs of the matter d'ifpkc’d by the earthquake 
 to be one league, or that the mean height of thefe 
 mountains, from the top to the bottom, or rather 
 indeed to the caverns,which in this hypothefis muft 
 fupport them, is but a league, which will be eafi- 
 ly granted; then, I fay, the force of the explofion 
 or earthquake will have elevated to the height of 
 * Lib, xxvi. cap. 14. 
 
 a league 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 229 
 
 a league a quantity of earth equal to 68,000 cubic 
 leagues: but, action being hqual to reaction, this ex - 
 plofion will have communicated to the whole globe, 
 the fame quantity of motion: now the whole globe 
 is 12,310,523,801 cubic leagues; from whence fub- 
 ftra&ing 68,©00 there remains 12,310,455,801 cu¬ 
 bic leagues, whofe quantity of motion is equal to 
 that of 68,000 cubic leagues raifed one league; 
 whence it appears that the force requifite to have 
 difplaced 68,000 cubic leagues, and remove them 
 one league, would not have difplaced the reft of 
 the globe a fmgle inch. 
 
 There would then be no abfolute impoflibility 
 that the mountains have been raifed by earthquakes, 
 if their internal compofition, as well as their ex¬ 
 ternal form were not evidently the work of the wa¬ 
 ters of the fea. The internal is compofed of re¬ 
 gular and parallel beds, filled with fea fhells; the 
 external of a figure whofe angles every where cor- 
 refpond; is it credible that fo uniform a compofi¬ 
 tion and fo regular a form fliouid be produced by 
 irregular fhocks and fudden explofions? 
 
 But as this opinion has prevailed with,federal 
 naturalifts, and as it feems to me that the nature 
 and effefts of earthquakes are not clearly under- 
 ftood, I efteem it neceftary to advance fome ideas 
 which may ferve to throw light on the fubject. 
 
 The earth having undergone great alterations 
 on its furface, there are even to very confiderable 
 depths, holes, caverns, fubterraneous rivulets and 
 empty fpaces, which fometimes have communica¬ 
 tions one with another by chinks and guts. Oi ca¬ 
 verns there are two kinds, the firft is produced by 
 
 Qj the 
 
230 N ATURAL H I STO RY of 
 
 the aftion of fubterraneous fires and volcano’s ; the 
 aftion of the fire lifts up, (hakes and difperfes to 
 a dillance whatever matters are over it, and at the 
 fame time rends and difranges thofe of either fide 
 of it, and fo forms caverns, grottos, hollows and ir¬ 
 regular dens, but thefe feldom occur but on round 
 high mountains that have volcano’s, and this fpecies 
 or caverns produced by the aftion of fire, are rarer 
 than the caverns of the fecond kind, which are pro¬ 
 duced by waters. We have feen that the different 
 ftrata of which fuperficial parts of the terreftrial 
 globe confifts, are all interrupted by perpendicular 
 fiflures of which I fhall explain the origin hereafter; 
 the waters of rain and vapours, defcending by 
 thefe, are collected together upon clay, and form 
 fprings and brooks; by their natural motions they 
 find out all fmall cavities and vacuities, and have a 
 conftant tendency to form themfelves palfages, 
 till they procure fome egrefs; carrying along 
 with them at the fame time fand, earth, gravel 
 and other fubftances which they are capable of com¬ 
 minuting, and fo gradually, as I may fay, paving 
 themfelves ways, and forming a kind of little chan¬ 
 nels or trenches •, at length they run out, either on 
 the furface of the earth or into the fea, in the form 
 of fprings: the matters they carry off with them 
 leave vacuities, whofe extent may probably be very 
 confiderable, and thefe vacuities form grottos and 
 caverns, whofe origin, it appears, is very different 
 from that of the caverns produced by earthquakes. 
 
 Earthquakes are of two kinds; one of them is 
 occafioned by the aftion of fubterraneous fires and 
 exploiions of volcano’s, and thefe are felt but to 
 
 fmall 
 
V3 
 
 EARTHQUAKES. 231 
 
 fmall diftances, and at the time the volcano’s are 
 raging, or before their firft eruption. When the 
 materials which conllitute fubterraneous fires be¬ 
 gin to ferment, wax hot, and break out into 
 flame, the fire exerts itfelf quaquaverfum, or in e- 
 very direction; and if it cannot naturally meet 
 with vents, it raifes the earth and procures itfelf 
 a pafiage by difperfing it, and thus produces a vol¬ 
 cano, whofe effe&s are reiterated, and fublift in 
 proportion to the quantity of the inflammable ma¬ 
 terials. If the fhock be confiderable, a fuccuflion 
 and flight commotion may be all the confequence, 
 at moft a gentle earthquake, without the eruption 
 of any volcano. The air generated and rarefied 
 by the fubterraneous fire, may likewife find out 
 fmall apertures to efcape at, in which cafe again, 
 the utmoft confequence will be no more than an 
 earthquake without any eruption or volcano: but 
 when the ignited matter is congefted in abundance, 
 and pent up by folid and compadt fubftances, a 
 commotion and a volcano will be the confequence. 
 Now thefe feveral commotions make but the firft 
 fpecies of earthquakes, and can fhake no very great 
 fpace. A very violent eruption of y£/K«, for ex¬ 
 ample, may excite a tremor all over Sicily , but will 
 never extend to 3 or 400 leagues. When any new 
 mouths of fire happen to open in Vefuvius, tremors 
 are felt in its neighbourhood, and at Naples •, yet 
 no fuch as thefe ever fhook the Alpes, or extended 
 to France , or other countries remote from Vefuvius. 
 The earthquakes produced from the adtion of vol¬ 
 cano’s, are confined to a very lmall fpace, being 
 properly the effedt of the readfion of fire, whereby 
 CQ4 they 
 
232 NATURAL HISTORY oj 
 
 they fhake the earth, juft as a powder magazine 
 when blown up, occafions a (hock and a tremor 
 which are felt at many leagues diftance. 
 
 There is yet another kind of earthquakes, very 
 different as to their effedfs, and probably their 
 caufes too ; fuch are thofe which are felt to vaft 
 diftances, and Ihake a Ions ftretch of ground with- 
 out the intermediation of any new volcano or erup¬ 
 tion. We have examples of earthquakes which 
 were felt at the fame time in England , France , Ger¬ 
 many and Hungary, and fuch are extended greatly 
 more in length than in breadth, and Ihock a belt 
 or zone of earth with a greater and lefs degree of 
 violence in different places, and are almoft ever 
 accompanied with a dull noife like that of a very 
 heavy carriage wheeling on with great rapidity. 
 
 To apprehend rightly what are the caufes of fuch 
 earthquakes, it muft be remembered that all fub- 
 ftances which are inflammable and capable of ex- 
 ploflon, do, like powder, at the inftant of their in¬ 
 flammation, generate a great quantity of air: that 
 air thus generated by fire, is in a ftate of exceeding 
 great rarefaction, and from its circumftance of 
 compreflion within the bowels of the earth, muft 
 produce moft violent effcfts. Suppofe now that at 
 a confiderable depth, as a too or 200 fathoms, 
 there fliould happen to be pyrites and other ful- 
 phureeus matters, and that through the fermenta¬ 
 tion excited by the filtration of waters, or by any 
 other means, they come to ignite, let us fee what 
 will be the ccnfequence. In the firft place thefe 
 matters are not difpofed regularly in horizontal 
 ftrata, as fuch fubftances are which have fettled 
 
 from 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 233 
 
 from the fediment of waters; on the contrary they 
 are in perpendicular fifflires, in caverns at the foot 
 of luch fiflures, and in other places into which wa-. 
 ters can penetrate and there a< 5 t. Thefe matters 
 taking flame, will produce a great quantity of air, 
 Whofe fpring comprefs’d in a fmall fpace, as that 
 of a cavern, will not only fhake the ground about 
 it, but will attempt all ways of efcaping and being 
 at liberty. The paflages which offer, are the ca¬ 
 vities and trenches formed by fubterraneous waters 
 and rivulets; the rarefied air will be precipitated 
 with violence into every paffage that is open to it, 
 and form a furious wind, the noife whereof will 
 be heard on the earth’s furface, accompanied with 
 fhocks and tremors. This fubterraneous wind ge¬ 
 nerated from fire, will extend full as far as the fub¬ 
 terraneous caverns or paflages reach, and excite a 
 tremor, more or lefs violent as it is diftant from 
 the focus of the conflagration, and meets with 
 paflages more or lefs confined. This motion be¬ 
 ing propagated length wife, the tremor will be fo 
 too, and will be felt along the extent of a terref- 
 trial'zone; but the air will not be able to produce 
 any eruption or volcano, having found fpace fuf- 
 ficient to dilate itfelf in, or becaufe it may have 
 met with fome vents to efcape by in the form of 
 wind or vapour: now fliould it even be denied that 
 any fubterraneous paflages do exift, through which 
 fuch wind and vapour can be conveyed, it may 
 notwithftanding be eaflly conceived that in the ve¬ 
 ry place where the firft explofion is made, the 
 ground being elevated to a confiderable height, 
 it is neceflary that whatfoever borders upon 
 
 this 
 
234 NATURAL HISTORY o/“ 
 
 this place mull; be rent, and divided horizontally, 
 and accompany the motion of the firft blaft, which 
 will be fufficient to procure pafiages for commu- ^ 
 
 nicating the motion to a very great diftance. This 
 explanation is agreeable to all the phenomena. It 
 is not at the fame inftant, nor at the fame hour III#* 
 
 that an earthquake is felt in places a too or 200 
 leagues, for example, afunder: there is neither fire Earl 
 
 nor eruption above from earthquakes extended to [to 
 
 fo great lengths, and the noife which almoft always iSiiil 
 
 accompanies them, marks out the progreflive mo- fflons 
 
 tion of the fubterraneous wind. What has been blear 
 
 advanced may be further confirmed by conned- if vole 
 
 ing it with other fads; it is known that mines ex- ' stitei 
 
 hale vapours, independently of the winds produc- oriaot 
 
 ed by the current of waters, blafts of unwholfome Itba 
 
 and fuffocating vapour are frequently met with; it jfted 
 
 is likewife well known that there are apertures, a- jars, 
 
 byffes, and deep lakes which let forth winds at sM 
 
 the furface, as the lake of Bolejlaw in Bohemia. info 
 
 All this being rightly comprehended, I cannot ®k|i 
 
 readily difeern, how it lhould be believed that , In 1 
 
 earthquakes can produce mountains, fince the very ilicli 
 
 caufes of earthquakes themfelves are mineral and Jtirc 
 
 fulphureous matters which are ordinarily found no cuved 
 
 where but in perpendicular fifiures and veins of jutl] 
 
 mountains, and other cavities of the earth, moll 
 of which have been produced by waters; that their ^ 
 
 fubftances by inflaming, produce but a momentary fy SQ 
 
 explofion, and violent winds which follow the 
 tracks of the fubterraneous waters; that the dura- 
 tion of earthquakes is, in reality, but momentary ‘ 
 
 on the furface of the earth, and that confequently 
 
 their 
 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S 235 
 
 their caufe is no other than an explofion, and not 
 a durable conflagration; and laftly, that thofe 
 earthquakes which lhake a large fpace, and extend 
 to mighty diftances, are fo far from raifing ridges 
 of mountains, that they do not fenfibly elevate the 
 furface of the earth, nor form the fmalleft hill in 
 the whole length of their courfe. 
 
 Earthquakes indeed are by far more frequent in 
 places where there are volcano’s, than elfewhere, as 
 in Sicily and near Naples ; ’tis known from obfer- 
 vations made at different times, that the mod vio¬ 
 lent earthquakes happen at the time of the eruption 
 of volcano’s j but thofe earthquakes are not fuch 
 as extend far, nor can they ever produce a chain 
 of mountains. 
 
 It has been fometimes obferved that the matters 
 ejefted out of /Etna, after lying cool for feveral 
 years, and being then moiftened by rains, have 
 rekindled, and thrown out flames with an explo- 
 fion fo violent, as even to produce a kind of little 
 earthquake. 
 
 In 1669, during a furious eruption of JEtna, 
 which began the nth of March , the fummit of 
 the mountain funk confiderably, as every one per¬ 
 ceived who had feen it before a , which is a proof 
 that the fire of the volcano’s proceeds rather from 
 the fummit than from the interior bottom of the 
 mountain. Borelli is of the fame opinion b , and 
 fays exprefsly, that “ The fire of volcano’s comes 
 “ not from the foot nor the center of the moun- 
 
 a Philof. Tranf. abridg’d, vol. ii. p. 387. 
 
 Montis JEtna, 
 
236 NATURAL HISTORY of 
 
 “ tain, bur on the contrary from the fummit, and 
 “ kindles but at a fmall depth.” 
 
 Mount Vefuvius in its eruptions has often ejected 
 a quantity of boiling water. Mr. Ray, who is of 
 opinion that the fire of volcano’s comes from a 
 very great depth, fays that it is lea water which 
 infinuates into the internal caverns.of the foot of 
 the mountain, and urges for proof the remarkable 
 drynefs of the fummit of Vefuvius, together with 
 the motion of the fea, which in violent eruptions 
 recedes from the fhorei and fhrir ks to that degree, 
 as fometimes to have left the port of Naples in a 
 manner dry: but fhould thefe facts be true, they 
 would be no lolid proof that the fire of volcano’s 
 comes from a very great depth: for the water they 
 throw out is certainly rain water which foaks in 
 through fiffures, and is collected in the cavities of 
 the mountain: frefh fprings and brooks are feen 
 to run from the fummits of volcano’s, in the fame 
 manner as from other high mountains •, and as they 
 are hollow, and have undergone more concuffions 
 than other mountains, it is not ftrange that waters 
 fhould be depofited in the caverns within them, 
 and that thofe waters fhould be rejected, with o- 
 ther fubftances, during their eruptions. As to 
 the motion of the fea, it arifes folely from the fhock 
 communicated to its water by the explofion, which 
 mu ft occafion an afflux and reflux, according to 
 different circumftances. 
 
 The fubftances which volcano’s rejedt, iftue out 
 mod commonly under the form of a torrent of 
 melted minerals, which inundates all places round 
 Inch mountains: thofe rivers of liquified matter 
 
 ftretch 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 237 
 
 ftretch to confiderabie diftances, and in cooling, 
 form themfelves into horizontal or inclining beds, 
 which as to their pofition are fimilar to the beds 
 which are made of the fediments of waters ; but it 
 is very eafy to diftinguifh the beds formed by the 
 fpreading of fubftances rejected by volcano’s, 
 from thofe which arife from fediments of the fea. 
 
 1 jl, Becaufe they are not every where of an equal 
 thicknefs. 2 d, Becaufe they contain no other than 
 fuch matters as may be evidently perceived to have 
 been calcined, vitrified, or melted. ^d, Becaufe 
 they do not extend to a very great diftance. There 
 being a multitude of volcano’s in Peru, and the 
 foot of mofb of the volcano’s of the Cordilieres 
 covered with matters vomited out of thofe moun¬ 
 tains, it is not furprizing that no fea fhells fhould 
 be found in all that foil, fince they have been cal¬ 
 cined and deftroyed by the action of the fire: but 
 I am perfuaded, that were one to dig into the clayey 
 foil, which according to M. Bouguer , is the ordi¬ 
 nary land of the valley of Quito, fhells would be 
 met with there, as they are in all other places; 
 fuppofing that foil to be really of clay, and that it 
 is not formed, as is thac at the foot of the moun¬ 
 tains, of the excrements of volcano’s. 
 
 It has been often afked, for what reafon are vol¬ 
 cano’s found in high mountains? I think I have 
 in part fatisfy’d this query already elfewhere, how¬ 
 ever I will not dole this fubjeft without explaining 
 myfelf more particularly. 
 
 The pikes or points of mountains were all of 
 them once covered and invironed with fand and 
 
 earth. 
 
earth, which rain waters afterwards wafhed down 
 into the valieys, and left nothing but the rocks or 
 ftones remaining, which formed the kernel or core 
 of the mountain 5 this core being laid bare, and 
 dripped to the foot, became after this liable to fur¬ 
 ther injuries from the air, befides the fcaling off 
 and feparating of many great and fmall fragments 
 by froft, which rowled down below, feveral rocks 
 of the fummit cleaving afunder from the fame 
 caufe. Thofe which formed the bafe of the fum¬ 
 mit being uncovered, and no more fupported by 
 the furrounding earth, gave way a little, and by 
 feparating from each other formed fmall interfaces: 
 this yielding of the lower rocks could not take place 
 without communicating a more confiderable motion 
 to the upper ones, whereby they were cleft and rent 
 from one another. In confequence of all this an 
 infinity of perpendicular fiffures great and fmall, 
 came to be wrought in the core of the mountain, 
 from the fummit to the bafe of the lower rocks: 
 through thefe the rains penetrated, and Joofened or 
 diffolved all the minerals and other fubftances in 
 the heart of the mountain, which they were capa¬ 
 ble of adting upon ; they formed pyrites, fulphurs 
 and other combuftible matters; and when in pro- 
 cefs of time thefe matters became accumulated in a 
 large quantity,they fermented, took flame and pro¬ 
 duced explofions and other effedls of volcano’s. 
 Perhaps too there might be a flock of fuch mineral 
 fubftances already formed in the heart of the moun¬ 
 tain even before the rains had penetrated, and thefe 
 might force open fiffures, and give paffages to the 
 i water 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 239 
 
 water and air, which put them into the ftate of in¬ 
 flammation which produced a volcano. No fuch 
 motions can be brought about in plains, where all 
 things fubfift in a perfect repofe, and nothing is 
 capable of being difplaced, lo that it is not at all 
 ftrange that they are entirely free from volcano’s. 
 
 When coal mines are opened, which are ufually 
 found in clayey foils at a great depth, it fometimes 
 happens that the beforementioned fubftances take 
 fire, and there are fome mines in Scotland, Flanders , 
 &c. which continue burning feveral years: the 
 communication of the air is fufficient for this ef¬ 
 fect: but this fort of fire produces but flight ex- 
 plofions, without forming volcano’s, becaufe all 
 being folid and compaft in fuch places, no fuch 
 fires can be wrought up as thofe are in volcano’s, 
 where there are cavities into which the air enters, 
 and by augmenting and aflifting the attion of the 
 fire, produces the terrible effects we have treated 
 of in this efiay. 
 
 
 
 Wi 
 
 
 O F 
 
 
SUMMARY of the CAUSES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ALTERATIONS 
 
 Which have happened to the Face of 
 the Earth. 
 
 F' | ^HE changes and alterations that have been 
 made in the fuperficial part of the terra- 
 queous globe have been eftefted chiefly by 
 water, fire and wind. Thofe by water have been 
 either by the motions of the fea, or by rains; and 
 both either ordinary or extraordinary: the ordina¬ 
 ry tides and fpring-tides of the fea do wafh away 
 the fhores, and change fand-banks and the like. 
 The extraordinary and tempeftuous motions of the 
 fea, raifed by raging and impetuous winds, fub- 
 terraneous fires, or fome other hidden caufes, o- 
 verwhelm iflands, open fretum’s, throw up huge 
 beds and banks of fand, nay vafi: baiches {beaches) 
 of ftone, extending fome miles, and drown whole 
 countries. The ordinary rains contribute fome- 
 2 thing 
 
Changes on the Surface of the Earth. 241 
 
 thing to the daily diminution of the mountains, fill¬ 
 ing up of the valleys, and atterating (wearing a- 
 •way) the fkirts of the feas. The extraordinary rains 
 caufing great floods and deluges, have more vifible 
 and remarkable influences upon fuch mutations, 
 doing that in a few days, which the ordinary wea¬ 
 ther could not effed, it may be, in an hundred 
 years. 
 
 In all thefe changes the winds have a great in- 
 terefl:; the motion of the clouds being wholly ow¬ 
 ing to them, and in a great meafure alfo the over¬ 
 flowings and inundations of the fea. 
 
 Whatever changes have been wrought by earth¬ 
 quakes, thunders, and eruptions of volcano’s, are 
 the eflfeds of fire. 
 
 All thefe caufes co-operate towards the lower¬ 
 ing of mountains, leveling of the earth r flraitening 
 and landing up of the fea, and in fine compelling 
 the waters to return upon the dry land, and cover 
 the whole furface of it, as at the firft. How to 
 obviate this in a natural way, I know not, unlefs 
 by a tranfmutation of the two elements of water 
 and earth one into another, which I can by no 
 means grant. ’Tis true indeed, the rocky parts 
 of the mountains may be fo hard and impenetra¬ 
 ble, as to refifl: and hold out againfb all the afiaulfs 
 of the water, and utmofi: rage of the fea-, but then 
 all the earth and fand being wafhed from them, 
 nothing, but as it were their fkeletons, will remain 
 extant above the waters, and the earth being in ef¬ 
 fect drowned. 
 
 But though I cannot imagine or think upon any 
 natural means to prevent and put a flop to this 
 R effeft. 
 
m 
 
 242 Changes on the Surface of the Earth. 
 effect, yet I do not deny that there may be feme; 
 and I am the rather inclinable lb to think, becaufe 
 the world doth not in any degree proceed fo fall 
 towards this period, as the force and agency of all 
 thefe caufes together feem to require. For, as I 
 faid before, the oracle predicting the carrying on 
 the fhore of Cilicia as far as Cyprus by the earth 
 and mud that the turbid river Pyramus fhould bring 
 down, and let fall in the interjacent ftrait, is fo far 
 from being filled up, that there hath not any con- 
 fiderable progrefs been made towards it, fo far as 
 I have heard or read, in thefe 2000 years. And 
 we find by experience, that the longer the world 
 lafts, the fewer concufiions and mutations are made 
 nin the upper or fuperficial region of the earth; 
 the parts thereof feeming to tend to a greater quiet 
 and fettlement. 
 
 Befides the fuperficies of the fea, notwithftand- 
 ing the overwhelming and fubmerfion of iflands, 
 and the ftraitening of it about the outlets of rivers; 
 and the earth it waflies from the fhores fubfidino-. 
 and elevating the bottom, feems not to be raifed 
 higher, nor fpread further, or bear any greater 
 proportion to that of the land than it did a 1000 
 years ago. 
 
c{oc$oo^c«{o<^c^o^q^^cj^cjc}5;c^oc{oc$o 
 
 
 Some Considerations 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 Caufes of EARTHQUAKES. 
 
 I N the earthquake which happened the 8th of 
 March 1749-50, I being then awake in bed, 
 on a ground-floor, near the church of St. Martin's 
 in the Fields , very fenfibly felt the bed heave, and 
 confequently the earth mull heave too. There; 
 was a hollow, obfcure, rufliing noife in the houfe, 
 which ended in a loud explofion up in the air, 
 like that of a fmall cannon: the whole duration, 
 from the beginning to the end of the earthquake, 
 feemed to be about four feconds of time. The 
 foldiers who were upon duty in St. James's Park , 
 and others who were then up, faw a blackifh cloud, 
 with confiderable lightning, juft before the earth¬ 
 quake began-, it was alfo very calm weather. 
 
 In the hiftory of earthquakes it is obferved, 
 that they generally begin in calm weather with a 
 black cloud. And when the air is clear, juft be¬ 
 fore an earthquake, yet there are often figns of 
 plenty of inflammable fulphureous matter in the 
 air-, fuch as ignes fatui or jack-a-lanterns$ and 
 the meteors called falling ftars. 
 
 Now, I have fhewn many years fince, in the 
 appendix to my Statical E/ays , experiment 3, p. 
 280. the efifed that the mixture of a pure and a 
 fulphureous air have on each other; viz. by turn- 
 
 R 2 
 
 mg 
 
244 Some Confederations on the 
 
 ing the mouth downwards into a pan of water, of 
 a glafs veffel of a capacity fufficient to hold about 
 two quarts, with a neck about 20 inches long, 
 and two inches wide. Then, by putting under it, 
 in a proper glafs veflel, with a long narrow neck, 
 a mixture of aqua forth , and powdered pyrites , 
 viz. the Hone of which vitriol is made, there will 
 be a brifk ferment, which will fill the glafs with 
 reddifh fulphureous fumes; which by generating 
 more air than they deftroy, will caufe the water, 
 with which the whole neck of the glafs veffel was 
 filled, to fublide confiderably. When the reddifh 
 liilphureous air in the upper part of the glafs is 
 clear, by Handing two or three hours, if then the 
 month of the inverted glafs is lifted cut of the 
 water, fo as to let the water in the neck of the 
 glafs fall out ; which, fupoofing it to be a pint, 
 then an equal quantity of frefh air will rufh in at the 
 mouth of the neck of the veffel, which mull be 
 immediately immerfed in the water: and upon 
 the mixture oi the frefh air with the then clear 
 fulphureous air, there will inftantly arife a violent 
 agitation between the two airs, and they will be¬ 
 come, from tranfparent and clear, a reddifh tur¬ 
 bid fume, of the colour of thofe vapours, which 
 were feen feveral evenings before the late earth¬ 
 quake, during which effervefcence, a quantity 
 of air, nearly equal to what frefh air was let in, 
 will be deftroyed; which is evident by the rifing 
 up of the water in the neck of the glafs, almoft 
 as high as before. And if, after the effervefcence 
 of the mixed airs is over, and they become clear 
 again, frefh air be admitted, as before; they will 
 
Caufes ^Earthquakes. 245 
 again glow ieddifh and turbid, and deftroy the 
 new admitted air, as before; and this after 
 feveral repeated admiffions of frefh air : but af¬ 
 ter every readmiffion of frefh air, the quantity 
 deftroyed will be lefs and lefs, till no more will 
 be deftroyed. And it is the fame after ftanding 
 feveral weeks, provided in the mean time, too 
 much frefh air had not been admitted. Now, I 
 found the fum total of the frefh air thus deftroy¬ 
 ed to be nearly equal to the firft quantity of ful- 
 phureous air in the inverted glafs. 
 
 Since we have in this experiment a full proof of 
 the brifk agitation and effervefcence which arifes 
 from the mixture of frefh air with air that is im¬ 
 pregnated with fulphureous vapours, which arife 
 from feveral mineral fubftances, efpecially from 
 the pyrites , which abounds in many parts of the 
 earth; may we not with good reafon conclude, 
 that the irkfome heat, which we feel in what is 
 called a clofe fultry temperature of the air, is oc¬ 
 casioned by the inteftine motion between the air 
 and the fulphureous vapours which are exhaled 
 from the earth? which effervefcence ceafes as foon 
 as the vapours are equably and uniformly mixed 
 in the air; as happens alfo in the effervefcences and 
 fermentations of other liquors. The common ob¬ 
 servation therefore, that lightning cools the air, 
 feems to be grounded on good reafon; that being 
 the utmoft and laft effort of this effervefcence. 
 
 May we not hence alfo, with good probability, 
 conclude, that the firft kindling of lightning is ef¬ 
 fected by the fudden mixture of the pure ferene 
 air above the clouds, ..with the fulphureous va¬ 
 il 3 pours, 
 
 1 
 
24-6 Some Confederations on the 
 
 pours, which are fometimes raifed in plenty, im¬ 
 mediately below the clouds ? the molt dreadful 
 thunders being ufually when the air is very black 
 with clouds; it rarely thundering without clouds; 
 clouds ferving, in this cafe, like the abovemen- 
 tioned inverted glaffes, as a partition between the 
 pure and fulphureous airs: which mult therefore, 
 upon their fudden admixture through the inter¬ 
 faces of the clouds, make (like the two airs in 
 the glafs) a more violent effervefcence, than if 
 thofe airs had, without the intervention of the 
 clouds, more gradually intermixed, by the con- 
 ftant more gradual afcent of the warmer fulphure¬ 
 ous vapours from the earth, and the defcent of 
 the cold ferene air from above. And though 
 there was no luminous flafh of light in the glafs, 
 yet, where fuch fudden effervefcence arifes, among 
 a vaft quantity of fuch vapours in the ‘Open ex- 
 panfe of air, it may, not improbably, acquire 
 fo rapid a velocity, as to kindle the fulphureous 
 vapours, and thereby become luminous. 
 
 And fince, from the effects that lightning is ob- 
 ferved to have on the lungs of animals, which it 
 often kills, by deftroying the air’s elafticity in 
 them, as alfo from its burfting windows outwards, 
 by deftroying the air’s elafticity on the outfide of 
 thofe windows: fince, 1 fay, it is hence probable, 
 that the fulphureous fumes do deftroy a great 
 quantity of elaftic air •, it fhould therefore Caufe 
 great commotions and concuffion§ in the air, when 
 the air rufhes into thofe evacuated places; which 
 it muft naturally do with great velocity. 
 
 Dr. Papin has calculated the velocity with which 
 
Caufes of Earthquakes. 247 
 
 air ruffles into an exhaufted receiver, when driven 
 by the whole p re dure of the atmoiphere, to be at 
 the rate of 1305 feet in a fecond of time •, which 
 is at the rate of 889 feet in an hour: near 18 times a 
 greater velocity than that of the ftrongeft ftorms, 
 which is eftimated to be at the rate of 50 miles in 
 an hour \ 
 
 Hence we fee that an outrageous hurricane may 
 be caufed, by deftroying a fmall portion of the 
 elafticity of the air of any place, in refped to the 
 whole. No wonder then, that fuch violent com¬ 
 motions of the air Ihould produce hurricanes and 
 thunder-fhow r ers •, efpecially in the warmer cli¬ 
 mates ; where both the fulphureous and watery 
 vapours, being raifed much higher, and in great¬ 
 er plenty, caufe more violent effeds. 
 
 Monfieur de Buffon , in his Natural hijlory and 
 theory of the earth , mentions black dark clouds 
 in the air, near the tempeftuous Cape of Good Hope , 
 and alfo in the ocean of Guiney, called by the 
 failors the Ox's Eye , which are forerunners of ter¬ 
 rible ftorms and hurricanes. Whence it is to be 
 fufpeded, that they are large colledions of iulphu- 
 reous vapours; which, by deftroying fuddenly a 
 great quantity of the elaftic air, caufe the ambient 
 air to rufh with great violence into that vacuity, 
 thereby producing tempefts and hurricanes; and 
 off the coaft of Guiney they have fometimes three 
 or four of thele hurricanes in a day; the forerun¬ 
 ners of which are thefe black fulphureous clouds, 
 with a ferene clear air and calm fea; which on a 
 fudden turns tempeftuous, on the exploffon of 
 a Phil, Tranf. n. 184, p. 195. 
 
 R 4 thefe 
 
 
 ■rs 
 
248 Some Confid.rations on the 
 
 thefe fulphureous clouds. And in Jamaica they 
 never have an earthquake when there is a wind to 
 dilperfe the fulphureous vapours. 
 
 In the like manner we find, in the late earth¬ 
 quakes at London , and in the accounts of many 
 other earthquakes, that before they happen, there* 
 is ufually a calm air, with a black fulphureous 
 cloud: which cloud would probably be difperfed 
 like a fog, were there a wind: which difperfion 
 would prevent the earthquake, as it is probably 
 \ caufed by the explofive lightning of this fulphu¬ 
 reous cloud; being both nearer the earth, than 
 common lightnings, and alfo at a time when ful¬ 
 phureous vapours are riling from the earth in great¬ 
 er quantities than ufual, which is often occafioned 
 by a long feries of hot and dry weather. In which 
 combined circumllances, the afcending fulphure¬ 
 ous vapours in the earth may probably take fire, 
 and thereby caufe an earth-lightning; which is at 
 firfi: kindled at the furface, and not at great depths, 
 
 ■ as has been thought: and the explofion of this 
 lightning is the immediate caufe of an earthquake. 
 
 It is in the like manner that thofe meteors, 
 which are called falling liars are fuppofed to be 
 kindled into a flame at the upper part of a ful¬ 
 phureous train, which is kindled downwards into 
 a flame, in the fame manner as a frelh-blown-out 
 candle is inftantly lighted from another candle 
 held over it at a dillance, in the fulphureous in¬ 
 flammable fmoke of it. 
 
 I am fenfible that it may feem improbable, that 
 the afcenaing fulphureous vapours in the earth 
 Ihouid thus be kindled; but, fince they are con- 
 
V3 
 
 Caufes of Earthquakes. 249 
 
 tinually afcending through the pores of the earth, 
 more or lefs, for many good and ufeful purpofes, 
 it is plain there is room for them to pafs. Be- 
 fides, as Monf. de Buffcn remarks, naturalifts have 
 obferved perpendicular and oblique clefts, in all 
 kinds of layers of earth, not only among rocks, 
 but alfo among all kinds of earth, that have not 
 been removed, as is obfervable wherever the earth 
 is open to any depth. Now thefe clefts are cauf- 
 ed by the drying of the feveral horizontal layers 
 of the earth; and will alfo be confiderably the 
 wider in long, dry, hot feafons, which are ufual- 
 ly the preparatory forerunners of earthquakes, 
 and the explofion of the fulphureous vapours may 
 probably widen them the more. 
 
 It is very obfervable, in the opinion of Bnrelff 
 and other naturalifts, that volcano’s beginJirft to 
 kindle near the furface or top of the mountains, 
 and not in the caverns in the lower parts of the 
 mountains. Monf. de Buffcn fays that earthquakes 
 are moft frequent where there are volcano’s, ful¬ 
 phureous matter abounding moft there : but that, 
 though they continue burning long, yet they are 
 not very extenfive: but that the other fort of 
 earthquakes, which are not caufed by a volcano, 
 extend often to a great diftance. Thefe are much 
 longer eaft and weft, than broad north and fouth; 
 and fhake a zone of earth with different degrees of 
 force in different parts of their courfe: viz. in 
 proportion to the different quantities of explofive 
 fulphureous matter in different places. Thefe 
 kind of earthquakes are obferved to be progref- 
 five, and to take time to extend to the great dif- 
 
 tances, 
 
250 Some Confide rations on the 
 
 tances, fometimes of fome thoufands of miles. 
 They are an inftantaneous explofion in every place, 
 near the furface of the earth; and therefore do 
 not produce mountains, and iflands, as volcano’s 
 fometimes do. 
 
 The earthquake in London, March 8, 1749-50, 
 was thought to move from eaftward to weftward. 
 M. de Buffon mentions an earthquake at Smyrna in 
 the year 1688, which moved from weft to eaft •, 
 viz. becaufe the firft kindling probably began on 
 the weftern fide; and in the earthquake at Lon- 
 dcn on the eaftern fide. And accordingly it was 
 obferved that the reddifh bows in the air, which 
 appeared feveral days before that earthquake, a- 
 rofe in the eaft, and proceeded weftward. It was 
 obferved after the earthquake at Smyrna , that the 
 caftle walls which run from eaft to weft, were 
 thrown down, but thofe from north to fouth flood; 
 and that the houfes on rocks flood better than 
 thofe on the earth. 
 
 M. de Buffer relates, that the vibrations of the 
 earth in earthquakes, have commonly been from 
 north to fouth,as appears by the motion of the lamps 
 in churches: which makes it probable, that tho’ 
 the progrefs of the earthquake at Smyrna was from 
 weft to eaft, yet the vibrations of the earth might 
 be from north to fouth, and thereby occafion the 
 fall of the caftle walls which ran from eaft to weft, 
 but not thofe which ran from north to fouth : A 
 probable argument, that as the freeft paftage, fo 
 the greatell explofions were made in the clefts 
 of the earth which ran eaft and weft; which 
 would make the vibrations north and fouth. 
 
 It 
 
Caufes of Earthquakes. 251 
 
 It was obferved that the waters turned foul 
 the day before an earthquake at Bologna in Italy: 
 and I was informed, that the water of fome wells 
 in London turned foul at the time of the earth¬ 
 quakes; which was probably occafioned by the 
 afcent of great plenty of fulphureous vapours thro’ 
 the earth. 
 
 As to the hollow rumbling noife which is 
 ufually heard in earthquakes, it feems not im¬ 
 probable that it may be occafioned by the great 
 agitation that the electrical aethereal fluid is put 
 into by fo great a fhock of a large mafs of earth. 
 For if the like motion of a fmall revolving glafs 
 globe can excite it to the velocity of lightning, 
 and that with a force fufficient to kill animals; 
 how much greater agitation may it probably be 
 excited to, by the explofive force of an earth¬ 
 quake! 
 
 The explofion of cannon in St. James’s Park 
 is obferved to electrify the glafs windows of the 
 ‘freafury. And what makes it ftill more proba¬ 
 ble, is, the analogy that there is between them in 
 other refpedts. For as the electrical flafh ruflies 
 with the velocity of lightning, along the molt 
 folid bodies, as iron, &c. and as I have feen it 
 run only on the irregular gilding of leather; fo 
 fuch folid bodies are obferved to be the con¬ 
 ductors of aereal lightning, which rends oaks in 
 pieces, and has been known to run along and melt 
 an iron bell-wire on two fides of a room, &c. And 
 accordingly it was obferved, in the great earthquake 
 at Jamaica, that the moll tremendous roaring was 
 in the rocky mountains. And in the late earthquake 
 
252 Some Confederations See. 
 
 of March 8 in London , the loudeft explofions were 
 thought to be heard near fuch large ftone buildings 
 as churches, with lofty fteeples and fpires. 
 
 I, who lay in Duke's Court near St. Martin's 
 church, and was awake all the time of the earth¬ 
 quake, plainly heard a loud explofion up in the 
 air, like that of a fmall cannon: which made me 
 conjecture, that the noife was owing to the rufliing 
 off, and hidden explofion of the eleCtrical fluid, 
 at the top of St. Martin's fpire; where all the elec¬ 
 trical effluvia, which afeended up along the larg¬ 
 er body of the tower, being by attraction ftrong- 
 ly condenfed, and accelerated at the point of the 
 weather-cock, as they ruffied off, made fo much 
 the louder expanfive explofion. 
 
THE 
 
 PHILOSOPHY 
 
 EARTHQUAKES 
 
 Pojitions er CircumJIances. 
 
 HP H A I earthquakes always happen in 
 calm, warm, dry, lultry feafons; or in 
 a dry frofty air. 
 
 II. That they are felt at fea, or on lakes, rivers, 
 even in the main ocean, as well as on land: and 
 at that time the fea and waters are calm. 
 
 III. 1 hat earthquakes differ very much in mag- 
 
 I nitude. Some fhake a very large traft of coun¬ 
 try, at the fame inftant of time: fometimes ex¬ 
 tend to many countries, feparated by mountains, 
 lakes, feas, the ocean. 
 
 IV. 1 hat earthquakes differ much in the quan¬ 
 tity of their vibratory motion; whence in fome, 
 though largely extended, they are innocuous: in 
 others, bothfmall and large, they lay all in ruins. 
 
 V. That a hollow thundering noife accompa¬ 
 nies them, or rather feems to precede the fhock; 
 which rolls in the air, like the noife of cannon. 
 
 ■ ' ^ !• That they are felt more fenfibly in the 
 
 upper ftory of houfes, fhan in the lower. On 
 
 lofty 
 
2 ^4- < ft )e Philofophy of 
 
 lofty buildings, fteeples, Turkijh minorets, and 
 
 the like. 
 
 VII. That the fhock is more violent upon more 
 folid buildings, churches, caftles, towers, and 
 Hone houfes, than on thofe of (lighter materials. 
 
 VIII. That many people find themfelves fick at 
 ftomach, with head-achs, vertigo's, pains in their 
 joints, and the like : which fometimes laft for the 
 day after, or longer. 
 
 IX. That earthquakes generally happen to 
 great towns and cities: and more particularly to 
 thofe that are fituated on the fea, bays, and great 
 rivers. 
 
 X. That earthquakes do not caufe any damage 
 to fprings, and fountains: but the water in wells 
 becomes foul for fome time. 
 
 XI. That they are frequent in the neighbour¬ 
 hood of a volcano. 
 
 XII. That earthquakes often Ihake rocks, moun¬ 
 tains, cliffs hanging over the fea, fplit them from 
 top to bottom, throw down great parcels of 
 them. 
 
 XIII. That fowls domeftic, birds in the air, 
 cattle in the fields are affrighted, fifhes in the wa¬ 
 ter much affected therewith. 
 
 XIV. That chandeliers in churches vibrate, bells 
 in fteeples and houfes ring. 
 
 XV. That fometimes the hollow, thundering 
 noife accompanying an earthquake, is heard with¬ 
 out any motion of the earth: at other times ac¬ 
 companies it. 
 
 XVI. That fire balls and meteors are frequent¬ 
 ly obferved then. 
 
 XVII, 
 
EARTH QJJ AKES. 255 
 
 XVII. That the furface of the earth is chiefly, 
 and moft frequently tl^e object of earthquakes. 
 
 XVIII. That earthquakes affedt to run up ri¬ 
 vers and fea-fliores, and adt more violently on 
 places neighbouring thereto. 
 
 As to the caufe of earthquakes, the moderns 
 have not improved upon the ancients, any farther 
 than by the fancied analogy of fome chymical ex¬ 
 periments. But thefe chymical experiments, and 
 all forts of explofions by gun-powder and the like, 
 are to me a very unfatisfadfory folution. They 
 are merely artificial compofitions, which can have 
 nothing fimilar, in the bowels of the earth, and 
 they produce their effedts by violence, by rending 
 and tearing, by a folutio continui. This indeed is 
 too often the cafe of earthquakes, but that in a 
 partial degree, not at all equivalent to the corn-* 
 pafs of the flicck-, and is very far from being the 
 conftant concomitant of an earthquake •, quite the 
 contrary. Innumerable fuch happen where there 
 is no breach of the furface •, and in the three or 
 four felt by us of late years, nothing of it has ap¬ 
 peared. But the immenfity of the vibration of the 
 earth which fhook every houfe in London , with 
 impunity, and for twenty miles round, can never, 
 in my apprehenfion, be owing to fo unbridled a 
 caufe, as any fubterraneous vapours, fermentati¬ 
 ons, rarefactions, and the like the vulgar folu¬ 
 tion. Nor does the kind of motion which I dif- 
 cern in an earthquake, in any fort agree with 
 what we Ihould expedt from explofions. 
 
256 “The Philofophy of 
 
 The ftruggles of fubterraneous winds and fires, 
 that fhould heave up the ground, like animal con- 
 vulfions, feem to me impoffible: Their powers, 
 and manner of ading, if fuch there be, are quite 
 incapable of producing the appearance of an earth¬ 
 quake. That thefe Ihould operate inftantaneoufly, 
 in one minute through a circle of 30 or 40 miles 
 diameter, or more, I could not conceive: nor 
 that there fliould be any poffible, much lefs ready 
 paffage through the folid earth, for fuch nimble 
 agents, as every one is apt to imagine, that fpeak 
 of this appearance ; without fufficiently refleding 
 on the innumerable difficulties in that hypothefis. 
 
 We cannot pretend to deny, that there may be 
 fuch vapours, and fermentations, inflammable 
 fubftances, and adual fires in the bowels of the 
 earth, and that there may be fome caverns under¬ 
 ground, as well as we find fome few above ground : 
 fuch as Pool's Hole , the D—Is A — fe in the Peak 
 of Derbyjhire, and Okey-Hole in Somerfetjhire. Thefe, 
 I believe, to have been fo from the creation, and 
 never were made by earthquakes. We know 
 there are hot fprings running continually : there 
 are fome volcano’s frequently belching out flames 
 and fmoke, and to thefe perhaps fome earthquakes 
 may be owing, though not according to the vul¬ 
 gar notion. 
 
 But thefe matters are very rare, and much rar¬ 
 er than earthquakes, both as to time and place. 
 Vefuvius in Italy , and in that part of it abound¬ 
 ing with mines of fulphur: Adtna in Sicily , and 
 Hecla in Iceland •, thefe are all we know of in the 
 old world. In the Andes mountains of America 
 
 there 
 
EARTH QJJ a K E S. 257 
 
 there are fome. The fcarcity of thefe appears to 
 me a ftrong argument againft the common deduc- 
 tions made therefrom, as to their being the caufe 
 of earthquakes. And further, we cannot poffi- 
 bly think of earthquakes doing their work that 
 way, without abfolutely ruining the whole fy- 
 ftem of fprings and fountains, throughout the 
 whole country where they pafs. But all this is 
 quite contrary to fa£b. 
 
 Thefe confiderations I apply only to this lit¬ 
 tle inconfiderable fpace of a circle of 30 miles dia¬ 
 meter, as with us. But what is that to the 
 earthquakes we read of in hiftory ? In the year 
 of our Lord 17, no lefs than thirteen great and 
 noble cities in Afita Minor were deftroyed in one 
 night. The compafs of this earthquake may be 
 reckoned to take up 300 miles diameter, as a cir¬ 
 cle. And altogether as great, nay far greater in 
 extent was that moft dreadful one of November 1, 
 1755, whereby, as of old the cities of Afia, Lijbon 
 was deftroyed, with feveral in Africa , and a vaft 
 number befides nigh totally ruined: yet none of 
 thefe were (wallowed up, but fhaken into an heap 
 of rubbifh. 
 
 From thefe confiderations I cannot perfuade 
 myfelf to entet into the opinion of vapours and 
 eruptions being the caufe fought for. If we 
 would confider things like philofophers, let us 
 propofe to ourfelves this problem : Where is the 
 power to bfr placed, that is required to move a fur- 
 face of Earth , thirty miles in diameter ? 
 
 To anfwer this, confult the ingineers, and thofe 
 that make mines in the fieges of towns; they will 
 
 S ac- 
 
258 The Philofophy of 
 
 acquaint us, that the effeft of mines is produced 
 in form of an inverted cone-, and that a diameter 
 of 30 miles, in the bafe, will require an axis of 
 15 or 20 miles to operate upon that bafe, fo as 
 to fhake it at lead. Now the vapours, or what¬ 
 ever power we propofe to operate, according to 
 the foregoing requifite, in order to form the ap¬ 
 pearance of an earthquake, mud be 15 or 20 
 miles deep in the earth. But what mind can con¬ 
 ceive, that any natural power is able to move an 
 inverted cone of folid earth, whofe bafe is 30 
 miles diameter, whofe axis is 20 ? or, was it pof- 
 fible, would not the whole texture of that body 
 of earth be quite didurbed and fhattered, efpe- 
 r dally in regard to its fprings and fouutains ? but 
 nothing like this is ever found to be the confe- 
 quence of an earthquake, though fatal to cities. 
 
 Apply this reafoning to the earthquake of AJia 
 minor ; and this vigorous principle at the apex of 
 the cone mull lie, at lead, 200 miles deep in the 
 ground: enough to fhew the abfurdity of any 
 moving power placed under the earth! a cone of 
 300 miles diameter at bafe, 200 in axis. I dare 
 be bold to fay, that aH the gun-powder made 
 fince its invention, if put together and fired, 
 would .not be able to move it : how much lefs 
 pent up vapours ? what mud we fay of a circle 
 900 miles diameter ? 
 
 But could that be admitted as podible; would 
 any one be perfuaded, that fuch a fubterraneous 
 tumult, of fo vad an extent, will be no ways in¬ 
 jurious to the internal fydem of fprings and foun¬ 
 tains, and that this fliall be often repeated with- 
 
 > out 
 
EARTH QJd A K E S. 259 
 
 out the leaf! damage? we may as well imaging, 
 that we can ftab a man a hundred times, and ne¬ 
 ver touch vain or artery. 
 
 We are then next to inquire : What is the caufe 
 cf earthquakes ? 
 
 In an age when electricity has been fo much our 
 entertainment, and our amazement; when we are 
 become fo well acquainted with its ftupendous 
 powers and properties, its velocity and inftanta- 
 neous operation through any given diftance-, when 
 we fee, upon a touch, or an approach, between 
 a non-eleCtric and an eledxic body, what a won¬ 
 derful vibration is produced ! what a fnap it gives' 
 how an innocuous flame breaks forth! how vio¬ 
 lent a fhock! is it to be wondered at, that hither 
 we turn our thoughts, for the folution of the pro¬ 
 digious appearance of an earthquake ? 
 
 Here is at once an afiemblage of all thofe pro¬ 
 perties and circumftances which we fo often fee in 
 courfes of electricity. Electricity may be called 
 a fort of foul to matter ; thought to be an ethereal 
 fire pervading all things; and aCting inftantane- 
 oufly, where, and as far as it is excited. 
 
 We had lately read at the royal fociety a very 
 curious difcourle from Mr. Franklin of Philadel¬ 
 phia , concerning thunder-gufts, lightning, the 
 northern lights, and like meteors-, all which he 
 rightly folves from the dodtrine of electricity. 
 For, if a cloud raifed from the fea, which is a 
 non-eleCtric, happens to touch a cloud raifed from 
 exhalations of the land, when eleCtrifed, it muft 
 immediately caufe thunder and lightning. The 
 eleCtrical fire flowing from the touch of perhaps a 
 
 S 2 thou*' 
 
260 The Phitofophy of 
 
 thoufand miles compafs of clouds, makes that ap¬ 
 pearance which we call lightning. The fnap which 
 we hear in our eleCtrical experiments, when re¬ 
 echoed from cloud to cloud, the extent of the fir¬ 
 mament, makes that affrightning found of thun¬ 
 der. 
 
 From the fame principle I infer, that, if a non¬ 
 electric cloud difcharges its contents upon any 
 part of the earth, when in a high electrified ftate, 
 an earthquake muft neceffarily enfue. The fnap 
 made upon the contaCt of many miles compafs of 
 folid earth, is that horrible uncouth noife, which 
 we hear upon an earthquake j and the fhock is 
 the earthquake itfelf. 
 
 In the relation from P or tfmouth, and the IJle of 
 Wight , concerning the fhock of the earthquake on 
 the 18th of March, 1749-50, the writer obferves, 
 the day was warfti and ferene; but upon a gen¬ 
 tle fhov/er falling in the evening, the earthquake 
 came. Here we have reafon to apprehend the 
 electrified ftate of the earth, and the touch of the 
 non-eleCtric, which cauled the earthquake. 
 
 The learned Dr. Childrey obferves, treating on 
 this fubjeCt, that earthquakes happen upon rain, 
 in the time of a great drought. 
 
 ’Tis objected, that, if this were the cafe, no¬ 
 thing would be more frequent than earthquakes: 
 but thefe two circumftances concurring, a fhow- 
 er and dry weather muft not neceffarily caufe it, 
 any more than touching a tube before it is electri¬ 
 fied caufes a fnap. The earth muft be in a pro¬ 
 per electrified ftate to produce it; and eleCtricity 
 has its fits j is remitted, intended, ceafed and 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 261 
 
 recommenced. It has its bounds. All caufes 
 muft concur : though a fhower of rain falling 
 upon the earth, when eleCtrified, may caufe an 
 earthquake, yet too much rain before, will pre¬ 
 vent that ftate of electricity neceffary. 
 
 The day before the cataftrophe of Port Royal , 
 the weather was remarkably ferene and dear. In 
 that molt dreadful earthquake of Sicily, 1692, 
 where 54 cities and towns, befides a great number 
 of villages, were deftroyed, but efpecially the 
 whole city of Catanea •, it was preceded by a moft 
 agreeable, ferene, and warm feafon, which was 
 the more obfervable, on account of its being un- 
 ufual at that time of the year. 
 
 I have been informed, that in the mornings of 
 our earthquakes in February and March 1749-50, 
 the air was ferene and calm, and on the morning 
 before that, in February , the air was obferved to 
 be perfeCUy calm ; and that a little before, a black 
 cloud appeared over great part of the horizon. 
 Dr. Hales fays the centinels in St. James's park, 
 and others who were abroad in the morning of 
 March the 8th, obferved a large black cloud, and 
 fome corrufeations, juft before the fliock ; and 
 that it was very calm weather : and that in the 
 hiftory of earthquakes, they generally begin in 
 calm weather, with a black cloud. 
 
 We have been acquainted by thofe who remem¬ 
 ber it, that in the earthquake of November 1703, 
 which, happened in Lincolnjhire, the weather was 
 calm, clofe, gloomy, warm, and dry ; in a de¬ 
 gree highly unufual at that feafon. And thus 
 was it with us all the year 1749, thereby preparing 
 
 S3 the 
 
2.6 2 77 <? Philofcpjoy of 
 
 the earth’s furface for the electrical ftroke, which 
 I have affected to be the caufe of them. 
 
 In the account of the greac earthquake of 
 November x, 1755, from Amfierdarn , it was wrote 
 that the weather was calm ; the like from Berlin , 
 Kinfale , Gibraltar , Lijbon , &c. 
 
 Mr. Flamfteed fuppofes a calm even neceffary 
 before an earthquake : And Dr. Hales fays, that 
 long, dry, hot feafons are ufually the preparatory 
 fore-runners of earthquakes. 
 
 This obfervation precludes the fufpicion of 
 earthquakes arifing from tumults and commo¬ 
 tions in the upper, or under region of the air. 
 The remarkable clearnefs of the air before earth- 
 quakes, obferved by all, fhews evidently how free 
 it is from vapours, or the like. 
 
 Agreeable to our fifth pofidon, Mr. Flamfteed 
 writes a , “ a hollow noife in the air always pre- 
 “ cedes an earthquake, fo near, that it rather 
 “ feems to accompany it,” this he fpoke of that 
 felt in London 1692, when the noife was heard by 
 many that lived in the out-flreets and alleys, remote 
 from the conftant tumult of the great ftreets * but 
 in both our latter ones, the whole city heard the 
 noife. 
 
 A gentleman of Hartingfordbury fays, the noife 
 preceded the fhock. And this is a common ob¬ 
 fervation, which at once both flrengthens our opi¬ 
 nion of electricity, and confutes that of fubter- 
 raneous vapours ; for, in the latter cafe, the con- 
 cufiion muft precede the noife. 
 
 * Letter concerning an Earthquake. 
 
 Juft 
 
 juft 
 
 joMr. 
 
 ■ liitprize 
 lit, roll 
 He Ifc' 
 reft, an 
 
 taiwry 
 
 1® rea 
 adinfta 
 
 lie tree 
 1® dial 
 h the 
 ititfudi 
 
 I tie a: 
 ueftreei 
 glint tH 
 illfk 
 Agree; 
 
 II nites 
 "is at I 
 “ water 
 
 “ Ikootl 
 " the Ihi 
 “fereut 
 “they I 
 " liver, 
 “ guns i 
 "of the 
 Dt.fi 
 "iothf 
 
v3 
 
 EARTH QJJ A K E S. 263 
 
 Juft before the earthquake of March 8, 1749- 
 50 Mr. Secretary Fox's Ihepherd at Kenfmgton was 
 furprized with a very extraordinary noife in the 
 air, rolling over his head, as of cannon clofe by. 
 He likewife thought that it came from the north- 
 weft, and went to the fouth-eaft j a motion quite 
 contrary to what muft have been the cafe, if it 
 were really cannon. It patted rufhing by him, 
 and inftantly he faw the ground, a dry and folid 
 fpot, wave under him like the face of a river. 
 The trees of the avenue nodded their tops, and 
 were ihaken like fpears. 
 
 In the earthquake of September 30, 1750, they 
 were fuddenly furprized with an uncommon noife 
 in the air, like the rolling of large carriages in 
 the ftreets, for about 20 feconds. At the fame 
 inftant they felt a great fhock or fnap, which fen- 
 fibly fhook a punch-bowl, and made it ring. 
 
 Agreeable to our fecond pofition, Mr. Flamjleed 
 “ writes b , that earthquakes are felt at fea equally 
 “ as at land. Our merchants fay, that tho’ the 
 “ water in the bay of Smyrna lies level, and 
 “ fmooth as a pond, yet fhips riding there feel 
 “ the fhocks very fenfibly •, but in a very dif- 
 “ ferent manner from the houfes at land : For 
 “ they heave not, but tremhle •, their mails 
 “ fhiver, as if they would fall to pieces, and their 
 “ guns ftart‘in their carriages, though the furface 
 “ of the fea be all the time calm and unmoved. 
 
 Dr. Hooke tells us c , “ that a ihip felt a ihock 
 4t in the main ocean j that the pafiengers, who 
 
 b Letter concerning an earthquake. 
 c Thiiol Collet ions, N» 6. p. 185. 
 
 S 4 
 
 “ had 
 
264 The Philofophy of 
 
 “ had been afleep in their cabins, came upon deck 
 “ in a fright, fearing the fhip had ftruck upon 
 “ fome rock j but on heaving the lead, found 
 “ themfelves out of all foundings.” 
 
 In the earthquake of the firft of November 
 1755, the Dutch fhips of cape St. Marys fired guns 
 of diftrefs, thinking they ftruck on ground ; and 
 we have received many accounts of fhips at fea, 
 in the middle of the ocean, participating in this 
 amazing phenomenon. A very loud thundering 
 noife begins it j it feems as if cafks were rolling 
 about the deck. The mails, the whole fhip trem¬ 
 bled like a reed fhaken with the wind. A great 
 thump felt at the bottom of the fhip, as if ftruck 
 upon a rock. The compafs often overturned in 
 the benacle, fire-balls and flalhes of lightning feen 
 by night. 
 
 All this is extremely agreeable to our aftiimp- 
 tion. The water receives the electrical touch, and 
 vibratory inteftine motion of its parts, as well as 
 land : And the impreffion may be made folely on 
 the water, a non-eledtric, by the touch of an elec¬ 
 tric fire-ball, or the like •, and that feems to have 
 been often the cafe. The proper vibratory mo¬ 
 tion is unprefled on the water without ruffling its 
 furface ; and fo communicated to all the parts of 
 the fhip, gives the fenfe of a fhock to the bottom, 
 the fhivering to the maft, and the reft of the fymp- 
 toms ; which fufficiently proclaim the caufe of it 
 to be an eleftrical impreffion upon the water. The 
 prefident of the Royal Society mentioned a rela¬ 
 tion of a waterman that felt it in his boat upon the 
 river : he thought it like a great thump at the 
 
 bottom 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 265 
 
 bottom of the boat. And fo the fhips at fea fancy 
 they flrike upon a rock. 
 
 This makes us apprehend the reafon of the 
 fifhes leaping out of the canal in Southwark , of 
 which we had an account. So, in that of Oxford 
 1683, one hilling in the Charwell felt his boat 
 tremble under him, and the lelfer hihes feemed 
 affrighted by an unufual fkipping. That ele&ricity 
 is the caufe fought for, feems deducible from this 
 consideration. Several writers on earthquakes af- 
 fimilate thefe vibrations of the earth to thofe of a 
 mufical firing : experiments have fhewn, that 
 fifhes in water may be killed, by the particular 
 tone of a mufical firing; and ’tis known that elec¬ 
 tricity will kill animals. They affuredly felt the 
 vibrating motion in the water, which they were 
 abfolutely Strangers to before. No doubt it made 
 them fick ; as thofe of weak nerves on land. And 
 this circumflance alone precludes any fufpicion of 
 Subterraneous fires under the ocean. Or, if we 
 were to admit of it, would the boiling of the 
 water exhibit any appearance, like what we are 
 fpeaking of, either to the water, or to the Ship? 
 
 Mr. Flamjleed likewife concurs in our eighth po¬ 
 sition d , “ that many people found themfelves 
 “ fick at flomach, and their heads dizzy and 
 “ light ; fo that thofe that had formerly fits of 
 “ apoplexies, dreaded their return -, particularly 
 “ one gentleman, a furgeon, feeling himfelf fo 
 “ affetfled, and fearing a return of his apoplexy, 
 
 ‘ refolved to be let blood, without fufpeCling the 
 “ earthquake.” 
 
 * Letter concerning an earthquake. 
 
 i After 
 
266 The Philofophy of 
 
 After the two Ihocks we felt in February and 
 March 1749-50. Many people had pains in their 
 joints and back, as after electrifying; many had 
 ficknefs and head-achs, hyfteric and nervous dif- 
 orders, and cholicks, for the whole day after, and 
 fome much longer, efpecially people of weak 
 nerves, weak conftitutions fome women mif- 
 carried upon it •, to fome it has proved fatal. 
 
 To this we mult attribute that relation we had 
 of the dog lying afleep before the fire ; but upon 
 the earthquake, he fuddenly rofe up, run about 
 the room, whining and endeavouring to get out. 
 
 Any folid matter is capable of being put into 
 a Hate of eleCtricity, fuch as iron guns and the 
 more fo, by reafon of their foliditv : and in pro¬ 
 portion to it, is the greatnefs of the fnap, and of 
 the fhock; and a kind of lambent flame iflues 
 from the point of contact •, and likewife fome- 
 what of a fulphureous fmell: fo that if both flame 
 and fmell were difcernible in an earthquake ; ’tis 
 to be found without going to the bowels of the 
 earth. 
 
 Dr. Hales mentions that folid bodies are the 
 beft conductors of aerial lightening-, whence oaks 
 are rent, and iron melted. And in our earth¬ 
 quakes in London , the loudelt noife was heard near 
 fuch large ftone buildings, as churches with lofty 
 fteeples. From the top of thefe we mult appre¬ 
 hend, that the eleCtrical exploflon goes off into 
 the open air -, as in our experiments, from the 
 points of fwords, and the like. 
 
 The eleftrical fhock is proportionate to the fo¬ 
 lid electrified, agreeable to our feventh pofition, 
 
 This 
 
EARTHQUAKES. 267 
 
 This fully accounts for earthquakes in general, 
 and for many in particular. What can be ima¬ 
 gined greater than a fhock of the body of the 
 .earth ? 1 is greater or lels in proportion to the 
 ftate of electrification. And now we can account 
 for feveral appearances. In our firft earthquake, 
 the lord chancellor, malters in chancery, and fever 
 ral judges, were fitting in fVeJtminfier-Hall ,, with 
 their back to the wall of the upper end, which is 
 of a vaft thicknefs. They all relate the feverity of 
 the fhock, from the wall feeming to pufh towards* 
 them with great violence. 
 
 In the earthquake of September 30, 1750, Dr. 
 Stonehoufe 's dwelling at Northampton , the ftrongelt 
 in the town, was moft fenfibly lhaken. So it was 
 obferved likewife, that churches were moft fubjeCt 
 to its violence. People at divine fervice felt a 
 great fhock, which was like fomewhat, as they 
 imagined, that rufhed againft the church wall 
 and roof. 
 
 And thus in the earthquake of 1692, Deal 
 caftle, whofe walls are of immenfe thicknefs and 
 ftrength, fhook fo fenfibly, that the people living 
 in it, expefted it was falling on their heads. And 
 this is the cafe in all earthquakes ; the more fub- 
 ftantial the building, the more violent the fhock 
 is: exactly the mode of electrical vibration. 
 
 The city of Lijbon is founded on a rock of mar¬ 
 ble ; fo much the more fufceptible of the eleCtric 
 power, which gave it the vibration. Hence the 
 ruins of churches, palaces, houfes, all lie upon their 
 foundations refpeCtively ; as the houfes of cards 
 made by children, thrown down by a flight fhock 
 
 of 
 
268 The PhiJofcphy of 
 
 of a table. And fo we are to underftand of all 
 the reft in other places. 
 
 At the fame time, that the force of electricity 
 in l'olids, is as the quantity of matter •, we fee 
 moll evidently by innumerable experiments, that 
 water is equally afflftant in ftrengthening and con¬ 
 veying the force of electricity •, and that in pro¬ 
 portion too to its quantity. And hence is to be 
 deduced the reafon of my obfervation that the 
 moft frequent and dreadful earthquakes have fallen 
 upon maritime places. 
 
 In the dreadful cataftrophe at Port-Royal , ’tis 
 notorious that its violence was chiefly near the fea. 
 So Lima could not fuffer without its port of Callao. 
 Lijhon , and the whole Atlantic coaft is yet a more 
 tremendous and recent example. 
 
 That maritime places are moft fubjeCt, is a 
 ftrong argument in favour of electricity ; when 
 both the folid earth, and the quantity of water 
 concur, to make the ftiock ; exaCtly as in elec¬ 
 trical experiments, when the bottle of water is 
 held in the hand. 
 
 Thus, when our mind is difcharged of the pre¬ 
 judices of former notions, we difcern that every 
 appearance favours the principles we go upon ; 
 That fubterraneous explofions, could they per¬ 
 vade, and traverfe the earth at pleafure, muft at 
 laft burft and difperfe every thing in their way. 
 Yet ’tis not poffible for us to imagine, fuch a kind 
 of vibrations fhould follow, either by fea or land, 
 as that we are treating of. But eleCtricity com- 
 pleatly anfwers it. This accounts for that fuper- 
 ficial movement of the earth, that univerfal inftan- 
 
 taneous 
 
EARTH QJJ a K E S. 269 
 
 taneous fhock, which made every houfe in Lbndon 
 to tremble, none to fall ^ that quivering, tremu¬ 
 lous, horizontal vibration, highly different from 
 any motion we muff conceive to be produced from 
 fubterraneous evaporations. Hence authors tell 
 us, December 30, 1739, defcribing an earthquake 
 in the weft-riding of Ycrkfhire , it feemed as if the 
 earth moved backward and forward horizontally ; 
 and quivering, with reciprocal vibrations. 
 
 From eledbric vibration only can we account for 
 our tenth pofition, of fprings and fountains being 
 no ways damaged by earthquakes : the motion 
 goes no deeper into the earth, than the force and 
 quantity of the fhock reaches ; which generally is 
 not far *, yet it proceeds lower down when the 
 ready paflage of a well offers, and there affedbs the 
 water contained in it •, puts it into an inteftine vi¬ 
 bration, fo far as to foul it, and raife mud from 
 the bottom. 
 
 It may feem difficult to conceive, how a large 
 portion of the earth’s furface fhould be thus capa¬ 
 ble of eledbrification. This difficulty is leflened 
 by reflecting on the nature of eledbricity, and of 
 the eledtrical, ethereal fluid, pervading all things : 
 how it is excited by the little motion of a fmall 
 revolving glafs globe. By this we eledtrify the 
 mod folid bodies, to the greateft diftance, and 
 with a velocity equal to that of lightning. 
 
 We mull conceive, that when the eledbric fhock 
 is communicated to one part of the earth, it ex¬ 
 tends itfelf proportionably to the force of the 
 fhock, and to the quantity of eledbrified furface 
 
 and 
 
270 The Philofophy of 
 
 and to the quality of the matter more or lefs fuf- 
 ceptible of it, more or lefs apt to propagate it. 
 
 Set 1000 men in a row •, let every one commu¬ 
 nicate with t’nofe next him, by an iron wire held in 
 their hands : On an electrical fliock they all feel a- 
 like, at the fame inftant •, and this gives a very 
 good idea of the earthquake. 
 
 When the earth is broken up in any large de¬ 
 gree ’tis by the fea fide, where fometimes on a 
 bold fhore, whole ftreets tumble into the fea or 
 into the gaping earth, now falling into the fea, as 
 the key and cuftom-houfe at Lijbon : fometimes 
 on a flat and fandy fhore, whole ftreets are rolled 
 along the level into the fea. 
 
 I am not fenfible of any real objection againft 
 our hypothefis. As to the eleventh of my pofitions 
 or circumftances ; it feems true that earthquakes 
 are more frequent in Italy, near Vesuvius, and by 
 /Etna in Sicily : And the caufe feems apparently 
 owing to thofe volcanoes, but not fo from true 
 reafon. This has given the great prejudice to 
 the judgment of the curious, even at this day : 
 But confider the matter impartially, and it will ap¬ 
 pear fo far from being a ftrong argument in fa¬ 
 vour of fubterraneous eruptions, that it ought to 
 be efteemed a convincing proof of the contrary, 
 and moft cogent in favour of my principle. We 
 have but thefe two or three volcanoes on one 
 quarter of the globe, and two of them toward 
 the warmer climate of it ; whereas earthquakes 
 are innumerable, efpecially in warmer climes. 
 That there are no volcanoes, no difcharges of fire 
 and fmoke for a continuance, and abundance, after 
 i earth- 
 
EARTH QJJ A K E S. 271 
 
 eaithquakes ; no fufpicions of it either from light 
 or imell, as we know by innumerable examples, 
 as well as in our own country, and experience; 
 is demonftration, that this is not the caufe. If 
 the volcanoes were the real caufe of earthquakes, 
 we ought allured]y to expect, that in the countries 
 thereabouts, the earthquakes ought to be far more 
 extenfive than thofe in other countries, where are 
 no volcanoes •, but this is altogether contrary to ex¬ 
 perience. For, as the celebrated naturalift Buffo'n 
 obferves, fuch are not extenfive, as are near Mtria 
 and Vefuvius. He further adds, fpeaking, among 
 many others, of a volcano in the ifland of Ter¬ 
 mite % “ that this burning gulph is lefs agitated 
 “ when the air is calm, and the feafon mild, than 
 yi ftorms and hurricanes : (adding) this con- 
 “ firms what I have faid in my foregoing dif- 
 “ courfe ; and it feems evidently to prove, that 
 “ the fire which makes volcanoes, comes not 
 “ from the bottoms qf mountains, but from the 
 “ tops, or at leaft from a very little depth •, and 
 “ that the hearth (or floor) of the fire is not far 
 “ from the fummit of the volcanoes; for if this 
 “ was not the cafe, great winds could not contri- 
 “ bute to their conflagration.” And this in 
 general is a corroborative proof oi my whole hy- 
 pothefis. For there can be no great fire in the 
 earth, where there is no great conveyance of air. 
 
 We have one volcano in the cold region of Ice¬ 
 land ; there is fometimes an earthquake there: 
 but in the countries of that northern latitude, 
 and thofe of teller, ’tis obvious in all hiftory, that 
 • Hiitoire Naturelle. tom. i. p. 508. 
 
 earth- 
 
272 The Philofophy of 
 
 earthquakes are lefs frequent than in the more 
 fouthern. Therefore ’tis eafy, and very natural 
 to conclude, from all confiderations weighed to¬ 
 gether, that thefe volcanoes help to put the earth 
 about them, into that vibratory ftate and condi¬ 
 tion of ele&ricity, which is the requifite in my 
 hypothefis •, and by that means only, promote a 
 frequency of earthquakes there. 
 
 In fo furprizing an effect as an earthquake, 
 and fo unaccountable a caufe as electricity, a caufe 
 but recently considered, or known, is it to be 
 wondered at, if fome difficulties occur ? can we 
 yet pretend to unriddle all the fecrets of electricity, 
 though we know fome and in my apprehenfion 
 are fufficiently clear as to the efficient before us ? 
 
 Some objections there are, not infuperable. For 
 inftance; in eleCtrical experiments the fhock is 
 Single, and momentary ; but earthquakes are felt 
 for fome few minutes. 
 
 To anfwer which, we need not urge how fear 
 and frights multiply and magnify objeCts and ap¬ 
 pearances : but fuppofe the vibrations laft two 
 minutes, there can be no comparifon between our 
 little apparatus in experiments, and the ftroke 
 upon feven hills, whereon Lifoon was built. The 
 vibrations of mufical ftrings are in proportion to 
 their length, and thicknefs : the fame of bells, 
 and the like. There is no comparifon between 
 the fnap in our little experiments, and a Shock up¬ 
 on the globe of the earth ; whence the horrible 
 noife rolling from one eminence to another : as in 
 the air the thunder is re-echoed from one cloud to 
 another. 
 
 Again, 
 
EARTH QJJ a K E S. 273 
 
 Again, fome find difficulties from apertures in 
 the earth, and finkings into the fea, as is the cafe 
 of the key of Li/bon, and the like : So as to 
 mountains opening, and rivers of water guffiing 
 out. I profefs thefe inftances move me not in 
 the leaft, to derive them from the bowels of the 
 earth. The electrical ftroke from the atmofphere 
 muft divide a key, and puffi it into the fea, or a 
 ftreet that ftands on a cliff; as it divides rocks, 
 cliffs, mountains; and tumbles them down, as in 
 the cafe of IVhiteJlone cliff 'Torkjhire , in 1755. 
 
 Some may object, that if the earth was electri¬ 
 fied on an earthquake, every perfon ought to fed 
 it; as when touched in the eleCtrical experiments. 
 But we know, the perfbns in a room where fuch 
 experiments are tried, are not neceffarily electri¬ 
 fied. Yet we find in earthquakes, in faCt, many 
 affeCted, as if electrified, with ficknefs : And all 
 kind of animals are fully fenfible of it, and ex¬ 
 tremely difturbed. 
 
 Sometimes the cafe of Herculaneum ,, and fuch 
 fancied accidents are quoted, as places funk by 
 force of an earthquake. But this is an erroneous 
 pofition. The city remains entire. It was not 
 fhaken in its laft cataftrophe, but buried in lava 
 poured upon it from mount Vefuvius. Thefe, and 
 fuch like, are little objections, which it is not worth 
 while to be elaborate in anfwering ; as having no 
 foundation on principles of philofophy. 
 
 May 1, 1753, I received a letter from Peter - 
 borough , by order of the literary fociety there, 
 with an account of a woman at Sutton by Wansford , 
 
 T ‘ who 
 
 / 
 
274 The Philofophy of 
 
 ■who had been quite deaf for two years laft paft, 
 but was perfedtly reftored to her hearing on Sunday 
 September 30 preceding, being the day of the earth¬ 
 quake there. She found herfelf reftored half an 
 hour before the {hock. 
 
 April 1751, we had an account from Edinburgh 
 of a perfon reftored to the ufe of fpeech, from a 
 refolution of the nerves, by eledtrifying. His 
 name Robert Mowbray. Thefe and many like cafes 
 confirm our reafoning. 
 
 Though the power that produces thefe amazing 
 ftruggles in the elements, be manifeftly one, and 
 the fame ; yet it admits of fome difference in its 
 r. adtion •, not only as it may be more or lefs forci¬ 
 ble, of more or lefs extent, or as to the different 
 objedt of its adtion, but likewife in its manner. 
 And this points out fome names of diftindtion, 
 which are at leaft ufeful, in all parts of learning 
 and philofophy. 
 
 1. We may therefore denominate one of thefe 
 appearances, th & air-quake. This Ihews itfelf only 
 in the air, in a moft horrible runibling noife, like 
 many cannon let off, echoing from one hill to an¬ 
 other. It may be called terreftrial thunder. The 
 earth feels not its force, or but {lightly, or parti¬ 
 ally, here and there •, muft not be in a proper 
 eledtric ftate, and therefore not fully fufceptible 
 of the Ihock. This is owing to a preceding rainy, 
 moift feafon : which is always adverfe to elec¬ 
 tricity. 
 
 A loud clap of thunder in the atmofphere, may 
 be heard over a circle of Jjocf miles diameter. 
 
 The 
 
Earth qjj a k e s* 275 
 
 The fame clap difcharged at the furface of the 
 earth the ift of Augiift laft (i 755 ) was heard all 
 over the counties of Lincoln and Rutland , and part 
 of all the circumjacent counties. It arofe to an 
 earthquake, wherever the ground was in a proper 
 difpofition for it more or lefs. They that can fup- 
 pofe this phenomenon to arife from under- ground, 
 are not to be argued with. 
 
 2. A fecond kind we may call a water-quake ; 
 which exerts itfelf in the air and water, as this on 
 November 1, with us ; caufing a molt vehement 
 agitation of that element, lifting it up, and throw¬ 
 ing it down by pulfes, tolling it over the banks of 
 Canals, whirling about Ihips and boats, lhaking, 
 and dafhing them one againft another, ftirring up 
 the water from the very bottom, raifing it from 
 the bottom of wells, and the like. 
 
 This appearance occurs in the middle of the 
 ocean : on the land here and there, accompanied 
 with real fhocks of an earthquake, wherever 
 the earth is in an eledtric ftate. This phe¬ 
 nomenon muft acknowledge the fame aerial 
 origin. 
 
 The water is a ready objedt of its force, both 
 from its mobility, and from its folidity. It 
 chofes to run up rivers, to any length; to 
 run along the fhores, as ready condudtors, ac¬ 
 cording to our laft pofition. They that can 
 fancy fubterraneous boilings, like a culinary 
 fire, under all the canals, lakes, rivers, fea- 
 Ihores, and the ocean, affedted at the fame 
 time, over a quarter of the globe, efpecially 
 
 T 2 in 
 
 J 
 
 
 
276 The Philofophy of 
 
 in the vefiels of water prepared for brewing, are 
 
 not to be argued with. 
 
 We are to conceive, that the eleftric power 
 falls furioufly upon water, by reafon of the 
 extreme folidity of the component particles of 
 that moll wonderful fluid element : whofe foie 
 property it is, of all matter, to be abfolutely 
 incomprefiible. Hence it more readily attra&s, 
 and aflifts the vehemence of the elemental, elec¬ 
 tric fire. Hence it fo readily falls on rocks, 
 mountains, fteel, folid buildings, metals, the 
 bones, and joints of animals, and whatever is of 
 the moft fpecific gravity. 
 
 This therefore caufes a thump at the bot¬ 
 tom of a fhip at fea, as if ftriking on the ground; 
 this fhakes, and quivers the mails, like an afpen 
 leaf. 
 
 3. The third diverfity we call properly the 
 earthquakes : a tremor of the furface of the 
 earth, accompanied with the two preceding, efpe- 
 cially the firfl, the rumbling noife. Thefe un¬ 
 dulations are boundlefs, as to fpace, time, or 
 violence, as far as the, earth is prepared to re¬ 
 ceive them. For if a mufical firing be not 
 rightly llretched, it has no tone. So a wire, 
 in eleftrical experiments, never fo far extend¬ 
 ed, receives the touch, through its whole length. 
 
 It cannot be hard to obferve, that all confi- 
 derationSjlhew the impoflibility of a fire under¬ 
 ground, perpetrating thefe dire calamities of 
 earthquakes. The like as to the agitation in the 
 waters, which was perceived even in great vefiels 
 1 of 
 
 E 
 
 jf water: 
 iltninft 
 nscrediW 
 He mui 
 
 ;<aliof' 
 
 tit, not 
 jit of tli 
 
 jjfe at 
 
 -atone fl 
 jit be an 
 jconvey 
 iJtdrecei 
 
 tondefcer 
 Albythi 
 (.A foil 
 
 sit of 1 
 ar in the 
 it vortex 
 at height, 
 like icc 
 inter is 
 
 ag the lan 
 
 %$ 50 < 
 
 igone r 
 «ik, i 
 tbefame a 
 a, 
 
EARTH QJJ a K E S. 277 
 
 of water for brewing : and more, even in lead 
 when in fufion, at that fame inftant of time, as I 
 was credibly informed. 
 
 We muft likewife affirm, that the fire and 
 fmoak of volcano’s, is the effedt of the eledtric 
 ftroke, not the caufe. The great noife is pre- 
 lufive of the fire, that kindles their component 
 fulphurs, at the very fummit •, like a match of 
 brimftone (truck by a flint and fteel. Nor can 
 there be any fire, low in the earth, where there 
 is no conveyance of air, no more than in an ex- 
 haufted receiver. And though fires are found in 
 the bottom of coal-mines, and the like, where the 
 air can defcend •, yet we never hear of earthquakes 
 caufed by them. 
 
 4. A fourth kind, I hold to be what we 
 vulgarly call a water-fpout , which is feen both 
 on the water, and on the land. ’Tis a partial 
 exercife of the aereal power, that lifts up the 
 water in the ocean, rivers, wells, canals. A 
 Angle vortex or column, fometimes vifible, of a 
 great height. 
 
 In the accounts from Cadiz and other places, 
 the water is feen coming from the great ocean, 
 like a mountain, and when at the (bore, co¬ 
 vering the land : and many of thefe like columns 
 or ridges 50 or 60 foot high, more or lefs, fuc- 
 ceeding one another. The like appearance, ce¬ 
 teris paribus, in lakes, canals. All thefe are owing 
 to the fame aereal power that makes the water- 
 fpouts. 
 
 t 3 
 
 All 
 
 
278 The Philofophy of 
 
 Thefe four kinds proceed all from the fame 
 caufe, under fome different circumftances, Angle 
 or complex, greater or leffer. The rationale 
 of them we leave to further difquifition, con¬ 
 tent to point out fome of them, and enumerate 
 their fpecies. 
 
 We have feen univerfally that earthquakes 
 and agitations happen in a ferene iky. We 
 have afferted their caufe to be electrical ftrokes 
 from the atmofphere, the fame as thunder and 
 lightning. Now that thunder and lightning which 
 produces earthquakes, is found in a clear Iky, free 
 from clouds, was known to that great genius Horace, 
 as appears very fairly from Ode XXXIV. of his 
 firft book ; but not commonly underftood, from 
 want of a true pointing. Thus, 
 
 . . Namque Diefpiter 
 
 Igni corufco nubila dividens 
 
 Plerumque ; per purum , tonanles 
 Egit equos, volerremque currum, 
 
 Quo bruta tellus , et vaga flumina, 
 
 Quo Styx et invifi horrida Tienari 
 Sedes, Atlanteufque finis 
 Concutitur. 
 
 A comma is ufually put after the word divi- 
 dens, but erroneoufly. Mr. Baxter difeerned it 
 ought to be after the word plerumque, other- 
 wife ’tis not agreeable to that good fenfe we 
 ought to find in our poet : and it now fhews 
 that he was a philofopher too. 
 
 It 
 
EARTH QJJ AKES. 279 
 
 It may be thus tranflated, and accommodated 
 
 to the prefent times. 
 
 For hitherto great Jove, 
 
 Who o’er the clouds his thundring chariot drove : 
 Of Jate his fleeced lightning has been feen 
 To dart impetuous thro’ the fky ferene. 
 
 The folid earth an awful tremor feels. 
 
 The rivers dance before his chariot wheels : 
 
 To Africa fhores the rapid Ihock extends. 
 
 E’en to the dreadful Stygian cave defeends ; 
 
 The yawning realm of A'anarus appears, 
 
 Awakens confcience with unufual fears. 
 
 
2 8o EARTHQUAKE c/ 
 
 ter co 
 an hot 
 
 PHAEOMENA U 
 
 Hthth 
 and be; 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Great Earthquake *" h ' 
 
 a ratior 
 
 Of November i, 1755, in various parts of the 
 
 Globe. 
 
 Bock 
 
 Bcsb: 
 
 EUROPE. 
 
 In Great-Britain and Ireland. “8 “ 
 
 a canal 
 
 B Ardfield, EJfex. The waters in ponds , re ’ n] 
 greatly agitated between 11 and 12 in the 
 morning. 
 
 Barlborough, Derbyjhire. Between 11 and 
 12, in a boat houfe on the weft fide of a large 
 body of water, called Pibley Dam , fuppos’d to ,V 
 
 cover at leaft thirty acres of land, was heard a Tt 
 
 furprizing and terrible noife, and a large fwell of " 1 
 water came in a current from the fouth, and rofe 
 two feet on the Hoped dam head at the north end 
 of the water. It then fubfided, but returned again 
 immediately, though with lefs violence. The wa- Wai > 
 
 ter 
 
 flo 
 
November i, 1755. 281 
 
 ter continued thus agitated for three quarters of 
 an hour, but the current grew weaker and weaker, 
 till at laft it entirely ceafed. During this dif- 
 turbance, not a breeze of wind was heard, nor a 
 wave feen upon the furface. A hardy young fel¬ 
 low was fent to the boat-houfe to fee if any beaft 
 was there plunged in the water, but was fo fhock’d 
 with the noife, and by the boats tumbling about 
 and beating againft the fides of the houfe, that 
 when he returned he was not able, at firft, to give 
 a rational anfwer to any queftion that was alked 
 him. When all was ftill and quiet, it appeared 
 by a flake which had been drove down in the pond 
 when the boat-houfe was built, that the water on 
 that fpot had rifen about eight inches. 
 
 Booking, EJfex. The fame as at Bardfield. 
 
 Busbridge, Surrey, (near Godalmin) At half 
 an hour after ten in the morning, the weather be¬ 
 ing remarkably ftill, without the leafl: wind, in 
 a canal near 700 feet long, and 58 feet broad, 
 with a fmall fpring conftantly running through it, 
 a very unufual noife was heard at the eaft end, and 
 the water there was obferved to be in great agi¬ 
 tation ; it raifing it felf in a heap or ridge in the 
 middle, which extended length-wife about 30 
 yards, and between two and three feet above the 
 ufual level : After which the ridge heeled or vi¬ 
 brated towards the north fide of the canal, with 
 great force, and flowed above eight feet over the 
 grafs walk on that fide. On its return back into 
 the canal, it again ridged in the middle, and then 
 heeled, with yet greater force, to the fouth fide, 
 and flowed over its grafs walk; during which 
 
 latter 
 
282 EARTH QJJ ARE «/ 
 
 latter motion, the bottom on the north fide was 
 left bare of water for feveral feet wide. The wa¬ 
 ter being returned a fecond time into the canal, 
 the heelings grew lefs and lefs, yet fo ftrong as to 
 make it flow feveral times more over the fouth 
 bank, which is fomething lower than the other. 
 In about a quarter of an hour after the firft ap¬ 
 pearance, the water became quiet and finooth as 
 before. During the whole time there was a great 
 perturbation of the fand from the bottom, with a 
 noife like to that of water turning a mill. The 
 higheft part of the walk, over which the water 
 flowed, was about 20 inches above the water level. 
 No motion was taken notice of in the water at 
 the weft end of the canal. 
 
 Caversham, Oxfordjhire. (.near Reading) Peo¬ 
 ple were alarmed with a very great noife about 11 
 in the morning, as if part of their houfe had been 
 falling down : Upon examination however it did 
 not appear, that the houfe was at all damaged; 
 but a vine which grew againft it was broken off, 
 and two dwarf trees were fplit. 
 
 Cobh am, Surrey. Between 10 and 11, a perfon 
 was watering a horfe in hand, at a pond fed by 
 fprings, which had no current. Whilft the horfe 
 was drinking, the water ran away from him, and 
 moved towards the fouth with fwiftnefs, and in 
 fuch a quantity, as left the bottom of the pond 
 bare j then returned with that impetuofity, which 
 made the man leap backwards, to fecure himfelf 
 from its hidden approach. It went back again 
 to the fouth, with a great fwell, and returned 
 again. Its rife was above a foot. The ducks 
 
 were 
 
TF'-v- 
 
 November i, 1755. 283 
 
 were alarmed at the firft agitation, and flew all 
 inftantly out of the pond. There was a particular 
 calm all this time. 
 
 Conistone-water, Cumberland, (a lake about 
 five miles ,in length) A ferry man Handing at 
 their landing place, as he guefles about 10 in the 
 morning, was furprized to fee the water flow 
 above a yard upon the bank when there was not 
 the lead wind, and the water quite calm •, and 
 continued its motion backwards and forwards 
 about five minutes. The perpendicular rife might 
 be about a foot. 
 
 Cranbrook, Kent. The people were very 
 much alarmed and fancied they felt an earthquake. 
 The waters of feveral ponds, in this and the ad¬ 
 jacent parifhes, were in fuch motion, that they 
 overflowed their banks, and then returned back, 
 and overflowed the other fide. 
 
 Cork, Ireland. At 36 minutes after 9 two 
 fhocks of an earthquake were felt at about half a 
 minute’s interval: The limits of the places af- 
 fedbed were, fouthward, Watergate-lane , Chrijl- 
 church-lane, and Playhoufe-ftreet •, northward. Broad- 
 lane , Coal-^uay, and Draw-bridge. 
 
 Creston-ferry, Devon, (a mile fouth-eafi: 
 of Plymouth ) About 4 in the afternoon, almoH 
 immediately after high-water, the tide made a 
 very extraordinary out, or recefs, and left two 
 laden paflage-boats, at once, quite dry in the 
 mud, though they were, a minute or two before, 
 in four or five feet water. In lefs than eight mi¬ 
 nutes the tide returned with the utmoft rapidity, 
 ,and floated both the boats again, fo that they had 
 
 fix 
 
 S’ 
 
 
 
 
284 EARTH QJJ A K E of 
 
 fix feet water. The fea funk and fwelled, tho’ 
 in a much lefs degree, for near half an hour lon¬ 
 ger, and at the next morning’s tide there, feveral 
 very large furges, which drove fhips from their 
 moorings, broke fome of the hawfers, and twirled 
 veflels about in a very odd manner. 
 
 Crunill-passage, Devon. Over an arm of 
 the fea, about two miles weft of Plymouth , the 
 fame phenomena were obferved, as at Crefton-Ferry. 
 
 Deinstall, Suffolk, (near Bury) The water of 
 a pond role gradually, for feveral minutes, in the 
 form of a pyramid, and fell down like a water- 
 fpout; whereas other ponds thereabouts had a 
 fmooth flux and reflux, from one end to the other. 
 
 Durham city, (near it) About half an hour after 
 10, a gardener was alarmed by a fudden rulhing 
 noife from a pond ; as if the head of the pond had 
 broken down : when calling his eye on the water, 
 he faw it gradually rife up, without any fluctuating 
 motion, till it reached a grate, which flood fome 
 inches higher than the common water-level, thro’ 
 which it difcharged itfelf for a few feconds. Then 
 it fublided as much below the mark it rofe from, 
 as it was above it in the greatell elevation, and 
 continued thus riling and falling about fix or feven 
 minutes, making four or five returns in about 
 one. The w r ater Hill continued to have fome 
 commotion, but it was nothing confiderable. The 
 ebb and flow were each about half a foot in the 
 perpendicular. The pond is about 40 yards long, 
 and 10 broad. 
 
 Early-court, Berks, (near Beading) About 
 11 o’clock, a gardener Handing by a filh-pond, 
 
 felt 
 
V 
 
 November i, 1755. 285 
 
 felt a moft violent trembling of the earth , which 
 lafted upwards of fifty feconds: Immediately af¬ 
 ter which,' he obferved a motion of the water, 
 from the fouth end of the pond to the north end, 
 leaving the bottom on the fouth end altogether 
 without water, for the fpace of fix feet. It then 
 returned, and flowed at the fouth end, fo as to 
 rife three feet up to the Hope bank, and imme¬ 
 diately went back again to the north, where it 
 likewife flowed three feet up the bank: And in 
 the time between the flux and reflux, the water 
 fwelled up in the middle of the pond, collected 
 in a ridge, about 20 inches higher than the level 
 on each fide, and boiled like a pot. This agi¬ 
 tation from fouth to north, and from north to 
 fouth alternately, lafted about four minutes •, and 
 there feemed to be little or no motion in the di¬ 
 rection of eaft and weft, the weather being per¬ 
 fectly calm during the whole time. 
 
 Easthwaite-water, Cumberland, (a lake 
 about a mile and a half in length, near Hawkef- 
 head) A like agitation, though in a lefs degree, 
 and fhorter continuance, as at Conijl one-water, and 
 at the fame time. 
 
 Eaton-brIdce, Kent. In a pond, about an 
 acre in fize, a dead calm, and no wind ftirring, 
 fome perfons heard a noife, and imagining fome- 
 thing had tumbled in, ran to fee what was the 
 matter-, when, to their furprize, they faw the 
 water, open in the middle, fo that they could fee 
 a poft a good way down, almoft to the bottom, 
 and the water daftiing up over a bank about two 
 
286 EARTHQUAKE of 
 
 foot high, and perpendicular to the pond. This 
 it did leveral times, making a great noife. 
 
 Enfield, Middlefex. Agitations on the water. 
 
 Eyam-edge, Derbyjhire. (in the Peak) The 
 overfeer of the lead mines, fitting in his writing 
 room, felt, about 11 o’clock, one (hock, which 
 very fenfibly railed him up in his chair, and caufed 
 feveral pieces of lime or plaifter to drop from 
 the Tides of the room. The roof of it was fo 
 violently Ihook, that he imagined nothing lefs 
 than the engine fhaft was run in; whereupon he 
 immediately went to fee, and found the fhaft open, 
 and all things about the fpot in their proper or¬ 
 der. In the morning, coming through a field 
 about 300 yards from the mines, there was no¬ 
 thing uncommon to be feen, but in his return at 
 evening he obferved a cleft about one foot deep 
 and fix inches over •, its continuation from one 
 end to the other, was near 150 yards, being pa¬ 
 rallel to the range of the vein on the north fide. 
 Thefe were the moft remarkable circumftances 
 which happened on the furface of the earth. 
 
 Two miners at the aforefaid time were em¬ 
 ployed carting, or drawing along the drifts, the 
 ore and other minerals to be raifed up the fhafts. 
 The drift, in which they were working, is about 
 120 yards deep, and the fpace from one end to 
 the other 50 yards, or upwards. He at the end 
 of the drift had juft loaded his cart, and was 
 drawing it along, but was fuddenly furprized by 
 a fhock, which fo terrified him, that he imme¬ 
 diately quitted his employment, and ran to the 
 weft end of the drift to his partner, who was not 
 1 lefs 
 
November r, 1755. 287 
 
 lefs terrified than himfelf. They durft not attempt 
 to climb the fhaft, left that fhould be running 
 in upon them, but confulted what means to take 
 for their fafety. Mean while they Were alarmed 
 by a Ihock much more violent than the former; 
 
 which put them in fuch a confirmation, that they 
 both ran precipitately to the other end of the drift. 
 There was another miner working at the eaft end 
 of the vein, about 12 yards below their level, 
 who called out to them, imagining they were in 
 danger of being killed by the (hafts running in 
 upon them, which he fuppofed was the cafe •, and 
 told them, if by any means they could get down 
 the (haft to him, they would be more fecure, be- 
 caufe the cavity, where he was working, was en- 
 compafifed with folid rock. They went down to 
 him, where after obferving they had neither of 
 them received any misfortune, he told them that 
 the violence of the fecond fhock had been fo 
 great, that it caufed the rocks to grind one upon 
 another. His account was interrupted by a third 
 Ihock, which, after an interval of four or five 
 minutes, was fucceeded by a fourth •, and about 
 the fame fpace of time after, by a fifth ; none of 
 which were fo violent as the fecond. They heard 
 after every fkock a loud rumbling in the bowels 
 of the earth, which continued about half a mi¬ 
 nute, gradually decreafing, or Teeming at a grea¬ 
 ter diftance. They imagined, that the whole fpace 
 of time, from the firft fhock to the laft, might 
 be about 20 minutes j and they tarried about ten 
 minutes in the mine, after the laft fhock. As they 
 went along the drifts, they obferved, that feveral 
 
 pieces 
 
 
 

 288 EARTHQUAKE of 
 
 pieces of minerals were dropped from the fides 
 and roof, but all the lhafts remained entire, with¬ 
 out the lead: difcompofure: The fpace of ground 
 at the aforefaid mines, wherein it was felt, was 
 960 yards, which was all that was at that time 
 in workmanlhip. 
 
 Finchingfield, EJfex. Between 11 and 12 
 the water of a pond, which has no communi¬ 
 cation with any river, ran up hill into a ditch. 
 Juft before the agitation of the water, the geefe 
 in the pond fcreamed vehemently. 
 
 Framlingham, Suffolk, (near Ipfwich) A 
 large pond was greatly agitated. 
 
 Gainsborough, Lincolnfkire. The water in 
 this port rofe five or fix feet, and fell again in a 
 minute or two. 
 
 Guava’s-lake, Cornwal. A ketch of war 
 veered round upon her anchors, keeping her head 
 by turns to the flux and reflux ; and in the decline 
 of the commotion they hove the log to eftimate the 
 velocity of the water, and found it to run at the 
 rate of leven miles in an hour. 
 
 Guilford, Surry, (near it) In a mill-pond, a 
 great fwell and agitation of the water was ob- 
 lerved by a perfon who flood over it all the while, 
 on a bridge and in a back ftream it was very 
 confiderable, and came with violence againft the 
 bank, but no fenfible reflux was obferved. 
 
 Heyle, Cornwal. (a little harbour about four 
 miles north of the Mount , on the Severn fea) The 
 agitation did not make its appearance, till an 
 hour or little more after the ebb began, or about 
 4 in the afternoon, which is cafily accounted for 
 
November i, i755. 2 Sg 
 
 (fays the obferver) by the circuit of land at the 
 extremity of the county, which the fwell muft 
 have made before it could reach into the north 
 chanel to St. Ives and Heyle. In this inland half¬ 
 tide harbour it continued vifible but an hour and 
 half-, the greateft flux was about the middle of 
 that time, the furge being then feven feet hish; 
 but in general it rofe and fell but two feet only ■ 
 owing, as he fuppofes, to the force and quantity 
 of water being broke in its advances into fo re¬ 
 tired a creek. 
 
 Horsmanden, Kent. The lame phenomena 
 as at Cranbrook. 
 
 Hull, Yorkfhire. The fame as at Gaivjbo- 
 rough. 
 
 Hunston, Norfolk. Two gentlemen went out 
 a Ihooting on the fea-lbore, and were in great 
 danger of being drowned by the fea’s fudden flow¬ 
 ing before its ufual time. 
 
 St. Ives, Cornwal. (at the peer) The water rofe 
 between eight and nine feet, and floated two vef- 
 lels, before quite dry, but all fmooth ; no lea 
 broke. 
 
 Kinsale, Ireland. Between the hours of two 
 and three in the afternoon, the weather being very 
 calm, and the tide near full, a large body of 
 water fuddenly poured into the harbour, v/ith fuch 
 rapidity, that it broke the cables of two floops, 
 each moor’d with two anchors, and of feveral 
 boats lying between Scilly and the town; which 
 were carried up, then down the harbour, with 
 a velocity far exceeding that of a fhip or boat, 
 though favoured with ail the advantageous cir- 
 U cumftances 
 
ago EARTH QJJ A K E of 
 
 cumftances of tide and wind, in any degree of 
 violence : But juft at the time that univerfal mif- 
 chief was thought unavoidable by all the veffels 
 running fowl of one another, an eddy whirled 
 them round feveral times, and hurried them back 
 again with the fame rapidity. This was feveral 
 times repeated ; and while the current rulhed up 
 at one fide of the harbour, it poured down with 
 equal violence at the other. A veffel that lay all 
 this time in the pool, did not feem to be any ways 
 affe&ed i nor was the violence of the currents 
 much perceived in the deeper parts of the harbour, 
 but raged with moft violence on the flats. The 
 bottom of the harbour, which is all a flab, was 
 c much altered, the mud being wafhed from fome 
 places, and depofued in others. The perpendi¬ 
 cular rife of the water at one quay was meafured 
 five feet and a half, and is faid to have been much 
 higher at the market quay, which it overflowed 
 and powered into the market-place with fuch ra¬ 
 pidity, that fome who were on the quay, imme¬ 
 diately ran off, on the firft rife of the water, but 
 could not do it with expedition enough to prevent 
 their being overtaken, and up to the knees. The 
 agitations of the water were communicated fome 
 miles up the river, but, as in the harbour, were 
 moft perceivable in the fhalloweft places. The 
 l'ucceflive rifings and fallings of the water feemed 
 to continue about ten minutes, and then the tide re¬ 
 turned to its natural courfe. Between 6 and 7 in 
 the evening the water rofe again, though not with 
 fo great violence as before; and it continued al¬ 
 ternate ebbs and flows till 3 in the morning. The 
 
 waters 
 
November r, 17^. 2gI 
 
 Waters did not rife gradually at firft, but with a 
 hollow and horrid noife rulhed in like a deluge, 
 rofe fix or feven feet in a minute, and as fuddenly 
 fubfided : It was as thick as puddle, very black, 
 and flank intolerably. By different accounts the 
 water was affe&ed in the fame manner, all along 
 the coafl, to the weftward of this harbour. 
 
 Lands-end, Cornwal. The commotion of the 
 waters was perceived there. < 
 
 Lee, Surrey, (in Whitley parifh) A canal or 
 pond was fo violently agitated, that the gardener, 
 on the firft appearance, ran for help, thinking a 
 number of otters were under the water deftroyine- 
 the fifh. & 
 
 Loch-keterin, Scotland. Agitated at the fame 
 time as Loch-Lommond , which fee. 
 
 Loch-lommond, Scotland. At half an hour 
 paft nine in the morning, all of a fudden, and 
 without the leaf! guft of wind, the water rofe againft 
 its banks with great rapidity, but immediately re¬ 
 tired, and in five minutes time fubfided, till it was 
 as low in appearance, as any body then prefent 
 had ever feen it in the greateft fummer drought j 
 and then it inftantly returned towards the fhore, 
 and in five minutes time rofe again as high as it was 
 before. The agitation continued at this rate till 
 fifteen minutes after ten the fame morning, taking 
 five minutes to rife, and as many to fubfide; and 
 from fifteen minutes after ten, till eleven, every 
 rife came fomewhat fhort in height of that imme¬ 
 diately preceding, taking five minutes to flow, 
 and five to ebb, untill the water was fettled, as it 
 was before the agitation. The height to which 
 U 2 the 
 

 292 EARTH QJJ ARE of 
 
 the loch rofe perpendicular, was meafured and 
 
 found to be two feet, four inches. 
 
 Loch- long, Scotland. Agitated at the fame 
 time as Loch-Lommond , which fee. 
 
 Loch- ness, Scotland. At half an hour after 
 nine, a very great agitation of the waters was feen 
 by divers perfons ; and about ten the river Oich % 
 which lies on the north fide of fort Augujlus , and 
 runs from weft, into the head of the loch, was 
 obferved to fwell very much, and run upwards, 
 from the loch, with a pretty high wave, about 
 two or three feet higher than the ordinary furface, 
 with a pretty quick motion againft the wind, and 
 a rapid ftream, about two hundred yards up the 
 river ; then broke on a fhallow, and flowed about 
 three or four feet on the banks, on the north fide 
 of the river, and returned again gently to the 
 loch. It continued ebbing and flowing in that 
 manner for about an hour, without any waves fo 
 remarkable as the firft, till about eleven o’clock, 
 when a wave higher than any of the reft came up 
 the river, and, to the great furprize of all the 
 fpedators, broke with fo much force on the low- 
 ground, on the north fide of the river, as to run 
 upon the grafs upwards of thirty feet from the 
 river’s bank. Loch-nefs is about twenty miles in 
 length, and from one to one and a half mile broad; 
 bears from fouth-weft to north-eaft. It is vaftly 
 deep, its foundings in many places being from 
 one hundred, to an hundred and thirty-five fathom, 
 which is greatly below the. level of the fea at In¬ 
 verness. Its fides are moft part rocky, and it 
 deepens immediately from them. About three 
 
 mufket- 
 
November r, 1755, 293 
 
 mufket-fiiot from the river Oicb it meafures about 
 one hundred and twenty fathom in depth. There 
 was no extraordinary muddinefs obferved in the 
 water, upon this occafion, though it did not ap¬ 
 pear quite fo clear as ufual. The morning was 
 cold and gloomy, and a pretty brifk gale of wind 
 blowed from weft-fouth-weft. 
 
 Luton, Bedfordjhire. The water of a pond 
 was ftrongly agitated, and leveral times overflowed 
 its banks on one fide, and ebbed fix feet on the 
 other-,, this was between ten and eleven in the 
 morning. 
 
 Medhurst, Sujfex. In a mill-pond, the fwell 
 of the water, rolling towards the mill, was fo re¬ 
 markable, that the miller imagined a fluice had 
 been opened at the upper end of the pond, and 
 had let a back water into it; but upon fearch it 
 was found fhut as ufual: Upon its retreat, it left 
 fome filhes upon dry land. Below the mill the 
 fwell of the water was fo great, as to drive the 
 ftream upwards, back into the conduit of the mill. 
 The pond in lord Montacute 's park, in the neigh¬ 
 bourhood, vtas likewife greatly agitated' at the fame 
 time. 
 
 Mounts-bay, Cornwcil. A little after two in 
 the afternoon, the weather fair and calm, as it 
 had been for fix days before, the barometer un- 
 ufually high, the thermometer about temperate, 
 and the little wind there was, at north-eaft, there 
 happened here, and the parts adjacent, the moll 
 uncommon and violent agitation of the fea ever 
 remembered. About half an hour after ebb, the 
 fea was obferved at the Mount-pier to advance 
 H 3 fuddenly 
 
a 9 4 EARTH QJJ A K E of 
 
 fuddenly from the eaftward. It continued to fwell 
 and rife for the fpace of ten minutes ; when it 
 began to retire, running to the weft, and fouth- 
 weft, with a rapidity equal to that of a mill- 
 ftream defcending to an underfhot wheel: It ran 
 fo for ten minutes, till the water was fix feet lower, 
 than when it began to retire. The fea then began 
 to return, and in ten minutes it was at the be¬ 
 fore-mentioned extraordinary height: In ten mi¬ 
 nutes more it was funk as before, and fo it conti¬ 
 nued alternately to rife and fall between five and 
 fix feet, in the fame fpace of time. The firft 
 and fecond fluxes and refluxes were not fo violent 
 at the Mount-pier as the third and fourth, when 
 the fea was rapid beyond expreflion, and the al¬ 
 terations continued in their full fury for two hours: 
 They then grew fainter gradually, and the whole 
 commotion ceafed about low water, five hours and 
 a half after it began. At the mount the fifher- 
 men got to their boats, then riding off the pier, 
 as foon as the commotion was obferved, conclu¬ 
 ding that a violent ftorm was at hand : They were 
 no fooner on board, than their boats were heaved 
 in with the furf; but they were no fooner in the 
 pier, and ftruggling to fecure themfelves and 
 boats, as much as their aftonifhment would per¬ 
 mit, than their boats were hurried back again, 
 through the gap or mouth of the pier, with in¬ 
 credible velocity : When they had gone off as far 
 as the reflux determined, they were carried in, 
 and out again, with an impetuofity, which no 
 ropes could withftand, and which would have 
 deftroyed both men and boats immediately, if in 
 
 their 
 
November i, 1755. 295 
 
 their padage, they had touched the lead done of 
 the pier. What preferved them, was not the rud¬ 
 der, or the oar, but the fame dream and current, 
 which put them in danger; for it had neither in 
 or out let but through that narrow gap, and 
 therefore fet in diredtly, and out. 
 
 Moushole - pier, Cornwal. (in Mounts-bay ) 
 The agitations of the fea did not materially differ 
 from thole at Neivlin pier. 
 
 N ettlebed, Oxfordfhire. A refervoir there call¬ 
 ed Wombone-pond , was found quite empty of water, 
 the bottom having funk within the earth and' 
 left an unfathomable cavity. It had been obfer- 
 ved to be full at eight o’clock the night before. 
 
 Newlin-pier, Cornwal. (a mile wed of Pen¬ 
 zance) The dux was obferved to come in from 
 the fouthward, the eadern current (fays the cu¬ 
 rious obferver) being quite fpent. It was nearly 
 at the fame time as at Mounts-bay and Penzance , 
 but in a manner fomewhat different; it coming 
 on like a furge or high creded wave. The firit 
 agitations were as violent as any •, and after a few 
 advances and retreats, at their greated violence, 
 in the fame Ipace of time as at the Mount , the fea 
 grew gradually quiet, after it had role, to the 
 indnite amazement of the fpedfators, ten feet per T 
 pendicular at lead: This is dve feet more than 
 at the Mount-pier , and two feet more than at Pen¬ 
 zance, attributed, by the obferver, to the angle 
 or creek in which A lewlin lies ; wherein the waters 
 were redded, and accumulated by the draitnefs cf 
 the fhores, and the bent of the wedern land ; 
 whereas at Penzance the waters were lefs confined, 
 U 4 and. 
 
 -H 
 
296 EARTH QJJ A K E of 
 
 and confequentiy could not rife fo high; but at P* alfl 
 
 the Mount (at that time an ifland) the fea had full al ^ 1 
 
 room to fpread, and difperfe it felf, and there rofe ^ 
 
 lead: of all. See Penzance. 
 
 Oich, river, Scotland, greatly agitated. See ^ 
 
 Loch-Nefs. m ^ ol 
 
 Peerless-pool, Middlefex. (in Old-ftreet pa- ik® 0 
 
 rifh, near London ) Between the hours of ten and 
 eleven in the morning, one of the waiters there or ^ oul 
 
 being engaged with his fellow-fervant, in fome 
 bufinefs, nea'r the wall inclofing the ground which fl®tl 
 
 contains the filh-pond, and accidentally calling andean 
 
 his eye on the water, was furprized to fee it greatly butfurt 
 
 moved, without the lead apparent caule, as the itsHren 
 
 air was entirely calm •, he called to his companion, tkiout 
 
 who was equally llruck with the fight of it. of its i 
 
 Large waves rolled to and from the bank near tightfc< 
 
 them, at the eaft end, for fome time, and at iaft honabo 
 
 left the pond dry for feveral feet, and in their re- Plym 
 
 flux overflowed the bank ten or twelve feet, as they ifcmooi 
 
 did the cppofite one, which was evident irom the jailors c 
 
 wetnefs of the ground about it. This motion rontyn 
 
 having continued five or fix minutes, the two liadth; 
 
 waiters dept to the cold bath near the filh pond, Ityfeem 
 
 but no motion was by them obferved in it, nor by it# very 
 
 a gentleman who had been in it, and was then itiernoor 
 
 drelTmg, and who went immediately with the waiters vtryodd 
 
 to the filh-pond, and was a third witnefs of the ' 
 agitation there. When all had ceafed, thefe three 
 went to the pleafure bath, between which and the 
 filh-pond the cold bath is fituated; they found it p 0ST , 
 
 then motionlefs, but to have been agitated in the 
 lame manner with the filh-pond, the water leaving ^ 
 
 2 plain 
 
> 
 
 November i, 1755. 
 
 plain marks of its having overflowed the banks, 
 and riien to the bullies on the Tides of them. 
 
 Penzance, Cornwal. T. he pier lies three miles 
 weft; of the MAint, and the reflux was firft obferved 
 here forty-five minutes after two: The influx came 
 on from the fouth-eaft, and fouth fouth-eaft: From 
 whence the obferver gathers, that the force, from 
 which the agitation proceeded, lay at fouth nearly, 
 or fouth-weft of the bay, and the fea reaching 
 firft the eaftern lands (which projedl: a great deal 
 more than thole of the weft) was thence reflected, 
 and came upon the Mount in an eafterly direction : 
 but further on the weft this eaftern current had loft 
 its ftrength, and the fea came into Penzance from 
 the fouth-fouth-eaft, more diredtly from the points 
 of its momentum. Here the greateft rife was 
 eight feet, and the greateft violence of the agita¬ 
 tion about three o’clock. See Mounts-bay. 
 
 Plymouth, Devonjhire. About four in the 
 afternoon, there was an extraordinary boar , as the 
 Tailors call it. The fea feemed difturbed about 
 twenty minutes before, though there was very little 
 wind that day, or for lome days before. The 
 fky feemed that day very cloudy, in the morn¬ 
 ing very full of little fiery red clouds, in the 
 afternoon very louring, and in many places of a 
 very odd copper-colour •, the atmofphere excefiively 
 thick and dark, but not a drop of rain fell. The 
 boar drove feveral fhips from their moorings, and 
 broke fome of the hawfers. 
 
 Ponty-pool, Monmouthjhire. (near it) The 
 river Frood furik, by the fall of a rock, into the 
 earth, and is loft •, not yet having been difcovered 
 
 to 
 
 / 
 
298 EARTH QJJ ARE of 
 
 to have broken out any where again, though it 
 may be obferved to run about ten yards under 
 ground. 
 
 Fool, Dorfetfhire. Between ten and eleven 
 o’clock in the morning, the Tea at the quay was 
 violently agitated, though calm juft before: Ships 
 were tofifed and broke from their moorings. Some 
 felt a flight earthquake at land. 
 
 Portsmouth, Hants. About thirty-five mi¬ 
 nutes after ten in the morning there was obferved, 
 in the dock-yard, an extraordinary motion of the 
 waters in the north dock, and in the bafon, and 
 at two of the jetty heads. In the north dock 
 whofe length is two hundred and twenty-nine feet, 
 breadth feventy-four feet, and at that time feven- 
 teen feet and a half depth of water, the Gofport 
 man of war of forty guns, was juft let in to be 
 dock’d, and well ftayed with guys and hawfers. 
 On a fudden, ,the fhip ran backward near three 
 feet; and, by the libration of the water, the 
 gates alternately opened and /hut, receding from 
 one another near four inches. In the bafon, whofe 
 length is about two hundred and forty feet, breadth 
 two hundred and twenty feet, and at that time 
 about feventeen feet depth of water, Ihut in by 
 two pair of gates, lay the Berwick of feventy 
 guns, the Dover of forty guns, both in a direction 
 nearly parallel to the Gofport , $nd a merchant fhip 
 of about fix hundred tons, unloading of tar, lying 
 in an oblique direction to the others. Thefe fhips 
 were obferved to be agitated in like manner with 
 the Gofport , and the tar fhip to roll from fide to 
 fide. The fwell of the waters againft the fides of 
 
 the 
 

 November i, 1755, 
 
 299 
 
 the bafon was obferved to be nine inches ; one of 
 the work-men meafured it between the librations. 
 The Najfau , a feventy gun fhip, lying a long- 
 fide a jetty head, between the north dock and the 
 bafon •, alfo the Duke , a ninety gun fhip, lying 
 againft the next jetty head, to the fouthward, both 
 in a dire&ion nearly at right angles to the others, 
 were obferved to be rocked in the fame manner, 
 but not quite fo violently. The dock and bafon 
 lie nearly eaft and weft, on the weft fide of the 
 harbour. 
 
 Rochford, EJfex. About ten in the morning, 
 in a pond adjoining to the church-yard, the water 
 was obferved to flow a confiderable way up the 
 mouth of the pond, and then returning, to flow 
 up the oppofite fide, repeating this fort of motion 
 for about three quarters of an hour. At the very 
 time of this fluctuation, two other ponds, which 
 are but a fmall diftance from the former, were re¬ 
 marked to be ftill and quiet. The motion of the 
 water in the firft pond was only from eaft to weft, 
 and from weft to eaft, alternately. This pond is 
 very large, and almoft round : Its mouth is on 
 the eaft fide. The two neighbouring ponds lie 
 in length from north to fouth, and are compara¬ 
 tively very narrow in their breadth from eaft to 
 weft. 
 
 Shir burn-castle, Oxfordfhire. At a little 
 after ten in the morning, a very ftrange motion 
 was perceived'in the water of a moat which in- 
 compafles the houfe. There was a pretty thick 
 fog, not a breath of air, and the furface of the 
 water all over the moat as fmooth as a looking- 
 
 glafs. 
 
 
300 EARTH QJU A K E of 
 
 glais, except at one corner, where it flowed into 
 the fhore, and retired again fuccefiively, in a fur- 
 prizing manner. How long it had done fo be¬ 
 fore, or in what manner it began to move, is un¬ 
 certain j the flux and reflux, when feen, were quite 
 regular. Every flood began gently ; its velocity 
 increafed by degrees, till at laft, with great im- 
 petuofity, it rulhed in till it had reached its full 
 height, at which it remained for a little while, and 
 then again retired, at full gently ebbing, at laft 
 finking away with fuch quicknefs,, that it left a 
 confiderable quantity of water entangled amongft 
 the pebbles, laid to defend the bank, which ran 
 thence in little ftreams over the fhore, now de¬ 
 ferred by the water, which at other times always 
 covers it. As the Hope of the fides of the moat 
 is very gentle, the fpace left by the water at fts 
 reflux was confiderable, though the difference be¬ 
 tween the higheft flood and loweft ebb'of thefe 
 little tides, if the expreflion may be allowed, was 
 but about four inches and an half perpendicular 
 height j the whole body of water feeming to be 
 violently thrown againft the bank, and then re¬ 
 tiring again, while the furface of the whole moat, 
 all the time, continued quite fmooth, without 
 even the leaft wrinkle of a wave, fhe time it 
 took up in one flux and reflux, as it was not then 
 oblerved, cannot be guefied at. Several pieces 
 of white paper lay at the bottom of the water, 
 aoout four foot deep : Thefe could be per¬ 
 ceived to move backward and forwards, keep- 
 ing pace with fome weeds, and other things, 
 which floated on the top of the water, as it ebb’d 
 
 and 
 
and flow’d, 
 ferved thefe 
 
 November i, 1755. 301 
 
 Lord vifcount Parker, who had ob- 
 reciprocations, being defirous 
 
 know, whether the motion was univerfal over the 
 moat, fent a perfon to the other corner of it, at 
 ' the fame end that himfelf flood, and about twenty- 
 five yards from him, to examine whether the water 
 moved there, or not. He could perceive no mo¬ 
 tion theie, or hardly any: But another, who went 
 to the north-eaft corner of the moat, diagonally 
 oppofite to his lordfhip, found it as confiderable 
 as where he was. His lordlhip imagining, that 
 in all probability the water at the corner diagonally 
 oppofite to where he was, would fink, as That by 
 him rofe, he ordered the perfon to fignify, by call¬ 
 ing out, when the water by him began to fink, 
 and when to rife. This he did, but to his lord- 
 fhip’s great furprize, he found, that, immediately 
 aiter the water began to rife at his own end, he 
 heard his voice calling that it began to rife with 
 him ; and in the fame manner heard that it was 
 finking at his end, foon after he perceived it to 
 finK by himfelf. i hey might be about ninety or 
 an hundred yards afunder. His lordlhip fent a 
 perfon to a pond jufl below where himfelf flood, 
 who called to him in the fame manner. The water 
 rofe and fell in that pond; but though he flood at 
 the fouth-weft corner of that pond, as my lord 
 did at the fouth-weft corner of the moat, it did 
 not rife and fall by him in that pond, at the fame 
 time as it rofe and fell by his lordlhip in the moat, 
 but funk fometimes when the moat rofe, and rofe 
 when the moat funk, as it feemed by his calling, 
 the rifing and falling feeming to be quicker than 
 in the moat, though but little: He might ftand 
 
 about 
 
 
 '1 ■ 
 
 1 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
302 EARTH QJJ A K E of 
 
 about forty yards off. His lordfltip fent to three 
 other ponds, in all which the agitation was very 
 confiderable. The fwells which fucceeded one 
 another, were not equal, nor did they increafe or 
 diminifh gradually; for fometimes, after a very 
 great fwell, the next two or three would be fmall, 
 and then again would come a very large one, fol¬ 
 lowed by one or two more as large, and then lefs 
 again. His lordfhip having flood by the moat a 
 good while, went away, and returning again in 
 about half an hour’s time, found it perfectly ftill. 
 
 Stonehouse-lake, Devonfhire. (communica¬ 
 ting with an arm of the fea) The boar or fwell 
 came in with fuch impetuofity, that it drove every 
 thing before it, tearing up the mud, fand and 
 banks, and broke a large cable, by which the 
 foot paflage boat is drawn from fide to fide of the 
 lake. 
 
 Swanzey, Glamorganjhire. (in Brifiol channel) 
 See White-rock. ~ 
 
 Tarff river, Scotland, (fouth of fort Augujlus) 
 Was agitated at the fame time and manner as the 
 river Oich. See Lochnefs and Oich. 
 
 Tenterden, Kent. Between io and n in the 
 morning, feveral ponds here and in the neighbour¬ 
 hood were greatly agitated; the water being forced 
 up the banks, with much violence, foaming, fret¬ 
 ting, and roaring like the coming in of the tide. 
 Some flowed up three times in this manner, others 
 circled round in eddies, abforbing leaves, flicks, &c. 
 
 Thames, river, (at Rotherithe) Some perfons 
 being in a barge, unloading timber, between 11 
 and 12 o’clock, were furprized by a fudden hea¬ 
 ving up of the barge, from a fwell of the water. 
 
November i, 1755. ^03 
 
 not unlike what happens when a fhip is launched 
 from any of the builders yards in the neighbour¬ 
 hood. But the ftate of the tide did not then fuit 
 with the launching of (hips, and they were after¬ 
 wards certain that no (hip was launched at that time. 
 
 Topsfield, EJfex. The water of a pond rofe 
 very high. 
 
 Tunbridce town, Kent. The waters agitated. 
 
 Whitehaven, Cumberland. The waters agitated. 
 
 White-rock, Glamorganjhire. (above a mile 
 above Swanzey) About two hours ebb of the tide, 
 and near three quarters after fix in the evening, a 
 great head of water rufhed up with a great noife, 
 floated two large veflHs, the lead of them above 
 two hundred tons, (one whereof was almofl: dry 
 before) broke their moorings, and hove them 
 acrofs the river, and had like to overfet them, by 
 throwing them on the banks. The whole’did 
 not laft ten minutes, the rife and fall, and what is 
 molt remarkable, it was not felt in any other part 
 of the river, fo that it fhould feem to have gufhed 
 out of the earth at that place 1 for near Swanzey 
 town, and mouth of the river, there is a paflao-e- 
 boat, that was palling at that time, and had been 
 for the whole day, and there nothing was felt of it. 
 
 Windermere-water, Cumberland, (a lake 
 about ten miles long from north to fouth) About 
 ten o’clock in the forenoon, a filhing-boat being 
 drawn aground, one of the men alhore, and the 
 other fitting in the boat, the lake quite full, and 
 as fmooth as glafs, and not a breath of wind j on 
 a fudden the water fwelled, floated the boat, heaved 
 it up about its length farther upon land, and took 
 it back again, in the falling back of the wave. 
 
 2 This 
 
3 04 EARTHQUAKE of 
 
 This flux and reflux continued about eight or ten 
 minutes, gradually decreafing : Here they heard no 
 remarkable noife. Some ferry-men, bufy at the 
 fame time on fhore, about the middle part, gave the 
 like account in every particular, only that their 
 boat was moored, and could not be driven on 
 fliore; the fwell they judged to be about knee- 
 high above the common furface. Some hufband- 
 men that were at work that forenoon in a field, 
 within fight of the lake, about two miles and a 
 half from the foot or fouth end of it; about ten, 
 heard a noife from towards the water, like, as they 
 imagined, the found of the flate off the whole fide 
 ®f any large building. Aiding down the roof at 
 once, and expetted it to be fome ftrong guft 
 of wind coming at a diftance: The water was 
 quite (till before and fmooth, but on that noife they 
 obferved a narrow rippling in the lake, from the 
 point of a rock. 
 
 Wymansdel-meare, Was agi¬ 
 
 tated in a very extraordinary manner ; for in an 
 inftant the waters rofe feven feet, and again as 
 foon fubfided; fo that two fifher-men who were 
 in a boat, near the edge of the lake, found them- 
 felves by one wave carried into it a confiderable 
 way, and were fo aftonifhed with the fudden tranf- 
 portation, as to declare they imagined that the 
 laft day was come. 
 
 Yarmouth, Norfolk. A little before noon, 
 without any wind flirring, the water in the haven 
 was violently agitated, and fuddenly rofe fix feet, 
 and the (hips had an uncommon motion, fo that 
 the caulkers left oft work for fome time. 
 
November i, 17 $5. 
 
 In BOHEMIA. 
 
 3 °S 
 
 OPLITZ (a village famous for its me- 
 
 JL dicinal baths, nine Bohemian miles north- 
 weft of Prague) Thefe waters were difcovered in 
 the year 762 ; from which time the principal 
 fpring of them had conftantly thrown out the hot 
 water in the fame quantity, and of the fame qua¬ 
 lity. On November 1, 1755, between eleven and 
 twelve in the morning, the chief fpring call forth 
 fuch a quantity of water, that in the fpace of half 
 an hour all the baths ran over. About half an 
 hour before this vaft increafe of the water, the 
 fpring grew turbid, and flowed muddy •, and ha¬ 
 ving flopped intirely near a minute, broke forth 
 again with prodigious violence, driving before it 
 a confiderable quantity of a reddifh oker, or crocus 
 martialis: After which it became clear, and 
 flowed as pure as before ; and continues ftill to 
 do fo ; but it fupplies more water than ufual, and 
 that hotter, and more impregnated with its me¬ 
 dicinal quality. 
 
 In FRANCE. 
 
 NGOULESME, capital of Angoumois 
 
 about a league from this city a fubterra- 
 neous noife, like thunder, was heard, and pre- 
 fently after the earth opened and difcharged a 
 torrent of water mixed with red fand. Moft of 
 the fprings in the neighbourhood funk, in fuch a 
 
 X 
 
 manner. 
 
go6 EARTHQUAKE e/ 
 manner, that for fome time it was thought they 
 were quite dry, and the Charante at the fame time 
 funk confiderably, and then fwelled up in a fur- 
 prizing manner. 
 
 Bayonne, Gafcony. A pretty fmart fhock was 
 felt. 
 
 Bleville, Normandy, (a league from Havre) 
 About eleven in the morning was obferved an 
 ofcillation in the waters, from north to fouth. 
 
 Bourdeaux, capital of Guienne. A fhock, or 
 rather a repetition of fhocks* which lafted fome 
 minutes. 
 
 Caen, Normandy. A great agitation of the 
 Orne. 
 
 Charante river, Angoumots. A commotion 
 in its waters. See Angoulefme. 
 
 Gainneville, Normandy, (three leagues from 
 Havre) A fenfible ofcillation of the water. 
 
 Garonne, river, Guienne. (near Bourdeaux) A 
 great agitation of its waters. 
 
 Havre de grace, Normandy , About eleven 
 in the morning, the vefTels in this port were 
 ftrangely tolled. 
 
 Lyons, capital of Lyonois. Divers fhocks felt 
 here, and in the neighbourhood. 
 
 Orne river, Normandy , agitated. See Caen , 
 and Ouilly. 
 
 Ouilly, bridge, Normandy, (near Harcourt) 
 The waters of the Orne much agitated, as alfo 
 thole of a lake in this neighbourhood. 
 
 In 
 
V* 
 
 November 
 
 * 7 $ 5 ' 
 
 3°7 
 
 In GERMANY* 
 
 B RANSTADT, Holftein. The waters were 
 agitated, and the chandeliers in churches 
 Were feen to vibrate. 
 
 Eider, river, Holftein. An extraordinary com¬ 
 motion of the waters, 
 
 Elbe, river. The agitation of the water was 
 fenfibly perceived through its whole courfe. 
 
 Emshorjj, Holftein. Chandeliers vibrated, and 
 waters were difturbed, 
 
 GluckstAdt, Holftein. An agitation of the 
 waters which lafted feveral minutes. ® 
 
 Hamburgh The Elbe ftrongly agitated. 
 Itzehoa, Holftein. The waters of the Stohr 
 tofe and fell there, and a large float of timber was 
 thrown feveral feet on the bank. 
 
 Owe river, Holftein. See Uterfen. 
 Kellinghausen, Holftein. The fame pheno¬ 
 mena as at Branftadt and Emftjorn. 
 
 Libb esc lake, Brandenburg. The water ebbed 
 and flowed fix times in half an hour, with a molt 
 dreadful noife', the weather being perfectly calm. 
 
 Lubec, Holftein. Between eleven and twelve, 
 when the wind was at eaft, and the air quite calm, 
 an extraordinary agitation of the waters was ob- 
 ferved, particularly in the Trave, which rofe four* 
 or five feet perpendicular, as it were all at once, 
 by which motion a mercharit fhip fnapped her 
 cables, and great damage was done to other 
 Veflels, The agitation lalted about nine minutes. 
 
 X 2 Meldorf, 
 
 7 
 
 _f 
 
308 EARTH QJLJ A K E of 
 
 Meldorf, Holfiein. The like phenomena a3 
 at Emjhorn and Kellengheufen. 
 
 Muhlgast lake, Brandenburg. The like com¬ 
 motion of the waters as at Libbefc lake. 
 
 Netzo lake, Brandenburg. The like commo¬ 
 tion as at Libbefc and Muhlgaft lakes j but here 
 the waters had an infupportable ftench. 
 
 Rendsburg, Holfiein. The congregation at 
 divine fervice in the new church there, obferved 
 three large chandeliers fufpended from the roof, 
 to vibrate very much: Thefe weighed twenty 
 hundred each: A lefier one over the baptifmal 
 font was not fo much affedted. 
 
 Roddelin lake, Brandenburgh , the like dif- 
 Qurbance of the waters, as Libbefc and Muhlgafi 
 lakes. 
 
 Saxony. Shocks felt in feveral of its mines. 
 
 Steinburgh fort, Holfiein. In great danger 
 from the violent agitation of the waters which 
 furround it. 
 
 Stohr or Stouhr river, Holfiein. Agitation 
 of its waters. See Itzehoa. 
 
 Strasburg, Alface. A fhock was felt. 
 
 Stutgard, Wirtemberg. A fhock was felt. 
 
 Templin lake, Brandenburg. The like phe¬ 
 nomena as at Libbefc , Muhlgaft , and Roddelin 
 lakes. 
 
 Trave river, Holfiein. Vaft difturbanceof its 
 waters. See Lubec. 
 
 Utersen, Holfiein. A great perturbation in 
 the waters of the Owe. 
 
 Weser river. Agitations through its whole 
 courfe. 
 
 . In 
 
November i, 1755. 
 
 309 
 
 In HOLLAND. 
 
 A LPHEN. (on the Rhine, between Leyden, 
 cind IVoerden) In the afternoon, the waters 
 were agitated to fuch a violent degree, that buoys 
 were broken from their chains, large veflels fnap- 
 ped their cables, fmaller ones were thrown out of 
 the water upon the land, and others lying on land 
 were fet afloat. 
 
 Amsterdam. About eleven in the forenoon, 
 the air being perfectly calm, the waters were fud- 
 denly agitated in their canals, feveral boats broke 
 loofe, chandeliers were obferved to vibrate in the 
 churches, and the mercury which flood pretty 
 high in the barometers defcended almoft an inch, 
 as it were at once ; but no houfe or other build¬ 
 ing at land was the leaft fenfibly fliaken. 
 
 Bois le-duc. Much the fame motion of the 
 waters as at Amsterdam. 
 
 Boshoop. Nearly the like phenomena as at 
 Alphen. 
 
 Gouda (at the confluence of the rivers Gouw 
 and IJfel) Much the fame as at Amfterdam. 
 
 Harlem (on the river Sparen , a league from 
 the fea) In the forenoon, for near four minutes 
 together, not only the water in the rivers, canals, 
 &c. but alfo all manner of fluids in fmaller quan¬ 
 tities, as in coolers, tubs, backs, &c. were afto- 
 nifhingly agitated, and dallied over the fides, not- 
 withftanding no motion was perceptible in the 
 containing veflels. In fuch fmall quantities alfo, 
 
 X 3 the 
 
3io EARTHQUAKE of 
 
 the furface of the fluid had apparently a direct afr 
 cent, prior to its turbulent motion, and in many 
 places, even the rivers and canals rofe twelve in¬ 
 ches perpendicular. In Harlem meer the courfe of 
 a veflel, on full fail, was fuddenly fufpended, and 
 the rudder unhung. 
 
 Hague. At eleven in the morning, in abfo-p 
 lutely calm weather, there was obferved of a fud-p 
 den a flight motion in the water, A tallow- 
 chandler here heard with furprize the clafhing 
 poife made by the candles which hung up in his 
 ihop j but no motion at all was perceived un- 
 der foot. In a canal between Delft and the 
 Hague, the rife was meafured to be one foot per¬ 
 pendicular. 
 
 Hertogenbosch. See Eais-le-duc. 
 
 Leerdam. The like as at Amflerdam. 
 
 Leyden. Between half an hour after ten and 
 eleven in the morning, in fome of the canals of 
 this city, the water rofe fuddenly on the quay, 
 fituated on the louth. It returned afterwards to 
 its bed, and made feveral very fenfible undulatip 
 ons, fo that the boats were ftrongly agitated : the 
 fame motion was perceived here in the water of the 
 backs of two brew-houfes. 
 
 Rotterdam. Befides the like phenomena 
 that were obferved at Alphen , the chandeliers of 
 the Roman Catholick church here, which hung frQitl 
 Jong iron rods, made feveral ofcillations. 
 
 Utrecht. The like as at Alphen. 
 
 Woubrogge. The like as at Alphen . 
 
 I* 
 
November i, 1755. 
 
 3 11 
 
 In ITALY 
 
 lORSICA ifland. The fea violently agitated 
 
 all round it, and molt of the rivers in the 
 ifland overtopped their banks, and drowned much 
 land. In fome places a motion of the ground 
 was alfo felt. 
 
 Leman lake. The waters retired for fome mo¬ 
 ments at the end of it. 
 
 Lodi, (in the Milanese) A fenfible Ihock, 
 
 Milan city. A motion of the earth felt fe- 
 veral times very fenfibly. 
 
 Pizzighitone (in the Milanefe) Shocks felt. 
 
 Turin, Savoy. A violent fhock. 
 
 In NORWAY 
 
 V IOLENT agitations of feveral rivers and 
 lakes. 
 
 In PORTUGAL, and ALGARVE. 
 
 HESE kingdoms almoft: univerfally af- 
 
 X fe&ed, particularly, 
 
 Braganza, Much Ihocked and damaged. 
 Cascaes. (at the mouth of the Tagus) Suf¬ 
 fered greatly. 
 
 Coimbra, (on the river Mondego') About ten 
 in the morning, the Ihocks fo violent, that the 
 
 X 4 
 
 fine 
 
312 EARTH Q_U A K E of 
 
 fine building belonging to the Jefuits , which con- 
 fifted of fixteen feparate apartments, was almoft 
 entirely deftroyed, together with the cathedral, 
 and the church of the Holy Crofs. 
 
 Colares. (about twenty miles from Lijlon , 
 behind the rock, about two miles from the fea) 
 The thirty-firft of Ottober the weather was clear, 
 and uncommonly warm for the feafon; the wind 
 north, from which quarter, about four o’clock 
 in the afternoon, there arofe a fog, which came 
 from the fea, and covered the vallies, a thing rare 
 at this leafon of the year. Soon after, the wind 
 changing to the eaft, the fog returned to the fea, 
 collecting it felf, and becoming exceeding thick. 
 As the fog retired, the lea rofe with a prodigious 
 roaring. 
 
 The firft of November, the day broke with a 
 lerene fky, the wind continuing at eaft : But about 
 nine o clock, the fun began to grow dim, and 
 about half an hour after was heard a rumbling 
 noile, like that of chariots, which increafed to 
 fuch a degree, as to equal that of the loudeft 
 cannon; and immediately a fkock of an earth¬ 
 quake was felt, which was fucceeded by a fecond 
 and a third ; and feveral light flames of fire ifiued 
 from the mountains, refembling the kindling of 
 charcoals. In thefe three fliocks the wall of the 
 building moved from eaft to weft. In another 
 fituation from whence the fea-coaft could be dif- 
 covered, there ifiued from one of the hills, called 
 the Fojo, near the beach of Adraga , a great quan¬ 
 tity of fmoke, very thick, but not very black, 
 which ftill increafed with the fourth fhock, and 
 
 after 
 
November i, 1755. 313 
 
 after continued to ifiiie in a greater or lefs degree. 
 Juft as the fubterraneous rumblings were heard, 
 it was obferved to burft forth at the Fojo •, and the 
 quantity of the fmoke was always proportioned to 
 the noife. The place from whence the fmoke was 
 feen to arife, was vifited, but it could not be dif- 
 covered from whence it could have ifliied, nor 
 could any figns of fire be found near the place: 
 From whence the curious obferver infers, either 
 that the fmoke exhaled from fome eruption or 
 volcano in the fea, which the waters foon covered, 
 or that, if it ifliied from fome chafm in the land, it 
 clofed afterwards. He rather inclines to the for¬ 
 mer opinion, becaufe it is natural, that the water 
 fhould retire from the place of the eruption. Be- 
 fides, the fea having rifen in fome places, it is 
 probable that it fell in others ; and indeed it has 
 vifibly retired there, for you may walk on the dry 
 lhore now, where before you could not wade. 
 And the fecond conjecture may be true, as fome 
 chafms on the dry land are now almoft clofed up, 
 and others intirely fo. In the afternoon preceding 
 the firft of November , the water of a fountain was 
 greatly decreafed : On the morning of the firft of 
 November , it ran very muddy, and after the earth¬ 
 quake it returned to its ufual ftate, both in quan¬ 
 tity and clearnefs. In fome places where there was 
 no water, fprings burft forth, which continued to 
 run. On the hills numbers of rocks were fplit, 
 and there were feveral rents in the ground, but 
 none confiderable: On the coaft pieces of rock 
 fell, fome of them very large. 
 
 Douro river, fwelled and overflowed its banks. 
 
 Elvas. 
 
$14 EARTHQUAKE c/ 
 
 Elvas. (on the river Guadiana) Very much 
 fhaken and damaged. 
 
 Faro, (a fea-port) A very fevere fhock, which 
 overthrew a great number of houfes, and almoft 
 buried the town in its ruins. 
 
 Guadiana river. Moft violently agitated. See 
 Ehas. 
 
 Guimaranes. (between the Douro and the 
 Minho ) Much fhaken. 
 
 Lacos. fa fea-port) Severely fhaken, and left 
 uninhabitable. 
 
 Lamego. (near the Douro) Suffered much in 
 the fame manner as Coimbra and Elvas. 
 
 Lisbon, (a) There was a fenfible trembling of 
 the earth in 1750, after which it was exceffively 
 dry for four years together, infomuch that lbme 
 fprings, formerly very plentiful of water, were 
 dried, and totally loft; at the fame time the pre¬ 
 dominant winds were eaft and north-eaft, accom- 
 
 (a) This city buffered greatly by an earthquake in 1531* 
 thus defcribed by Paulus 'Jo<vius . hift. 1. 29. fol. 180. 
 
 “ In the following month of January , a like difafter befel 
 “ the Portuguese, from a fudden expanfion of wind in the 
 * - bowels of the earth, which had well nigh proved fatal to 
 “ the city of Lijbon; nor did Azumar, Santaretn and Almerin 
 4i fare much better, for a vail number of public edifices and 
 “ houfes were fhaken to pieces and overthrown, and multi- 
 “ tudes of the inhabitants buried in the ruins. At the fame 
 “ time there was a horrid fwell of the fea, and feveral fhips 
 “ were fucked into the abyfs: The waters of the Tagus were 
 “ driven on its banks, and the bottom left dry in the middle* 
 tl to the unfpeakable amazement of the beholders. The con- 
 <( tinual workings of the earth drove almoft all the inhabitants 
 of the kingdom out of their houfes, into the open fields^ 
 where, after the example of the royal family, they lived in. 
 M tents, not without frequent apprehenfion? of being fwai- 
 lowed up by the gaping earth. 
 
November i, 1755. 31^ 
 
 panied with various, though very fmall tremors 
 of the earth. The year 1755, proved very wet 
 and rainy, the fummer cooler than ufual, and for 
 forty days before the great earthquake, clear wea¬ 
 ther, yet not remarkably fo. The thirty-firft of 
 October , the atmofphere, and light of the fun had 
 the appearance of clouds, with a notable obfuf- 
 cation. The firft of November , early in the mor¬ 
 ning, a thick fog arofe, which was foon diflipated 
 by the heat of the fun, no wind ftirring, the fea 
 calm, and the weather as warm as in England in 
 June or July. At thirty-five minutes after nine, 
 without the leaft warning, except a rumbling 
 noife, not unlike the artificial thunder at our thea¬ 
 tres, immediately preceding, a moft dreadful 
 earthquake Ihook by Ihort, but quick vibrations, 
 the foundations of all Lijbon, fo that many of the 
 tailed? edifices fell that inftant : Then, with a 
 fcarcely perceptible paufe, the nature of the mor 
 tion changed, and every building was toffed like 
 a waggon driven violently over rough (tones, which 
 laid in ruins almoft every houfe, church, convent 
 and publick building, with an incredible (laughter 
 pf the people. It continued in all about fix mk 
 nutes. At the moment of the beginning, fome 
 perfons on the river, near a mile from the city, 
 heard their boat make a noife as it run aground 
 or landing, though then in deep water, and faw 
 at the fame time the houfes falling On both fides 
 the river. Four or five minutes after, the boat 
 made the like noife, which was another fhock, 
 which brought down more houfes. The bed of 
 the 'Tagus was in many places raifed to its furface. 
 
316 EARTH QJJ AKEj/ 
 
 Ships were drove from their anchors, and joflled 
 together with great violence ; nor did the mailers 
 know if they were afloat or aground. The large 
 new quay, called Cays Depreda , was overturned, 
 with many hundreds of people on it, and funk 
 to an unfathomable depth in the water, not fo 
 much as one body afterwards appearing. The 
 bar was feen dry from lhore to lhore; then fud- 
 denly the fea, like a mountain, came rolling in, 
 and about Belem caftle the water rofe fifty feet al- 
 mofl in an inflant, and had it not been for the 
 great bay oppofite to the city, which received and 
 fpread the great flux, the low part of it mull have 
 been under water. As it was, it came up to the 
 houfes, and drove the inhabitants to the hills. 
 About noon, there was another fhock, when the 
 walls of feveral houfes which were yet Hand¬ 
 ing, were feen to open from top to bottom t .more 
 than a quarter of a yard, but clofed again fo ex- 
 adlly as to leave fcarce any mark of the injury. 
 
 T. his earthquake came on three days before the 
 new moon, when three quarters of the tide had 
 run up. The direction of its progrefs feems to 
 have been from north to fouth nearly, for the peo¬ 
 ple on the river, fouth of the town, obferved the 
 remotefl buildings to fall firfl, and the fweep to 
 be continued down to the waters fide. Few days 
 palled without fome fhock for the fpace of an 
 enfuing year. October the tenth, 1756, at eleven 
 at night, there was one which threw down the 
 greatefl part of an hotel, in the parifh of St. An¬ 
 drew: And November the firfl, 1756, being the 
 anniverfary of the fatal tragedy of this unhappy 
 
 city. 
 
November i, 1755. 3*7 
 
 cny, another Ihock gave the inhabitants fo terrible 
 a rrelh alarm, that they were preparing for their 
 flight into the country; but were prevented by 
 feveral regiments of horfe placed all round by the 
 king’s orders. 
 
 f Arrabida.J 
 j Estrella, j 
 Monte ■< Julio. )> 
 Marvan. j 
 
 XlNTRA. 
 
 Thefe, being fome of 
 the largeft mountains in 
 Portugal , were impetu- 
 oufly fhaken, as it were 
 - from their very founda¬ 
 tions, and moft of them opened at their fummits, 
 fplit and rent in a wonderful manner, and huge 
 malles of them were thrown down into the fub- 
 jacent vallies. 
 
 Oporto, (near the mouth of the Dour0) At about 
 forty minutes pall: nine in the morning, the Iky very 
 ferene, was heard a dreadful hollow noife like thun¬ 
 der or the rattling of coaches over rugged Hones 
 at a diftance; and almoft at the fame inftant 
 was felt a fevere Ihock of an earthquake, which 
 lafted fix or feven minutes, during which fpace 
 every thing Ihook and rattled. It rent leveral 
 churches, and tumbled down one of the turrets of 
 that of the Congregadoes . In the ftreets the earth 
 was feen to heave under people’s feet, as if in la¬ 
 bour. The river was alfo amazingly affe&ed ; 
 for in the fpace of a minute or two, it rofe and 
 fell five or fix feet, and continued fo to do for 
 four hours. It ran up at firlt with fo much vio¬ 
 lence, that it broke a Ihip’s hawfer. Two of the 
 Brazil fleet were going out, and had got to the 
 bar, but the fea impetuoufly forced them back 
 again into the harbour, drove them foul of one 
 1 another, 
 

 3i8 EARTH QJU AKE of 
 
 another, and they narrowly efcaped being loft# we 
 
 The river was obferved to burft open in fome parts* 
 and difcharge vaft quantities of air; and the agi- ^ 
 
 tation was fo great in the fea, about a league be- vei 7 
 
 yond the bar, that ’tis imagined the air got vent ^ 
 
 there too. Two other (hocks followed this firft the wi™ 
 
 fame day, but they were fhort, and much (lighten ^ 
 
 Pedra de alvidar. (a rock near the hill Fojo\ 
 fee Colares) A kind of parapet was broken off Zi 
 
 from it, which iffued from its foundation in the fea. tight 
 
 Santarein. (on the Tagus) Suffered much. and t 
 
 Sarithoes and Biturecras. Two rocks in 
 the fea near the mouth of the Tagus, one of them 
 Was broken off at the fummit, the other all to 
 pieces. 
 
 Setuvai, saint ubal, or saint ubes. (a fea 
 port twenty miles fouth of Lijbon) No traces left 
 
 of this place, the repeated (hocks, and vaft furf A 
 
 of the fea having concurred to fwaljow it up, peo- wall: 
 
 pie and all * which it could the lefs withftand, as over 
 
 it (food at the head of a little gulph formed by A 
 
 the tide at the mouth of the Zadaon. Huge pie- Icag 
 
 ces of rock were detached at the fame time from A 
 
 the promontory on the weft of the town, which A 
 
 Gonfifts of a chain of mountains containing fine into 
 
 jafper of different colours. j mrr 
 
 Silvas, (four leagues from Lagos) Almoft en- hr 
 
 tirely deftroyed. r j ntr 
 
 Tagus river, fwelled and agitated throughout alh 
 
 its whole courfe, for the l'pace of 300 miles. vine 
 
 Varge. (on the river Macaas) At the time of that 
 
 the earthquake many fprings of water burft forth, a |i 
 
 and fome fpouted to the height of eighteen or g re; 
 
 * twenty 
 
November i, 1755. 3 iq 
 
 twenty feet, throwing up fand of various colours, 
 which remained on the ground. 
 
 Viana, (a fea-port at the mouth of the Lima) 
 very much damaged. 
 
 Villa nova, (two leagues from Lagos ) Met 
 with almoft the fame fate as Faro. 
 
 Villa real (four leagues to the north of La - 
 mego) much fluttered. 
 
 Zizambre. A mountainous point feven or 
 eight leagues from Setuval ; which cleft afunder 
 and threw off feveral vaft mafles of rock. 
 
 In SPAIN. 
 
 F ELT all over it, except in Catalonia , Ara¬ 
 gon and Valencia , more particularly at 
 Algazaist. (at the Sfreight's mouth) Several 
 walls fell down, and great part of the town was 
 overflowed. 
 
 Antequera. (on a mountain in Granada , five 
 leagues north of Malaga) Greatly damaged. 
 Arcos. (on the Guadalete) Much fluttered. 
 Ayamonte. (near where the Guadiana falls 
 into the bay of Cadiz) A little before ten o’clock, 
 immediately upon a hollow rufhing noife being 
 heard, a terrible earthquake was felt, which du¬ 
 ring fourteen or fifteen minutes, damaged almoft 
 all the buildings, throwing fome down, and lea¬ 
 ving others irreparably fluttered. In little more 
 than half an hour after, the fea and river, with 
 all their canals, overflowed their bounds with 
 great violence, laying under water all the coafts 
 
 of 
 

 320 EARTHQUAKE of 
 
 of the iflands adjacent to the city and its neigh-> coti 
 
 bourhood, flowing into the very ftreets. The towi 
 
 water rofe three times, after it had as many times a gr< 
 
 fubfided. One of the fwells was at the time of wa jj< 
 
 ebb, and vifibiy with lefs violence. The water 0 f ei 
 
 came on in vaft black mountains, white with foam f rom 
 
 at the top, and demolifhed more than half of j e f t t j 
 
 the tower at the bar called de Canola. The earth y| fi 
 
 was obferved to open in feveral parts, and from t |, at p 
 
 the apertures flowed large quantities of water, ef- y v 
 
 pecially in the maritime places. In the adjacent 
 ftrands the damage was much greater, as the fea p ome 
 
 fwallowed up all the huts built there, defraying - [e 
 
 goods and treafure beyond redemption *, for all v j 0 | en 
 
 that was overflowed funk, and the beach became came 
 
 a fea, without the leafl: fign of what it was before. >, p 
 
 Many perfons perifhed, for although they got i 
 
 aboard fome velfels, yet part of thefe foundered, ^ 
 
 and others being forced out to fea, the unhappy 
 paflengers were fo terrified that they threw them- ^ 
 
 felves over-board. The day was ferene, and not „ 
 
 a breath of wind ftirring. " a e ' 
 
 Bilboa. (on the Nervio, two leagues from the 
 ocean) A fhock and commotion of the waters. f. WnI 
 
 Cadiz, (at the north-weft end of the ifland of le ’ a 
 
 Leon , oppofite to Port Saint Mary) Some minutes 
 after nine in the morning, the whole town was out 
 
 fhook with a violent earthquake, which lafted ' cre c 
 
 about five minutes. The water in the cifterns e ^°k 
 
 under ground waflied backwards and forwards, “ em 
 
 fo as to make a great froth upon it. At ten mi- !unate 
 
 nutes after eleven, a wave was feen coming from °^ ers 
 
 fea, eight miles off, at leaft fixty feet higher than tnjt ( 
 
 common. 
 
November i, 17^5. 321 
 
 common. It dallied againft the weft part of the* 
 town, which is very rocky, and the rocks abated 
 a great deal of its force : At laft it came upon the 
 walls, beat in the breaft-work, and carried pieces 
 of eight or ten ton weight, forty or fifty yards 
 from the wall, bore away the fand and walls, but 
 left the houfes Handing, being exceeding ftrong 
 built. The governor ordered the gates to be fhut, 
 that people might not go out of the town, as the 
 land was lower than the town, by which he faved 
 the lives of thoufands. When the wave was gone, 
 fbme parts that are deep at low water, were left 
 quite dry, for the water returned with the fame 
 violence it came. At thirty minutes after elevenr 
 came a fecond tide; and thele two were followed 
 by four others of the fame kind, at eleven o’clock 
 fifty minutes ; twelve o’clock thirty minutes; one 
 o’clock ten minutes; and one o’clock fifty mi¬ 
 nutes. The tides continued, with fome intervals, 
 till the evening, but leflening. Every thing was 
 waftied off the mole. There was a ftrong cauley 
 on a very narrow neck of land that goes from the 
 town to the ifle of Leon, open to the lea on one 
 fide, and to the bay on the other, which was 
 waftied away, and fcarce any mark of it left. 
 About forty or fifty perfons, and many cattle that 
 were on it, were all drowned. The lhips were 
 expofed to imminent danger; the greateft part of 
 them were driven afloat, but moft of them for¬ 
 tunately were faved, fome by veering their cables, 
 others by fecuring themfelves by new anchors ; fo 
 that only one Swedijb Ihip, and fome boats were 
 
 Y oft. 
 
322 EARTH QJLJ A K E of 
 loft. The whole day was as clear and ferene as ^ 
 
 at midfummer, without a breath of wind. ^ uai 
 
 Chiclan (in the ifle of Cadiz) fhocked and c ^ ear 
 
 overflowed. bcit : 
 
 Conil (a fmall port five leagues fouth of Cadiz) tcratl 
 
 ruined. 
 
 Cordoua (on the Guadalquivir) greatly dama- ^ er2 
 
 ged. M 
 
 Escurial. (the moft magnificent of the king’s urls i 
 
 palaces, feven leagues north-weft of Madrid) g reat 
 
 Moft terrible fhocks, felt by all the royal family, lafed 
 
 which occafioned their immediate removal. thoug 
 
 Estapona (on the Mediterranean fea-coaft, be- heads 
 
 tween Marbella and Gibraltar) the earthquake they v 
 
 c greatly damaged the church. the cl 
 
 Gibraltar, (in the Straits mouth) About ten under 
 
 minutes after ten, a tremulous motion of the it in 
 
 earth was plainly perceived, which lafted about think! 
 
 half a minute, then a violent fhock, after that a It m 
 
 trembling for five or fix feconds, then another by tl 
 
 fhock not fo violent as the firft, which went off accid 
 
 gradually as it began. It lafted, in the whole, killec 
 
 about two minutes. The guns on the battery porch 
 
 were feen fome to rife, others to fink, the earth Mn 
 
 having an undulating motion. Moft people were aperti 
 
 feized with giddinefs and ficknefs, and fome fell part 
 
 down, ethers were ftupified, though many that tms 
 
 were walking or riding felt no motion, but were nm, 
 
 fick. The fea rofe fix feet every fifteen minutes, St. A 
 
 and fell fo low that boats and all the fmall craft W ork 
 
 near the fhore were left aground, as were numbers jq 
 
 of fmall filh. Ships out in the bay thought they f e j t 
 
 had ftruck upon rocks. This flux and reflux 
 
 lafted 
 
November I, 1755. 323 
 
 lafted till next morning, having decreafed gra¬ 
 dually from two in the afternoon. The day was 
 clear, and but little wind at fouth-weft. Fahren¬ 
 heit's thermometer was at fixty-two, and no al¬ 
 teration was obferved. 
 
 Granada (on the river Xenil) damaged con- 
 (iderably. 
 
 Madrid, (capital of all Spain, on the Manza- 
 nares) Five minutes after ten in the morning, a 
 great earthquake was very fenfibly felt, which 
 lafted about fix minutes. Every body at firft 
 thought they were leized with a fwimming in their 
 heads; and afterwards that the houfes in which 
 they were, were falling. The fame happened in 
 the churches, fo that people trod one another 
 underfoot in getting out j and thofe who obferved 
 it in the towers, were very much frightened, 
 thinking that they were tumbling to the ground. 
 It was not felt in coaches, nor, but very little, 
 by thofe who walked on foot. No remarkable 
 accident happened, excepting that two lads were 
 killed by the falling of a ftone crofs from the 
 porch of a church belonging to a monaftry. St. 
 Andrews church was fo much fhaken, that feveral 
 apertures remain in the roof and walls ; the upper 
 part of the porch of the parifti church of St. 
 Lewis was fplit; and thofe of St. Philip , St. Tho- 
 mas , Portaceli , and the towers of St. Trinity and 
 St. Millan , were forced to be examined by Ikilful 
 workmen. 
 
 Malaga (a fea-port on the Mediterranean) 
 felt a violent flrock i the bells rung in the ftee- 
 
 Y 2 pies j 
 
324 EARTHQUAKE of 
 
 pies ; the water overflowed in a well, and as fud- 
 denly retired again. 
 
 Medina Sidonia (nine leagues from Cadiz ) 
 feverely fhocked. 
 
 Port-real, (near Cadiz ) Much Ihocked and 
 inundated. 
 
 Port saint Mary, (at the mouth of the 
 Guadalete) The fea rofe and fubfided eight feveral 
 times. 
 
 Purvelo. (near Saint Lucar ) Its fteeple and 
 feveral houfes fhaken down. 
 
 Salamanca, (on the formes, thirty-three 
 leagues north-weft of Madrid) Shocks felt, and 
 the waters agitated. 
 
 Sant Lucar. (at the mouth of the Guadal¬ 
 quivir) Violent fhocks, and the fea broke in and 
 did great mifchief. 
 
 Sant Roque. A fmart fhock which toflfed per- 
 fons out of their feats, and rent an arch of the 
 church. 
 
 Segovia, (on the Elrena y ten leagues north of 
 Madrid) A great commotion of the waters. 
 
 Seville, (on the Guadalquivir , fixteen leagues 
 above the mouth of it) The earthquake fhook 
 down feveral houfes, and greatly damaged fome 
 churches, efpecially the cathedral, the fineft in 
 the kingdom, whofe famous tower, called la Gi- 
 ralda, opened in the four fides, and a great many 
 large ftones falling down, killed feveral perfons. 
 The waters were fo greatly agitated, that all the 
 veflels in the river were driven alhore. 
 
 Valencia, (on the Savar) Very terrible agi¬ 
 tations of the water. 
 
 Toledo. 
 
 
November i, 1755. 325 
 
 Toledo (on the Tagus, fourteen leagues fouth 
 
 of Madrid) the river rofe ten feet. 
 
 Xeres (on the Guadalate, fix leagues north of 
 Cadiz) much fhaken and damaged. 
 
 In S W E D E N. 
 
 HE earthquake was felt in feveral provin- 
 
 1 ces, and all the rivers and lakes were 
 ftrongly agitated, efpecially in Balecarlia. 
 
 Dala river. Its waters overflowed the adjacent 
 fields, and afterwards retired within its bed, with 
 no lefs rapidity. At the fame time a lake a league 
 diftant from it, and which had no manner of com¬ 
 munication with it, bubbled up with great vio¬ 
 lence. 
 
 Fahlun. (in Balecarlia) Several ftrong 
 lhocks were felt during the time of divine fervice. 
 
 In swisserland. 
 
 M ANY rivers were fuddenly turned muddy 
 without rain. 
 
 Neufchatel. Its lake fwelled to the height 
 of near two feet above its natural level, for the 
 fpace of a few hours. 
 
 Zurich. An agitation was perceived in the 
 waters of its lake. 
 
 i 
 
 Africa; 
 
A LGIERS. Great part of it deftroyed. 
 
 Arzila. About ten in the morning the 
 fea came fuddenly up, and feven Moors , who were 
 out of the town walls, were drowned; the wa¬ 
 ters came through one of the city gates very 
 Far. It rofe with fuch impetuofity, that it lifted 
 up a veflel in the bay, which, at the waters falling 
 down again, it dropped with fuch force upon the 
 land, that it was broke to pieces ; and a boat was 
 found at the diftance of two mufket-fhot within 
 land from the fea. 
 
 Fez. Vaft numbers of houfes fell down, and 
 a great multitude of people were buried in the 
 ruins. 
 
 Mequinez. Two thirds of the houfes fell 
 down, and alfo the convent of the Frmcifcan Fri¬ 
 ers. Many lives were loft. 
 
 Morocco. By the falling down of a great 
 nyrnber of houfes many people ioft their lives ; 
 and about eight leagues from this city, the earth 
 opened, and fwallowed up a village, with all the 
 inhabitants (who were known by the name of the 
 Sons of Bufunba ) to the number of about eight or 
 ten thoufand perfons, together with their cattle of 
 all forts, as camels, horfes, horned beafts, &c. and 
 foon after the earth clofed again, in the fame man¬ 
 ner as it was before. 
 
 Saffe. Several houfes fell down, and the fea 
 Came up as far as the great Mofque, which is 
 
 within 
 
November r, 1755. 327 
 
 within the city, and at a great d.iftance from the 
 fea. 
 
 Salle. The damage here was very great, near 
 a third part of the houfes having been overthrown. 
 The waters came into the city with great rapi¬ 
 dity, and at their falling oft great quantities of 
 fifh were found in the ftreets, and many perfons 
 were drowned : Two ferry-boats were overlet in 
 the river, and all the people on board w'ere alfo 
 drowned; and a large number of camels that 
 were juft then going for Morocco , were carried 
 away by the waters. 
 
 Sarjon hills. One of thefe was rent in two; one 
 fide of which fell upon a large town, where there 
 was the famous fanftuary of their prophet, called 
 Malay Teris ; and the other fide fell down upon 
 another large town, and both towns and the inha¬ 
 bitants were all buried under the faid hill. 
 
 Scloges. (a place where the Barbarians live, 
 not far from Fez) A mountain broke open, and 
 a ftream iffued out as red as blood. 
 
 Tangier. The earthquake began at ten in the 
 morning, and lafted ten or twelve minutes. The 
 trembling of the houfes, mofques, &c. was great, 
 and a large projecting part of an old building near 
 the city gate, after three fhocks fell down to the 
 ground. The fea came up to the very walls, a 
 thing never feen before, and went down direCtly 
 with the fame rapidity as it rofe, as far as the 
 place where the large veffels anchor in the bay, 
 leaving upon the mole a great quantity of fand 
 and fifh. Thefe commotions of the fea were re¬ 
 peated eighteen times, and continued till rfx in the 
 
 Y 4 evening* 
 
p8 EARTHQUAKES/ 
 
 evening, though not with fuch violence as at the 
 firft time. The fountains were dryed up, fo that 
 there was no water to be had till night: And as 
 to the fhore fide, the waters came up half a league 
 in land. 
 
 Tetuan. The earthquake began here at the 
 fame time as at Tangier , but laffed only be¬ 
 tween feven and eight minutes, during which 
 fpace the fhock was repeated three different times, 
 with iuch violence, that jt was feared the whole 
 city would fall down: It was likewife obferved, 
 that the waters of the river Chico , on the other 
 fide of the city, and thofe of a fountain, ap¬ 
 peared very red. 
 
 In the ATLANTIC ISLANDS. 
 
 NTIGUA. About the time of the earth- 
 
 JLjL. quake at Lijbcn , there was fuch a fea with¬ 
 out the bar of this ifland, as had not been known 
 in the memory of man ; and after it all the water 
 at the wharfs, which ufed to be fix feet, was not 
 two inches. 
 
 Barbadoes, About two o’clock in the after¬ 
 noon, the fea ebbed and flowed in a mofb furpri- 
 zing manner. It ran over the wharfs and the 
 ftreets into the houfes, and at the old bridge 
 brought up numbers of feveral forts of fifh. It 
 continued thus ebbing and flowing till ten at night. 
 
 Madeira. Jn the city of Funchal , thirty- 
 eight minutes paft nine in the morning, was per¬ 
 ceived a fhock of an earthquake •, the firft notice 
 
 i 
 
 whereof 
 
November i, 1755. 329 
 
 whereof was a rumbling noife in the air, like that 
 of empty carriages palling haftily over a ftone 
 pavement. The obferver felt the floor immedi¬ 
 ately to move with a tremulous motion, vibrating 
 very quickly: The windows rattled, and the whole 
 houfe leemed to lhake ; it lafted more than a mi¬ 
 nute, during which, the vibrations, though con¬ 
 tinual, abated and increafed twice very fenfibly, 
 in point of force: not unlike an eccho from the 
 difcharge of a fowling-piece, oppofite to a range 
 of mountains, whence the found has reverberated 
 with reciprocal intenfions and remiliions. The 
 increafe, after the firft remiflion of the Ihock, was 
 the molt intenfe: The door ot the room vibra¬ 
 ting to and fro very remarkably then, which it 
 had not done before; neither did it afterwards in 
 the fecund increafe. The noife in the air, which 
 had preceded the Ihock, continued to accompany 
 it; and lafted fome feconds after the motion of 
 the earth had entirely ceafed ; dying away like a 
 peal of diftant thunder rolling through the air. 
 The direction of the Ihock feemea to be from eaft 
 to weft. At three quarters paft eleven, the fea, 
 which was quite calm (it being a fine day and no 
 wind ftirring) was obferved to retire fuddenly fome 
 paces ; then rifing, with a great fwell, without the 
 leaft noife, and as fuddenly advancing, overflowed 
 the fhore, and entered the city. It rofe full fifteen 
 feet perpendicular above high-water mark, although 
 the tide, which ebbs and flows there feven feet, 
 was then at half ebb. The water immediately 
 receded again, and, after having fluctuated four 
 or five times between high-water and low-water 
 
 mark ? 
 
330 EARTH QJJ A K E of 
 mark, the undulations continually decreafing (not 
 unlike the vibrations of a pendulum) it fubfided, 
 and the fea remained calm, as before this phteno- 
 menon. The feafon of the year had been more 
 than ordinary dry ; the rains, which generally be¬ 
 gin to fall the beginning of ORober , not having 
 then fet in. The weather for fome weeks pre¬ 
 ceding the earthquake, had been very fine and 
 clear, but the day previous thereto, ( ORober , 31) 
 was very remarkably fair and ferene, as was the 
 former part of the day on which it happened : 
 But the afternoon was very dull and dark, the Iky 
 being entirely overcaft with heavy black clouds; 
 the fubfequent day was very fair. The greateft 
 height of Fahrenheit’s thermometer, the three laft 
 days of ORober , and the firft of November was 
 69. November the fecond, it rofe to 71. The ba¬ 
 rometer had been ftationary feveral days at 29,28 
 inch. November the fecond, it rofe to 30,1. In 
 the northern part of the ifiartd the inundation was 
 more violent, the fea there retiring above one hun¬ 
 dred paces at firft, and fuddenly returning, over¬ 
 flowed the fhore, forcing open doors, breaking 
 down the walls of feveral magazines and ftore- 
 houfes, and carrying away in its recefs a confi- 
 derable quantity of grain and fome hundred pipes 
 or wine. Great quantities of fifh were left afhore, 
 and in the ftreets of the village of Machico. All 
 this was the effeCt of one inundation of the fea, 
 which never flowed afterwards fo high as high- 
 water mark ; although it continued fluctuating 
 there much longer before it fubfided, than at Fun - 
 eh cl, as the fluctuation and fwell was much grea- 
 
November t, 1755. 
 
 ter at Funchal , than it had been farther to the weft- 
 ward, where, in fome places, it was hardly, if at 
 all, perceptible. 
 
 Saint Martins. The earthquake (lightly 
 felt. 
 
 Tercera. Some (hocks felt. 
 
 It has been reported that much damage was 
 done in the Canary iflands, but no particulars have 
 as yet come to hand. 
 
 At SEA, and in the OCEAN. 
 
 FF St. Lucar. The captain of the Nancy 
 
 felt his (hip fo violently (haken, that he 
 thought (he had (truck the ground ; but after 
 heaving the lead overboard, found lhe was in a 
 great depth of water. 
 
 Captain Clark from Deni a, in latitude 36°. 24'. 
 between nine and ten in the morning, had his (hip 
 fhaken and (trained as if (he had (truck on a rock, 
 fo that the feams of the deck opened, and the 
 compafs was overturned in the benacle. 
 
 The matter of a veflel bound to the American 
 iflands, being in latitude 25 0 . N. longitude 40°. 
 and writing in his cabin, heard a violent noife, as 
 he imagined, in the fteerage ; and whilft he was 
 afking what was the matter, the (hip was put into 
 a ftrange agitation, and feemed as if (he had been 
 fuddenly jerked up, and fufpended by a rope fat¬ 
 tened to the maft head. He immediately ftarted 
 up with great terror and aftonifhment, and looking 
 out at the cabbin window, plainly difcovered land 
 
332 EARTH QJJ 4 KE 1/ 
 
 at the diftance of about a mile ; upon this he 
 haftily ordered the lead to be thrown, fuppofing 
 the fhip might have ftruck •, but coming upon 
 deck, the land he had feen was no more to be 
 found, and he perceived with great amazement a 
 violent current crofs the Ihip’s way to the leeward. 
 In about a minute this current returned with great 
 impetuofity, and within a league he faw three 
 craggy pointed rocks, throwing up water of va¬ 
 rious colours, refembling liquid fire. This phe¬ 
 nomenon in about two minutes ended in a black 
 cloud, which afcended very heavily. After it had 
 rifen above the horizon, no rock was to be feen; 
 and the agitation of the water foon fubfided, tho’ 
 the cloud, ftill afcending, was long vifiblc, the 
 weather being extremely clear. 
 
 The captain of a Dutch vefiel, which had failed 
 from St. Ubes, about eight in the morning, being 
 at a quarter after ten, near a league and a half 
 from mount Stzembre, which is about fix or feven 
 leagues from St. Ubes, felt a violent fhock in his 
 fhip, and at the fame time faw that mountain rend, 
 and feveral large rocks rowl from it into the fea, 
 with a vaft and horrid noile. Immediately after, 
 the fky was covered with a thick fog, occafioned 
 by the fall of the rocks into the water. The fhock 
 was repeated at different intervals, till fun-fet, at 
 which time he obferved a thick fmoke at N. N. E. 
 diftant feven or eight leagues, and foon after 
 flames, which continued all night. The light 
 of the fun, and the diftance intercepted them from 
 his fight next morning. 
 
 In 
 
November i, 1755. 
 
 In latitude 38°. N. io°. 47' W. off cape St. 
 Vincent , at half an hour paft nine, a (hip felt a 
 terrible lhock which lafted three minutes, and 
 more (hocks till half an hour paft eleven, all at¬ 
 tended with a growling noife. The (ky was fe- 
 rene, and the fea fmooth : This was out of found¬ 
 ings. 
 
 Between nine and ten in the morning, forty 
 leagues weft of the fame cape, in a calm fea, 
 another fhip was fo violently agitated, that the 
 anchors, which were laflied, bounced up, and 
 the men were thrown a foot and an half along the 
 deck; and of a fudden the fhip funk in the wa¬ 
 ter, as low as her main chains. The lead (hewed 
 a great depth of water, and the line was tinged of 
 a yellow colour, and fmelt of fulphur. This 
 (hock lafted about ten minutes, but they felt fmaller 
 ones for about twenty-four hours. 
 
 Several Dutch (hips off cape St. Mary , thought 
 they ftruck aground, and fired guns of diftrels. 
 
 Of the extent of this Earthquake. 
 
 E have leen that, befides a multitude of 
 
 V V other places, it was very fenfible in Eu¬ 
 rope at Fahlun in Sweden , in Africa at the capital 
 of the empire of Morocco , and in America at the 
 ifiand of Barbadoes. Between Fahlun and Barba¬ 
 dos are feventy degrees of a great circle, nearly ; 
 between Barbadoes and Morocco forty-nine, and 
 between Morocco and Fahlun thirty-three of the 
 like degrees : Now thefe conftitute the three fides 
 
 of 
 
334 EARTHQUAKES^. 
 
 of a fpherical triangle, to which if a well known 
 theorem be applyed, it will be found, that the ef¬ 
 fects of the earthquake of the firft of November , 
 one thoufand feven hundred and fifty-five, were ** 
 
 diftributed over very nearly four millions of lquare i 
 
 Englijh miles of the earth’s furface : A moft af- A< 
 
 tonifhing fpace! and greatly furpafiing any thing, 
 of this kind, ever recorded in hiftory. 
 
 The END. 
 
 h 
 
 A| 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Page 12. line 22. read, mvilcttov* p. 22. 1 . 10. r. do&rines. j 
 
 p. 23. 1. 13. r. meteorologies. p. 2^ 1.x. r. fleam, p. 29. line / 
 
 lalt but one, for in, r. on. p. 64. 1 . 31. for If, r. Of. p. 67. 
 
 1 .14. r. mibigenum. p. 88. 1 . lait but one, r. Ajbeftus. p. 106. 
 
 1 . 25. r. Vareniui . p. 127. 1 . 11. r. Achaia. p. 250. 1 . 11. r. the 
 fuperficial. r. Camden throughout. 
 
 INDEX 
 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Byfs , its waters forced 
 up by obftruCted fub- 
 terrraneous heat, 176 
 Acofta cited, 99, 122 
 
 ACtion of fire, how exerted, 
 
 JEolian bellows, 27 
 
 jEolise infulrc, II 
 
 JEgium, an earthquake there, 
 
 16 
 
 JF.g yptians had better accounts 
 of ancient times than the 
 Greeks , 17 2 
 
 JEs nubigenum, 67 
 
 JEtna, Monte Gi hello, 9, 1 o, 
 27, 109, 158,166, 181, 211, 
 212, 231, 235, 256 
 Agathius cited, 46 
 
 Agitation of the fea, rivers, 
 lakes, lAc. in earthquakes, 
 7, 119, 130, 158, 163, 218, 
 223, 253, 263, 280. H feq. 
 to the end. 
 
 Agojla , an earthquake there, 8 
 Agricola cited, 31, 35 
 
 Air may produce great altera¬ 
 tions on the furface of the 
 earth, 140, tS? feq . 
 
 rarefied, an afligned caufe 
 of earthquakes, 232 
 
 generated by the kindling 
 of all inflammable fubftan- 
 ces, ibid, 
 
 this alfo an afligned caufe of 
 earthquakes, ibid, 
 
 electrified, another afligned 
 caufe of earthquakes, 259, 
 2 60 
 
 remarkably ferene in earth¬ 
 quakes, 253, 261, 262, 263 
 Air-quake defcribed, 2'4 
 Aix (in France ) an earthquake 
 there, 15 
 
 Alhours (near mount Taurus) 
 a famous volcano, 214 
 Alexandria , (in xEgypt) an 
 earthquake there, 17 
 
 Alone thrown down by an 
 earthquake, ico 
 
 Alpes, 17, 128, 150, 15; 5 
 Alpjley (in Bedfordjhire) a field 
 there which perfectly turns 
 wood into ftone, 92 
 
 Alterations on the earth’s fur- 
 face, very great, 74 
 
 caufes of them, 240, Cff feq. 
 fewer of late years than for¬ 
 merly, 242 
 
 Altorjf.\ an earthquake there, 1 
 Alumen plumeum generated from 
 mineral waters, 89 
 
 Ammianus Marcellinus cited, 
 228 
 
 Amflerdam , fea-fhells found in 
 a deep well there, 71 
 
 Analogy between the ele&ri- 
 cal fluid and lightning, 251 
 Anaphe thrown up by an earth¬ 
 quake, 100 
 
 Anatolia frequently alarmed 
 
 by earthquakes. 
 
 181 
 
 Anaxagoras cited. 
 
 
 Anaximenes cited, 
 
 22 
 
 Ancients, how far we 
 
 are in- 
 
 debted to them. 
 
 47 
 
 Andes, 155,266 
 
 Anglcfea, fubterraneous trees 
 there, 97, 136 
 
 Angola, extinft volcano’s there, 
 20 
 
 Angra , an earthquake there, 
 2 21 
 
 Animals terrified at the ap¬ 
 proach of an earthquake, 
 226 
 
 Animal fubftances found in 
 1 moll 
 
33 6 
 
 moll parts of the bowels of 
 the earth, yc, 143 
 
 Antego, an earthquake there, 
 
 x 57 
 
 Antilles , earthquakes there, 
 155, &feq. 
 Antioch thrice deltroyed by 
 earthquakes, 219 
 
 Apennines 17, 128, 150, 15$ 
 Apulia much infeHed with 
 earthquakes, 220 
 
 Aquila dellroyed by an earth¬ 
 quake, 223 
 
 Ararat , an extinft volcano, 
 217 
 
 Archilaus cited, 22 
 
 Arequepa , an earthquake there, 
 109,123* 
 
 and a volcano, 257 
 
 Arethufa , its fountains Hop'd 
 by an earthquake, 219 
 <TArgenfola, cited, 215 
 
 Arietatio (or clalhing of moun¬ 
 ts) 5> 7 > 3 S > I2 5» 219 
 Arijlole cited, 3, 9, 10, 12,15, 
 16, 17, 18, 20, 23, 24,160, 
 \6z 
 
 deleft of his hypothecs, 24 
 Ar tricky an earthquake there, 5 
 AJbeJlus generated from mi¬ 
 neral waters, 89 
 
 Afcenjion ifland, 166 
 
 an extinft volcano, 171 
 Alhes ejefted, 7, 11, 21, 44, 
 104, 109, 212, 225 
 AJia minor , twelve cities de¬ 
 llroyed there in one night by 
 an earthquake, 5,127, 219, 
 257 
 
 Afphaltites lake, 3 2 
 
 why an epithet of 
 Neptune , 179 
 
 Atalanta, an ifland delug’d by 
 an earthquake, 12 
 
 Atlantisy a vail large ifland faid 
 to be funk and overwhelmed 
 
 index. 
 
 in the Atlantic ocean, 12, 
 120, 152, 155 
 A<vernus lake, 36 
 
 Aurum fulminansy an experi¬ 
 ment with it recommended, 
 142 
 
 compared with gun-powder, 
 169 
 
 St. Auftin cited, 219 
 
 Axis of the earth, its direction 
 may have been altered by 
 earthquakes, 13^ 
 
 Azoresy earthquakes there, 20 
 and extinft volcano’s, 222 
 B 
 
 Bala/ore, earthquakes there, 
 
 » , . 116 
 Balavane (in Sumatra') a vol- 
 
 can Oy 10 7 
 
 Barbadoesy an earthquake there, 
 
 . . l 57 
 
 agitation and overflowing of 
 
 the fea there, and 61 h thrown 
 on Ihore, 328 
 
 Batavia, earthquakes frequent 
 there, I4 o 
 
 Beni-guazevaly a fmoking and 
 flaming cavern, 216 
 
 Bickley (in Chejhire) a linking 
 of the ground there, 114 
 Bitumen abounds in the bow¬ 
 els of the earth, 30 
 
 Blefken , cited, 99 
 
 Bodies reprefenting filh-fliells 
 found in moll countries of 
 the earth, 69, 143 
 
 others reprefenting vegeta- 
 bles, ibid. ibid. 
 
 others reprefenting animals, 
 ibid. ibid. 
 
 not carried thither by mens 
 hands, or by Noah’s flood, 
 147, 148 
 
 how probably depofited, 164 
 Bodinus cited, 22 
 
 Boethius [He&or) cited, 119 
 
 Bolejlazvy 
 
IHnilHHMHMHBHHIfinBMHHMUHMfiMHUHHHaEHMNMVB 
 
 I N D 
 
 B-cleflavj, its lake emits wind 
 at the furface, 234 
 
 Bologna, an earthquake there, 
 221, 231 
 
 Bone of prodigious bigneis 
 found in Norfolk, 13 2 
 
 Borelli cited, 233, 2 49 
 
 Bottom cited, 13 
 
 Bouguer, of the volcanos and' 
 earthquakes in Peru, 19 , 
 &Jeq. 
 
 Bourdeaux,2ix\ ear thquake tnere, 
 
 17 
 
 Brafmutias, 4 
 
 4 
 
 Dr. Brown cited, 132 
 
 overwhelm’d, 12 
 
 </<? Bvjfon cited, 249, 2^0, 271 
 his natural hiftory of earth¬ 
 quakes and volcanos, 2^9, 
 
 c. 
 
 Ctefalpinus cited, 25, 52 
 
 Ctejius cited, n, 35, 36 
 
 Calabria much infeiled with 
 earthquakes, 220 
 
 Callao (near Lima) defrayed 
 by an earthquake, 218 
 Camden cited, 6, 8i, 97, 123, 
 
 *35 
 
 Caminus Ternatenjis , 11 
 
 Campania , commotions there, 
 
 „ 5> f 3> 17 
 
 Canada , earthquakes there, 7 
 Carapa , a volcano there, 217 
 Cargaviraco , an extinft Pm/- 
 volcano, 260 
 
 *zkr Cartes cited, 50 
 
 Dr. CajUe cited, 92 
 
 Catanea deilroyed by an earth¬ 
 quake, 8, 261 
 
 Caucafus , ihell-fifh found on its 
 top, 93 
 
 Cavities or caverns, fubterra- 
 neous, 23, 26, 27, 28, 60, 
 108, 228 
 
 E x - . 337, 
 
 full of exhalations, fleams^ 
 and inflammable vapours, 
 '317 6b' 
 
 how fires are kindled in 
 them, 36 
 
 produced by water, 230 
 but oftener by fire, ibid* 
 Caufes of earthquakes afligned, 
 36, iff feq. 163, 167, &feq* 
 r 7^> & feq . 183,. iff feq , 
 202, Jeq 207, 208, 230, 
 ^7^. 241, 243, &fy%. 239, 
 Vfeq* 
 
 Cbalds, an earthquake there, 
 13, 16 
 
 Chandelieres vibrating in earth¬ 
 quakes, 224, 230, 307, 308, 
 
 31 o 
 
 Cbarles-town , (in America) a 
 violent earthquake there, 
 
 156 
 
 Cbatmos, (in Lancajhire ) fub- 
 terraneous trees there, 135 
 Chejhire , fubterraneous trees 
 in that county, 137 
 
 Childrey cited, 97, 108, 113, 
 n 4, I2 3> !3$> i3 6 > 
 
 137, 260 
 
 Chili, frequent earthquakes 
 there, 100, 118 
 
 Chimboraco , an extindl Peruvi¬ 
 an volcano, 200 
 
 St. CbriJlophePs ifland, a great 
 earthquake there, 8, 137 
 Chymical explanation of fub¬ 
 terraneous fires and earth¬ 
 quakes, 183, iff Jeq . 
 
 Circulation, a continual one in 
 nature, 130 , iff J'eq* 
 
 Circumftances, or phenomena 
 of earthquakes, 1, iff feq* 
 253, iff feq* 
 of the great one of Nov. 1 , 
 1755, 280, iff Jeq. to the end 
 Z ” Clay, 
 
33 8 I N D 
 
 Clay, changeable into hard 
 flone, 146 
 
 Clouds, fubterraneous, an af- 
 figned caufe of earthquakes, 
 24 
 
 blackifh ones fometimes pre¬ 
 cede earthquakes, 243 
 
 eleCtric ones, caufe thunder, 
 lightning and earthquakes, 
 259/ &c. 
 
 Commotion, 1, 5 
 
 Congo, extinCt volcano’s there, 
 
 20 
 
 Confederations on the caufes of 
 earthquakes, 253, Cff Jeq. 
 Conjlantinopk, lefs fubjeCt to 
 earthquakes now than for¬ 
 merly, 129 
 
 Cornijb diamonds generated 
 ^from mineral waters, 89 
 bills, abound with fifh-fhells, 
 93 
 
 Cornua Amonis , 7 9 
 
 Cotopaxi , an extinCt Peruvian 
 volcano defcribed, 196 
 flamed out anew in 1742, 
 and inundated the neigh¬ 
 bourhood, 197 
 
 Cugiano , an earthquake there, 
 123 
 
 Cumberlajid, fubterraneous trees 
 in that county, 136 
 
 Cyprus , earthquakes there, 17 
 D 
 
 Darknefs from earthquakes, 
 and eruptions of volcano’s, 
 
 21 
 
 Darlington , or Oxenhall , (in the 
 bifhoprick of Durham) pits 
 of hot water there, called 
 hell-kettles, 117 
 
 Dead fea (in Paleftine ) the pro¬ 
 duction of an earthquake, 
 
 118 
 
 Deafnefs cured by an earth¬ 
 quake, 274 
 
 E X. 
 
 Deal caflle violently fhaken by 
 an earthquake, 267 
 
 Delos exempt from earth¬ 
 quakes, 16 
 
 Deluge, (of Noah) probably 
 brought about by an earth¬ 
 quake, 153 feq* 
 
 Democritus cited, 1 2, 46 
 
 Devonjhire hills abound with 
 fhell-fifh, 93 
 
 Dial of Earthquakes, a book 
 fo called, 201 
 
 Dion CaJJhis cited, 213 
 
 Direction and progrefs of earth¬ 
 quakes, 220, 224, 227, 250 
 of the earth’s axis may have 
 been alter’d by earthquakes, 
 
 *54 
 
 DiftinCtions or differences of 
 earthquakes, 3, 4, 274, IA 
 
 M • 
 
 Dizzinefs, head-ach and fick- 
 nefs occafloned by earth¬ 
 quakes, 254, 265 
 
 Drake (Sir Francis) cited, 121 
 Duration of earthquakes, 14, 
 21, 42, 316 
 Duff, clouds of it ejected in 
 earthquakes, 163, 164 
 
 more ponderous than gold, 
 
 142 
 
 —this perhaps a natural au - 
 rum fulminans, ibid . 
 
 E 
 
 Earth, (terreftrial globe) im- 
 poflible to be difplac’d by 
 earthquakes, 228 
 
 the direction of its axis may 
 have been changed by earth¬ 
 quakes, 154 
 
 never univerfally affeCted by 
 any earthquake, 
 full of cavities and caverns, 
 25, Csf feq . 60,109, 112,229 
 its ffrata, how probably for¬ 
 med, 164 
 
 altera- 
 
I N D 
 
 alterations of its furface very 
 great, 74, 94, in, 118, 
 121, 143, 239 
 
 -but lefs of late than 
 
 formerly, 242 
 
 caufes of the alterations of 
 its furface, 240, & feq , 
 abounds with pyrites 
 carries ftrong fymptoms of 
 very old age, 173^ 174 
 Earth converted into ftone, 90 
 raifed in earthquakes, 8, 
 ioc, ic6, 109, 1 tji i$6 
 finking, 45, 109, 106, in, 
 
 113, 11 3, 116, 117, 1 22 
 removed in large quantities, 
 75, 123, 124 
 Earthquake, one which de- 
 ftroy’d twelve cities in a 
 night, 5 
 
 one which ruined the whole 
 bland of Sicily , 8 
 
 phenomena of the great one 
 of November I, 175 5, in 
 various parts of the globe, 
 280, IS feq. to the end. 
 Earthquakes, their diftindtions 
 or differences, 3, 4, 274 
 their caufes, 36, 48, 49, 
 167, IS feq . 176, & feq . 
 184, ISfeq. 210, 211, 212, 
 232, 234, IS feq. 
 — confiderations on them, 
 243, &jeq. 257 
 their effedls, 38, & feq. 94, 
 1 $ feq. 158, IS feq. 
 —compared with thofe of 
 gunpowder and pulvis fulmi¬ 
 nant, 169 
 
 their phenomena, 1, IS feq . 
 
 253 , tSfeq- 
 their extent, 126, 158, 
 
 179, 220, 333 
 never univerfal, 3 
 
 raay be propagated by bare 
 contiguity to vaft diftances, 
 205 
 
 E x * 339 
 
 all countries liable to them, 
 
 , . 127 
 happen at all times and fea- 
 
 fons, 18, 19, 44 
 
 chiefly in calm and ferene 
 weather, 223, 253, 261 
 places moft expofed to them, 
 10, 16, 43, 62, 128, 194, 
 tS feq. 203, 219, 220, 235 
 noifes preceding or accom¬ 
 panying them, 8, 9, 27, 42, 
 48, 99, 161, 163, 220, 223, 
 243, 252 
 
 their viciflitudes, 129 
 
 -nothing regular in them, 
 
 204 
 
 fevere ones feldom follow 
 quick upon one another, 19 
 whether they can be pre¬ 
 dicted, 
 
 forerunners of them, 20 
 
 probably more frequent and 
 powerful heretofore than of 
 late, 15 1 
 
 may have alter’d the direc¬ 
 tion of the earth’s axis, 154 
 cannot difplace the globe, 228 
 as frequent under the ocean 
 as under dry land, 120 
 
 fhock fhips at fea, 225, 226, 
 263, 264, 283, IS feq . to 
 the end, 
 
 why they happen feldom in 
 England , 6 2 
 
 chymical explanation of 
 them, 183, iS feq. 
 
 artificial ones, 26, 46, 185 
 thought to produce moun¬ 
 tains, 22 7 
 
 —reafons againft this noti¬ 
 on, ibid. 234 
 
 produce, interrupt, deflroy, 
 and alter fprings and foun¬ 
 tains, 13, 44, 219, 221, 
 222, 225, 251 
 —tliis denied, 257, 258 
 denied to be the effects of 
 Z 2 fub* 
 
340 
 
 fubterraneous vapour, fer¬ 
 mentation or explofion, 255, 
 &feq. 276 
 afcribed to electricity, 257 
 their directions and progrefs, 
 220, 224, 227, 250 
 their ofciilations, 220, 224, 
 227, 250 
 agitate the fea, rivers, lakes, 
 £*• 7, 119, 130, 1 >8, 163, 
 218, 223, 253, 263, 280, 
 y* fey. to the end. 
 occafion dizzincfs, head-ach 
 . and ficknefs, 254, 265, 266 
 EfFeCts of earthquakes, 12 , 14, 
 38, 40, 94, 98 , iff fey. 
 
 112, 11 5, feq. ic6, & 
 feq. 280, £sf feq. to the end. 
 EleCtrical fliock proportional to 
 the magnitude of the folid 
 eleCtrified, 266 
 
 Electricity an aligned caufe of 
 earthquakes, 259 
 
 —objections thereto anfwer- 
 ed, 272 
 
 analogous to lightning, 25 1 
 felt by fifh in the water, 265 
 England, why feldom vifited 
 with earthquakes, 62 
 
 ’Evoriystt ®-1 why epithets of 
 *E*Q(rt%Qu 9 C Neptune, 12,178 
 Epicurus, his notion concerning 
 the production of earth¬ 
 quakes, 48 
 
 E.vixblulr ; {. 4 
 
 Eruptions, fubterraneous, 74 
 —fiery ones, 9 ,&feq. 2,9, 
 & feq* 40, 102, 204, 216, 
 219, WV. 312. 
 —watery ones, 
 
 . —fmokyones, 9, 164, 216, 
 224, 312 
 —fandy ones, 109 
 
 —ftony ones, 1 o, 21 6, 2 2 4, 
 225 
 
 St, Euphemia funk by an 
 
 I N D E X. 
 
 earthquake, and covered 
 with a lake, 6, 12,115, 220 
 Exhalations, fiery ones, 74 
 caufe earthquakes, 23, C3* 
 feq . 26, 41 
 Experiments illuftrating the 
 nature of earthquakes, 184, 
 185, 190, 244 
 —objected to, 255 
 
 Extent of earthquakes, 3, 13, 
 
 l 79 
 
 of the great one of the ill 
 of November 1755, . ^33 
 
 Fabianus cited, 134 
 
 Faber [Honor at us) cited, 22, 
 26 
 
 Fahlun (in Sweden) an earth¬ 
 quake there, 325 
 
 Falling-liars often precede 
 earthquakes, 243 
 
 ■—how kindled, 248 
 
 Faro, earthquakes there, 6, 
 
 3H 
 
 Fayal an earthquake there, 221 
 .Fermentation, experiments to 
 explain its nature, 166 
 ofinfiammablefubllances,the 
 caufe of their explofion, 21 o 
 from a mixture of pure and 
 fulphureous air, 244 
 
 —this the caufe of clofe ful- 
 try weather, 243 
 
 —and of thunder and light¬ 
 ning, 246 
 
 Ferruni nubigenum, 67 
 
 Fire philofophicaily confider’d, 
 
 • . 54 
 
 its efficacy from an incorpo¬ 
 real principle, ibid. 
 
 pofTefs’d of no really aCtive 
 power, 35,' & feq. 
 
 fubterraneous, how main¬ 
 tain’d, 41 
 
 —the chief allign’d caufe of 
 earthquakes, 48, 49, 207 
 
 
I N D 
 
 —forcing thro’ the ground 
 in earthquakes, 9, 10, n, 
 2 9> 3°> 4°> 102, 2C 4> 
 
 216, 219, 223, 224, 312 
 —and from the bottom of 
 the fea, 29, 102, 104 
 
 —throws up rocks, 102, 3 32 
 —and mountains, 75, 96, 
 103, 147, 227 
 —rends mountains afunder, 
 
 7, 21, 106, 327 
 —capable of railing a whole 
 country at once, 130 
 
 —explained by chymical ex¬ 
 periments, 183, feq , 
 
 Fifh thrown up in earthquakes, 
 116, 117, 327, 328, 310 
 FJamfteed cited, 262, 263, 265 
 Flanderkin iflands, extindt Vol¬ 
 cano’s there, 11 
 
 Flatufes precede and accom 
 pany earthquakes, 12,13 
 Fluids tranfmuted into folids, 
 89 
 
 Fofliles, figured ones, the very 
 bodies they reprefent, or the 
 impreflions of them, 76, 80, 
 H 3 
 
 all fulphureous ones contain, 
 iron, 61 
 
 Fountains produc’d, alter’d, in¬ 
 terrupted and deftroy’d by 
 earthquakes, 13, 4 4 > 219, 
 221, 222, 22, 251, 305, 
 3 ! 3 » 3 i8 > 327 
 
 —this contradidled, 254, 
 257, 269 
 
 Fuego (one of the Cape de Verd 
 iflands^ a huge mountain in- 
 ceffantly burning, 167, 216 
 Fumes, fulphureous, deftroy 
 elailic air, 246, 247 
 
 Furnerius cited, 6, 12, 13 
 
 G 
 
 Tairi0K<&, why an epithet of 
 Neptune, , T 7 ^ 
 
 Cammacnorra , a high moun¬ 
 tain buril and difperfed by 
 
 E X. 341 
 
 an earthquake, 7 
 
 Garcteus cited, 3, 17, 20 
 GarcelaJJ'o de la Vega cited, 109 
 Gajfendus cited, 4, 6, 12, 14, 
 15,16,33,50 
 Gellius cited, 0 12, 22 
 
 Genoa , an earthquake there, 2 24 
 Le Gentil cited, 226 
 
 Giants of the old poets fig- 
 nificant of volcano’s, 149 
 Dr. Gilbert cited, 66 
 
 Gimclli Carreri cited, 223 
 Glafs windows faid to have 
 been cleflrified by the ex- 
 plofion of cannon, 251 
 Gonnapi, a volcano, 11, 21, 
 107, 216 
 
 Good'win - lands , funk and over¬ 
 whelm’d by an earthquake, 
 
 119 
 
 Grotta di cani (near Naples) 36 
 Guatimala an earthquake there, 
 123 
 
 Gulph formed by an earth¬ 
 quake, 224 
 
 Gun-powder firlt hinted the 
 true caufe of earthquakes, 
 37, 49, &c. 
 its prodigious force, ibid. 
 its materials analogous to 
 thofe which produce earth¬ 
 quakes, 167 
 
 its phenomena compared 
 with thofe of thunder and 
 lightning, 168 
 
 —and with thofe of pul^vis 
 and aurum fulminans , 169 
 
 H 
 
 Dr. Hales cited, 261,262, 266 
 his confiderations on the cau • 
 fesof earthquakes, 243 & feq 
 his confiderations on the 
 caufes of earthquakes, 243, 
 £sf J'eq . 
 
 Hall, an earthquake there, 1,15 
 Hartingfordbury , an earth¬ 
 quake there, 262 
 
 Z 3 Heat, 
 
342 I N D 
 
 Heat, fubterranean obdru&ed, 
 an afligned caufe of earth¬ 
 quakes, 176, feq. 
 
 of mineral fprings accounted 
 for, 187 
 
 Htda, a volcano, g, 10, 64, 
 107, 167, 211, 212, 256 
 $t. Helena ifland, 107 
 
 Helice overwhelmed, 12 
 
 Herbs petrified, 86 
 
 Herculaneum, Heraclea , partly 
 thrown down, and partly 
 overwhelmed, 16, 17 
 examination of its lava re¬ 
 commended to the curious, 
 21 3 
 
 Hermitage (in Dorfetjhire) three 
 acres of ground removed to 
 the didance of forty perches 
 there, 124 
 
 flier a, an ifland thrown up by 
 an earthquake, 100 
 
 Hiftorians, natural, deficient 
 in their accounts of earth¬ 
 quakes, 120, 146, 150 
 Holland , fubterraneous trees 
 there, 136 
 
 Holm (in Norfolk) cockles and 
 periwinkles there, 197 
 Dr. Hookey his difcourfes on 
 earthquakes, 68, & feq . 
 of the effefts of earthquakes, 
 
 f , . .94 
 
 of earthquakes m the Lee - 
 
 ward Ifands, 154, & feq. 
 
 Hurricanes accounted for, 188, 
 
 247 
 
 Hypothefes for folving the 
 phenomena of earthquakes, 
 22 Esf feq. 
 
 I 
 
 Jamaica , an earthquake there, 
 25 1 
 
 Japan abounds with volcano’s, 
 215 
 
 Java, a burning mountain 
 broke out there, 11 
 
 E X. 
 
 a mountain riven afunder 
 there, 106 
 
 Iceland, Ifland, abounds with 
 fulphur, 212 
 
 earthquakes there, 99, 109 
 Ignes fatui accounted for, 187 
 often precede earthquakes, 
 243 
 
 Ignition from bare fermenta¬ 
 tion, 3 2 
 
 Inclination, 4, 3 
 
 Inclinator , 4 
 
 Inspruck, an earthquake there, 1 
 Inundations from earthquakes, 
 6, 11, 118, 280, fc. to the 
 end. 
 
 from volcano’s, 197, 200 
 Johnfton cited, 6 
 
 Journal des Sqavans cited, 7 
 Iron always conne&ed with 
 fulphur, 6, 
 
 rained down, 66 
 
 Ifaiab cited, jye 
 
 Iflands and fea-coafts why mod 
 fubjett to earthquakes, 16^, 
 . tfr. 
 
 thrown up by earthquakes, 
 *3> I 4»4°> 94 > 9 S> 100,103, 
 105, 118, i2o, 162 
 —leave an abyfs or hollow 
 below, 120 
 
 Italy vexed with earthquakes, 
 
 62 > j 37»?-23 
 Juices petrifying, 73, 79, 81, 
 
 86, 87, 1 39 
 
 Kircber cited, 6, 9, n, 12, 14, 
 17, 18, 26, 27, 3;, 36, 43, 
 44> 46, 49, 86, 88, 1 or, 
 *03, 115, 1 x 8 
 Kempten, an earthquake there, 
 15 
 
 Kings (city of, in the wed Indies) 
 an earthquake there, 119 
 L 
 
 Iabcs x 4 
 
 Lakes 
 
I N D 
 
 Lakes produced or deflroyed 
 by earthquakes, 6, 12, 39, 
 100, 106, 1 1 3, 116, fcf J'eq. 
 Latacunga (in Peru) an earth¬ 
 quake there, 200, 201 
 
 Layers of earth, how probably 
 formed, 164 
 
 Leeward-Ifands, earthquakes 
 there, 154, & feq. 
 
 —probably from a fubter- 
 raneous ignition, like that 
 of gun-powder, 163 
 
 Lemety , his phyfico-chymical 
 explanation of fubterraneous 
 fires, earthquakes,^. 183, 
 &feq. 
 
 Lightning magnetic, 67 
 
 and thunder owe their mat¬ 
 ter to the breath of the py¬ 
 rites, 57, 60, 67 
 
 —to fulphur, 183 
 
 before an earthquake, 243 
 caufed by ele&ricity, 2qq, 
 & feq. 
 
 Lignwnfofftle, 69, 137 
 
 lodged under ground by 
 earthquakes, 137 
 
 Lima , two earthquakes there, 6, 
 19, 203, 218 
 Lipparea infula, 11, 27, 162, 
 166 
 
 Lincolnfhire , an earthquake 
 in that county, 261 
 
 Lindau, an earthquake there, 
 
 Linfchoten cited, 98, 108, 115, 
 
 119, 122 
 
 Lijbon , earthquakes there, 257, 
 y feq . 
 
 Dr. Lifer on the nature of 
 earthquakes, 68, fsf feq. 
 
 London, earthquakes there, 243, 
 250, 2^2, 262 
 Low-countries , an earthquake 
 there, 5 
 
 Lucretius cited, . 43 
 
 Lucrine lake greatly diminish’d, 
 95 
 
 made a marfh by an earth- 
 
 E X. 3 « 
 
 quake, 225 
 
 LuJ'us nature? a mere whim, 72, 
 
 H 5 
 
 Lybia, ico towns overthrown 
 by an earthq uake, 219 
 
 M 
 
 Macbian ifland, a mountain 
 there rent afunder by an 
 earthquake, 223 
 
 Magellanic ftraits, the fea very 
 deep there, 121 
 
 and alfo very fhallew, 12 2 
 Malaballo , (in Peru) a volcano, 
 217 
 
 Man ifland, fubterraneous trees 
 there, 136 
 
 Mandelfo cited, 2 21 
 
 Manilla , a mountain levelled by 
 an earthquake there, 222 
 Marcellinus cited, 4, 5, 9 
 
 Marcley hill (in Herefordfbire) 
 traveled three days together, 
 123 
 
 Maritime places, moll fubjedl 
 to earthquakes, 16, 165, ts? 
 
 yif. 201,255 
 St. Martha ifland, 167 
 
 Martinico ifland, an earthquake 
 there, 157 
 
 Martinius cited, 26 
 
 Mafcarcenos ifland, frequent 
 earthquakes there, 162, 167 
 Mauritian iflands, earthquakes, 
 volcano’s, and fiery erupti¬ 
 ons there, 11» 215 
 
 Memmingen , an earthquake 
 there, 1 
 
 Meteors, fiery ones, frequent 
 forerunners of earthquakes, 
 20, 243 
 
 luminous, Solved by the 
 dodtrine of ele&ricity, 259 
 Meterranus cited, 5 
 
 St . Michael ifland, earthquakes 
 there, 221, 222 
 
 Minerals, figured ones genera¬ 
 ted out of mineral waters, 
 74, 83, 89 
 Z 4 Mtjnia , 
 
index. 
 
 a mountain of coal Myccmatiee, 
 
 3U 
 
 Mifnia, 
 
 fmoking there, 31 
 
 Molucca iilands, earthquakes 
 there, 7 
 
 Monte di cinere , formed by an 
 earthquake, 225, 227 
 Monte , 01* Montagna di Somma, 
 a volcano, 10 
 
 Monte Gibello , fee jEtna. 
 
 Montjerrat ifland, an earth¬ 
 quake there, 1 37 
 
 Moon may have a fhare in the 
 production of earthquakes,, 
 209, & feql 
 Mottingham (in Kent \ a finking 
 of the ground there, 113 
 Mountainous places very liable 
 to earthquakes, 16, 43, 
 128, 180, 254 
 Mountains, by fome thought 
 to be the mere efFeCt of fub- 
 terraneous fires, 
 
 —this opinion controverted, 
 ibidem . 
 
 the work of fea waters, 229 
 were probably once under 
 water, 7$, 148, &feq. 222 
 the effedt of earthquakes, 
 75, 149, 150, &feq. 162 
 fwallowed up in earthquakes, 
 
 118 
 
 overfet by earthquakes, 222 
 rent afunder by earthquakes, 
 
 7, 21, 106, 223, 327 
 turned into plains, 74 
 
 new ones, 96, 105, 227 
 funk in a hollow, ' 9 
 removed to confiderable dif- 
 tances, 7, I2 j 
 
 fend forth fiery eruptions in 
 earthquakes, 223, 312 
 clafhing together, 7, 219 
 animal and vegetable fub- 
 flances found on their tops, 
 
 79 > 93 
 
 2 
 
 Mvtcyirioa crstafjuoi, g 
 
 Mummies, natural ones found 
 upon a removal of the fands 
 in Norfolk , 140 
 
 N 
 
 Naples, an earthquake there, 
 
 8 , i§ 
 
 all its churches and palaces * 
 thrown down by an earth- 
 quake, 220 
 
 fituated on a hollow bed of 
 roafted minerals, 2 14 
 
 Natural hiltory, deficient in ac¬ 
 counts of earthquakes, ef- 
 pecially of the more ancient 
 ones, 12c, 146, 150 
 
 of earthquakes and volca- 
 n °s, 20 9,&fcq. 
 
 Nature, her way of aCting in 
 imprefiingforms upon things, 
 
 . , , . 145 
 
 is always changing the ftate 
 of things, ,70 
 
 Neptune , Greek epithets of 
 kirn, I2 , l? s 9 I?9 
 
 Nt comedia, an earthquake there. 
 
 Nils, but four of its feren 
 mouths remaining, no 
 Nitre, abounds in the bowels 
 of trie earth, 110 
 
 Npifes preceding or accompa¬ 
 nying earthquakes, 8, 9, 27, 
 42, 48, 6 c, 99, 161, 163, 
 220, 223, 243, 252, 305, 
 
 , 312, 319, 329 
 
 how accounted for, 233, 
 
 r • . , 2 43> 2 5 2 
 
 lometmies without any fen- 
 
 fible commotion, 2 z 3 
 perhaps from an agitation of 
 the eleClric fluid, 2-1 
 
 -from an eleCtrical ex- 
 
 plofion, 260 
 
 in volcano’s, 9, 207, 223 
 Nor cia, 
 
I N D 
 
 Norcia , an earthquake there, 
 223 
 
 Nordlingen , an earthquake 
 there, 7 
 
 Northampton , an earthquake 
 there, 261 
 
 Nuccria , an earthquake there, 
 16 
 O 
 
 Oahic hole , (in Somerfetfhire) 60 
 OJearius cited, 93 
 
 Opening of the earth, 156, 
 
 161, 220, 223, 224, 326 
 Ores and minerals, their inter¬ 
 mixtures the work of earth¬ 
 quakes, 112 
 
 their natural feat probably 
 deep in the earth, 241 
 
 Ormus t its foil abounding in 
 fait, 30 
 
 Overflowing of the fea, an ef- 
 fed of earthquakes, 95 
 Ovid cited, 68, 149 
 
 Oxford , an earthquake there, 
 265 
 
 Ox's eye , a meteor fo called, 
 247 
 
 Oyfter-fliells, on mount Cauca - 
 and Banflead downs, 93 
 P 
 
 Panama undermined by die fea, 
 
 t, x. 345 
 
 —the reafon of this, 237 
 its whole foil the produce of 
 fire, 194 
 
 Pefaro , an earthquake there, 6 
 Petra Mala , eruptions of fire 
 there, 29 
 
 Petrification, a fymptom of old 
 ag e , . 173 
 
 the principle of figured 
 (tones, 
 
 Petrifying fubftance or liquid, 
 73 > 79 > 8i > 86 , 87 , 139,161, 
 165 
 
 Phenomena o f earthquakes, 1, 
 &feq. 36, tffeq. 2^3, & feq . 
 of the great one of Nov. 
 1, 175in various parts of 
 the globe, 280, & feq. 
 Phaeton , his hiftory fignificar^t 
 of fome ancient great earth* 
 quake, 
 
 Philofophy of earthquakes, 
 253, & feq. 
 Pic in the Moluccas fvvallowed 
 up by an earthquake, 
 of Teneriffe , an extind vol¬ 
 cano, 171 
 
 Places mod expofed to earth¬ 
 quakes, 10, 16,43,62,128 
 
 1 94 ’ & feq* 
 Plains turned into mountains. 
 
 often inundated by earth¬ 
 quakes, 46 
 
 Paphos , an earthquake there, 
 
 Paris , an earthquake there, 5 
 St. Paul cited, 175 
 
 Pefaro , an earthquake there, 6 
 Pembrokefhire, fubterraneous 
 trees in that county, 136 
 Peru , frequent earthquakes 
 there, 17, 193, & feq. 217 
 and volcanos, 193, 217 
 no fofiile (hells found there, 
 194 
 
 Plana (in Bohemia ) grotto’s 
 there, 36 
 
 Plants petrified, 86 
 
 Plaftic principle in figur’d fof- 
 fils, a mere whim, 72, 76, 
 143,145,146 
 Plato cited, 3, 1 ?, 120 
 
 Pliny (the elder) cited, 4, 5, 9, 
 12, 14^ 16, 17, 18, 20, 89, 
 
 90, 95, IOO, I l8, 12}, 219 
 Pluto's den , 226 
 
 Poles of the earth may have 
 been alter’d by earthquakes, 
 1 54 
 
a+6 INDEX. 
 
 Pompeij deftroyM by an earth¬ 
 quake, 15, 17, 19 
 
 Pool's hole , 60 
 
 Popocatepac , a Mexican volca¬ 
 no, 217 
 
 Popochampeche , a Mexican vol¬ 
 cano, 217 
 
 /V//*Wifland,prodigious large 
 fnake-ftones there, 153 
 Port-royal (in Jamaica) an 
 earthquake there, 261 
 Portions concerning earth¬ 
 quakes, 253, iff feq. 
 
 Pojjtdonius cited, 218 
 
 Powder heavier than gold, 
 142 
 
 Dr. Power cited, 64 
 
 Praya y an earthquake there, 
 221 
 
 Prefervation of fubterraneous 
 trees, iffc. to what owing, 
 138, iff feq. 
 Prochyta , an ifland forced up 
 by an earthquake, 118 
 Pugnalicy an extindi Peruvian 
 volcano, 200 
 
 Pulvis fulminant, its effedts 
 compared with thofe of 
 gunpowder, 169 
 
 Pumice ftones ejected, 104 
 puzzoli , fiery eruptions there, 
 29 
 
 Pyrenoans y earthquakes there, 
 17, 128, 150 
 Pyrites, its breath in a manner 
 totally fulphur, 59, 245 
 —-the afligned caufe of thun¬ 
 der, lightning and earth¬ 
 quakes, ibid, iff feq . 60 
 the fuel of volcano’s, 65 
 may fire fpentaneoufly, 63 
 ferments with moifture, 21 o, 
 232 
 
 how formed, 2^8 
 
 dfuenmondam (in Brafilf) an ex- 
 tindfc volcano there, 20 
 
 R 
 
 Ragufa, an earthquake there, 
 220 
 
 Rain may contribute to earth¬ 
 quakes, 20 6 
 
 may help to diminifh moun¬ 
 tains, fill up valleys, and 
 wear away the fea-coaft, 241 
 Ratifbon, an earthquake there, 1 
 Ravines in Peru , defcribed, 
 193 
 
 Ray cited, 220, 225, 227 
 his fummary of the caufe of 
 the alterations on the earth’s 
 furface, 240, iff feq. 
 
 Receding of the fea, an effedl 
 of earthquakes, 9^ 
 
 Regeneration of metals and 
 minerals, 3 5 
 
 Reggio , an earthquake there, 8 
 Refervoirs of fubterraneous 
 waters, 28, 30 
 
 Py/Xtyis, 4 
 
 Rhodes thrown up by an earth¬ 
 quake, 100 
 
 Ricaut (Sir Paul) cited, 
 
 Rimini , an earthquake there, 
 
 6 
 
 Rivers, deflroyed by earth¬ 
 quakes, 13, 100, 110, 125 
 agitated by earthquakes, 13, 
 ico, 110, 125, 280, iff feq . 
 to the end. 
 
 Rocks, thrown up by fubter¬ 
 raneous fires, 102,332 
 rent afunder, 102, 161, 
 
 3 i 3 > 318, 319 
 Rodunda , a rocky ifland cleft 
 afunder by an earthquake, 
 
 158, 163 
 
 Rome, an earthquake there, 
 223 
 
 Ruinay a, r 
 
 S 
 
 Salts regularly figured, 84 
 Sand thrown up in earth¬ 
 quakes. 
 
v~ 
 
 SlSMVOS i? ‘JfHi « '•:% ■'.•* - 
 
 I N D 
 
 quakes, 109, 305 
 
 tranfparent, once water, 83, 
 
 , 8 S 
 
 Sandys cited, 96, 97 
 
 Bangui, a bellowing Peruvian 
 volcano, 206 
 
 Santorini ifland, made by an 
 earthquake, 227 
 
 an earthquake there, 20, 
 114 
 
 eruptions of fire there, 29 
 Schottus cited, 5, 28, 32, 48 
 Schouien cited, 215, 225 
 
 Scotland, feveral parts of it 
 funk by earthquakes, 119 
 a town fwallowed up by an 
 earthquake there, 117 
 
 foflile wood found in divers 
 parts of it, 69 
 
 Sea bears no greater propor¬ 
 tion to the land now, than 
 formerly, 240 
 
 may heretofore have co¬ 
 ver’d moll inland places, 
 75 
 
 its fluctuation and commo¬ 
 tion continually exciting 
 winds in the bowels of the 
 earth, 28, 29, 43 
 
 contributes to the produc¬ 
 tion of earthquakes, 44, 
 206 
 
 a great caufe of the alte¬ 
 rations on the earth’s fur- 
 face, 240, & fey. 
 
 its bottom raifed, and iflands 
 formed out of it by earth¬ 
 quakes, 100, 101, 103, 105 
 turned into land by earth¬ 
 quakes, 1 29 
 
 landed up and tranflated by 
 fubterraneous fires, ibid • 
 
 greatly agitated, overflow¬ 
 ing its banks and receding 
 from its ftiores in earth¬ 
 quakes, 7, 13, 14,40,94, 
 
 E X. 347 
 
 96, IOO, H9, 130, 15 6, 
 158, 159, 163, 218, 222, 
 224, 283, £ 5 ? J'eq. to the end. 
 Sea-coafts, why liable to earth¬ 
 quakes, 17, 163, & feq. 
 
 268 
 
 Sea - ftiores worn away by 
 waves, 45, 78 
 
 —and partly by rains, 241 
 Sea water productive of fub¬ 
 terraneous fermentations, 
 
 • 6 5 
 
 XncTixQ mj why an epithet of 
 Neptune , 12, 128 
 
 Self-opens in mines, what, 60 
 Seneca cited, 2, 3, 3, 10, 12, 
 
 12, 15, 17* 2 °> 
 
 21, 22, 23, 36, 43, 47, 
 48, 100, 126, 134 
 Dr. Shaw cited, 225 
 
 Ships at fea violently tofs’d and 
 jerk’d in earthquakes, 98, 
 130, 158, 163, 225, 226, 
 
 253, 263, 264, 276, 284, 
 
 288, 289, 298, 307, 309, 
 
 310, 317, 321, 322, 326, 
 
 33 *> 33 2 > 333 
 buried under ground, and 
 how, 164 
 
 Shells of fifties, bodies re- 
 fembling them found in mol^ 
 countries of the world, 68, 
 69, 143 
 
 are the very things they re-* 
 prefent, or their impreflions, 
 76, 80, 140 
 not carried thither by men’s 
 hands, or Noah's flood, 147, 
 how probably depofited, re¬ 
 mote from the fea, 164 
 inland places where they are 
 found, may have been once 
 covered by the fea, 75 
 no foflile Ihells to be found 
 in Peru , 194 
 
 —and why, 237 
 
 j Sicilj, 
 
348 
 
 Sicily, a great earthquake there, 
 261 
 
 Si don, an earthquake there, 
 17 , 218 
 
 Sinigaglia, an earthquake there, 
 
 7 
 
 Sinking of the earth, and bot¬ 
 tom of the fea an effeCt of 
 earthquakes, 44, 45, 94, 
 105, ic6, in, 113, nr, 
 
 &feq. 
 
 Smoke, afcending through 
 chafms, 9, 224 
 
 Smoky eruptions, 21, 16;, 
 
 216, 312 
 
 Smyrna, earthquakes there, 
 I30, 220, 2iJI 
 
 Soil, fandy and loamy, often 
 vifited with earthquakes, 
 43 
 
 Solfatara , or Sulfero hill, 10, 
 11, 214 
 
 Sophocles cited, 149 
 
 Sorca ifland, covered by the 
 lava of a volcano, 21 9 
 Sparry incruftations, 81, 82, 
 86 
 
 Species of many things may 
 have been wholly loft and 
 annihilated, iq 2 
 
 —and new ones generated, 
 153 
 
 Specus Coricianus , 26 
 
 cited, 81 
 
 'Zq>vy(A(&, 4 
 
 Spirituous bodies, their force 
 when rarefied, 34 
 
 Springs produc’d, altered, in¬ 
 terrupted and deftroy’d by 
 earthquakes, 12, 13,44,98, 
 219, 221, 222, 2 2C, 25I, 
 305* 3 ! 3 > 3 ! 4 > 3 ’ 1 8, 328 
 —this however contradict¬ 
 ed, 294, 2C7, 269 
 
 hot ones abound in Germany, 
 France, and Spam, 29, t; ", 
 
 18 ; 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 the caufe of their heat, 29, 
 
 _ x 53> 187 
 
 Steams rarefied, an a'ffigned 
 caufe of earthquakes, 25, 
 
 mineral ones, noxious, 35, 
 
 44 
 
 of fulphur, pyrites, nitre, 
 & c - how kindled in the 
 bowels of the earth, 36, 
 63, £«f feq. 
 Stelluti cited, r 37 
 
 Dr. Stukeley , his philofophy of 
 earthquakes, 253, 
 
 Stobceus cited, 3 
 
 Stone may be confolidated 
 water, 74 
 
 Stones projected from chafms 
 and volcano’s, 10, 224, 225 
 figurate ones are petrifica¬ 
 tion s of foft fubftances re- 
 fembling fea-fhells, animals, 
 vegetables, fffr. 68, fcf feq. 
 rained down, 66 
 
 Strabo cited, 2*18 
 
 Stralfund burnt by lightning, 
 
 34 
 
 Strombulo, Strombuli, Strcngylns, 
 a volcano, 27, ioi,~ii8, 
 162, 166 
 
 abforbed and covered by the 
 fea, ^ 11 
 
 M. Sturmius,' his methodical 
 account of earthquakes, 1 
 
 Iff feq. 
 
 Slibberfton, 4, 39 
 
 Sue cuff on. A, 39, 41 
 
 Sulphur and iron conllitute the 
 pyrites, 61 
 
 abounds in the bowels of the 
 earth, ' 30 
 
 —even under the ocean, 31 
 naturally connected with 
 iron, 61 
 
 Sulphureous fleams, how kind¬ 
 led in the bowels of the 
 earth. 
 
I N D 
 
 earth, 36, 63, & feq . 
 
 Sun’s heat may contribute to 
 the produ&ion of earth¬ 
 quakes, 202 
 
 Surface of the earth has under¬ 
 gone great alterations, 74, 
 94, in, 118, 121, 143, 
 239 
 
 —but lefs of late than for¬ 
 merly, 242 
 
 —caufes of fuch alterations, 
 240 ,&feq. 
 Surry downs, oyfler-fhells found 
 there, 93 
 
 Syracufe, an earthquake there, 8 
 T 
 
 Tacitus cited, 5, 10 
 
 Taormino, an earthquake there, 
 
 8 
 
 Teneriffe, the ifland and pic of 
 rais’d by fubterraneous fire 
 from out of the fea, 
 the Pic of, an extinft vol¬ 
 cano, 171, 216 
 
 Tercera , an extinft volcano 
 there, 20 
 
 earthquakes frequent there, 
 221 
 
 hills there made even with 
 the plain, i 15 
 
 Tim ate, an earthquake there, 
 7, 116 
 
 and a volcano, 2 t 4 
 
 Thales, his notion of earth¬ 
 quakes exploded, 3, 22 
 Thera and herafia, thrown up 
 by an earthquake, 13, 100 
 why an epithet 
 of Neptune, 179 
 
 Thia thrown up by an earth¬ 
 quake, ! 00 
 
 Thunder and lightning pro¬ 
 duced by the fame matter as 
 earthquakes, 184 
 
 owe their matter to the 
 breath of the pyrites, 57, 
 6c, 66 
 
 E X. 349 
 
 concomitants of earthquakes, 
 
 104, 11 o 
 
 their phenomena explain’d, 
 108 
 
 an electrical explofion, 260 
 Tiberius, twelve cities of AJia 
 deftroyed in one night by 
 an earthquake in his reign, 
 
 5, 127, 219 
 Tides may contribute to the 
 production of earthquakes, 
 203 
 
 Tivccrfoeoycclvs, why an epithet 
 of Neptune, 178 
 
 Trees fubterraneous in Cbe- 
 Jhire, 136, 137 
 
 in Cumberland, 97, 136 
 
 in the ifle of Man, ibid\ 
 in Angle fea, 97 
 
 in Lancajhire, 135 
 
 in Holland, 136 
 
 how depofited, 160 
 
 finking into chafms, 8 
 Tremor, 4, 4 T > 4 ^ 
 
 Tr ini dado or Trinity ifland, 167 
 Tripergula, its falubrious baths 
 ruin’d by the rifing of a 
 new mountain, 103 
 
 T^hfAOV, 4 
 
 Tyre, deftroyed by an earth¬ 
 quake, 127 
 
 V 
 
 de la Valle cited, 11 o 
 
 Valleys partly filled up through 
 rains, 241 
 
 many of them have been 
 mountains, 02 IAJ-q. 
 
 Vapours, inflammable, their 
 force, 3 3 
 
 Varenius cited, 9, it, 21, ic6 
 Vegetable fubftances found un¬ 
 der ground in moft parts of 
 the earth, 70 
 
 much below the level of 
 the fea, ibid. 
 
 Venice , an earthquake there, 1 
 Vernatti 
 

 350 I 
 
 Vernatti cited, 142 
 
 Verulam (Lord) cited, 12 
 
 Vrfu'vitiSy Vefeunjus, Monte di 
 Somma , 9, 10, 21, 118, 
 
 158, 181, 21 1, &feq. 231, 
 2; 6 
 
 l ilia Franca (in Terccra) co¬ 
 vered by an earthquake, 99, 
 222 
 
 cited, 149 
 
 Z 7 flcanello , 14 
 
 Volcano’s defcribed, 209, 
 are mountains made up in 
 great part of pyrites, 64 
 fed by pyrites, 65 
 
 moftly in high mountains 
 near the fea, or in iflands, 
 
 . , . 2CI > 2 37 
 
 why not in plains, 239 
 
 how produced, ^ 231 
 
 reafons for their fpontane- 
 ous kindling, 64, 65 
 
 probably firft kindled at or 
 near the creation, 64 
 
 firft kindled at no very great 
 depth, . 215, 235, 249 
 
 communicate with one ano¬ 
 ther to very great dillances, 
 27, 126 
 
 often ejedl vaft quantities of 
 water, 197 
 
 ~fometimes boiling hot, 
 236 
 
 bellow by equidiftant £ts or 
 intervals in the violence of 
 their conflagration, 206 
 immcnfe force of their ex- 
 plofion, 210 
 
 may caufe earthquakes in 
 their neighbourhood, 210, 
 &feq. 217, 222, 227, 249 
 their various effefts, 126, 
 222 
 
 conftantly inflamed at the 
 time of neighbouring earth¬ 
 quakes, 182 
 
 N D E X. 
 
 ceafe raging when earth¬ 
 quakes ceafe, 162 
 
 break forth afrefli when re- 
 plenilhed with combuftible 
 materials, 17 j 
 
 —and thereby prevent or 
 abate the violence of earth¬ 
 quakes, jSo 
 
 beneficial, upon the whole, 
 to the territories that fur- 
 round them, ibid . 
 
 Vulcani& infulsr, \ j 
 
 Vulcan's Court , j r 0 
 
 Vdeans Fields , 1 { 
 
 W 
 
 Water, one of the afligned 
 caufes of earthquakes, 45, 
 46 
 
 —but infuffleient to folve all 
 their pheenomena, ibid, 
 one of the afligned chief 
 caufes of the alterations on 
 the earth’s furface, 130, 
 
 240 
 
 may excavate the inward 
 parts of the earth, 43 
 torrents of itifluing through 
 apertures in earthquakes, 
 Hj 12, 21, 98, 104, 156, 
 161, 224, 305, 227 
 rais’d in vapour by one qua¬ 
 lity, and precipitated by 
 another, j^o 
 
 tranfmutable into ftone, 74, 
 83, £ffr. 
 
 , —in fiances thereof at the 
 
 Peak in Derbyjhire , 81 
 
 has in itfelf a petrifying qua- 
 lk y> ibid. 
 
 ejected by volcano’s, 106, 
 197 
 
 —fometimes boiling hot, 
 236 
 
 a powerful conductor of 
 eleftricity, 268 
 
 Waters flrangely agitated in 
 earth- 
 
I N D 
 
 earthquakes, 7, 119, 130, 
 150, 158, 163, 218, 221, 
 223, 253, 263, 280, t£feq. 
 to the end. 
 
 Water-quake defcribed, 275 
 Water-fpouts defcribed, 277 
 accounted for, 188 
 
 Waves wear away rocks and 
 fhores, 45 
 
 Weather almoft always ferene 
 and calm in earthquakes, 
 253, 261, 262, 263 
 Welfchius cited, 10, 11, 14* 
 21 
 
 Wejhninjler-hall , its walls vio¬ 
 lently mov’d by an earth¬ 
 quake, 260 
 
 Weftram (in Kent) a finking of 
 the ground there, 113 
 Wight (ifle of) an earthquake 
 there, 260 
 
 Wind a great caufe of the al- 
 
 E X. 351 
 
 terations on the earth’s fur- 
 face, 130, & feq. 140 
 
 precedes, and fometimes ac¬ 
 companies earthquakes, 1 2 
 may caufe earthquakes, 22, 
 23, 41, 44, 233 
 continually exerted in the 
 bowels of the earth, by the 
 boiilrous raging of the ocean, 
 28, 29, 43 
 iffuing through apertures in 
 earthquakes, 13 
 
 difeharged from mines, 
 lakes, and rivers, 234, 318, 
 Winterton (in Norfolk ) a bone 
 of a prodigious fize found 
 there, 132 
 
 Dr. Woodward, on the caufe of 
 earthquakes, 173 
 
 Y 
 
 York , an earthquake there, 5 
 

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