280 Mr D. Milne on Earthquake-Shocks in Great Britain^ 



which in many cases were considerable, would not have been 

 confined to mere patches of the earth's surface. The lower 

 the source from which the earthquaking force emanates, the 

 more nearly equal will be its distance to different parts of the 

 carth*'s surface ; and in that case, if it produces any effects visi- 

 ble on the earth's surface, these effects will be the more widely 

 extended. Since the effects of most of the shocks noticed in 

 the register were confined to this island, and even to certain 

 districts of it, it follows that the source of these shocks was 

 immediately beneath Great Britain, and at no great depth. 



It has sometimes been asked, whether the sources of earth- 

 quakes in this country are connected with the sources of vol- 

 canic action in far distant parts of the globed It cannot be 

 denied that some curious coincidences may be traced between 

 the times of the occurrence of earthquakes in this and foreign 

 countries, of which the following arc examples. 



(1.) On the 8th and on the 9th Feb. 1750, a violent shock 

 of earthquake was felt in the southern parts of England, as 

 also at Boulogne and Calais. On the same days, violent shocks 

 are said to have been felt at Rome, Tivoli, Albano, Freschati, 

 and other towns of Italy. 



(2.) On the 8th March 1750, precisely the same parts of 

 England were again agitated ; and again, on the same day, 

 the places in Italy above mentioned are said to have been con- 

 vulsed. 



It is also deserving of remark, that in England, on both 

 these occasions, the undulatory motion is described as having 

 been in an E. and W. direction. 



No notices have been found shewing that the intermediate 

 countries were affected. 



(3.) On the 4tli May 1750, when, as stated in the register, 

 an earthquake was felt in Dorsetshire, an earthquake occurred 

 in Calabria. 



(4.) On the 23d Aug. 1750, when Nottingham and the ad- 

 joining counties were agitated, Philippoli, in European Tur- 

 key, was destroyed by an earthquake, and 4000 persons killed. 

 The direction of the motion in England was from SE. to NW. 



(5.) On the 18th Feb. 1756, when an earthquake was felt 

 in London, Margate^ and Dover, just before 8 a m., it is re- 



