62 OBSERVATIONS on THE 
Out of 1,000 deaths, there dicd---upwards of 100 years of age. 0. 48 
Do. 90 3. 66 
Do. 80 23. 66 
Do, 40 76. 34 
Do. 60 146. 46 
Do. 50 227. 7% 
Do. 40 31% 95 
Thefe proportions correfpond fo nearly with thofe given by M. Buffon, in his eflimate of 
the probabilities of life, for London, as to inducea belief, thatthe calculations of that cele= 
brated Philofopher may be depended upon, in this inftance, 
Sieeeemememepensiemnenemnemtmmmnentemmmmmntensin OsTo* WETTRICTUOTCS S55 aT ae eS 
N°. VIII. 
Extract of a Letter from Andrew Elhcott, to Davip 
RitteENHOUSE, E/q.dated at Pitt/burg, November 5th 
1737, containing obfervations made at Lake-Erie. 
Read Nov. N the thirteenth of laft month, while we lay 
Breas on the banks of Lake-Erie, we had an 
opportunity of viewing that fingular phenomenon, by Sea- 
men termed looming. It was preceded by a fine Auro- 
ra-borealis, on the evening of the 12th the 13th was 
cloudy; but without rain: about ten o‘clock in the morn- 
ing, as I was walking on the beach, I difcovered fome- 
thing that had the appearance of land, in the direction of 
Prefque-Ifle; about noon it became more confpicuous and; 
when vieweft by a good Achromatic-Telefcope, the branches 
of the trees could be plainly difcovered krom 3 o‘clock 
in the afternoon, till dark, the whole Peninfula was con- 
fiderably elevated above the horizon, and viewed by all 
our company with admiration. There was a fingular 
appearance attending this Phenomenon, which I do not 
remember to have feen taken noticeof by any writer— 
The Penin{fula was frequently feen double, or rather two 
fimilar Peninfula’s, one above the other, with an appears 
ance of water between:—the feparation, and coincidence 
was very frequent, and not unlike that obferved in fhifting 
the index of an adjufted Godfrey’s quadrant. As fingu- 
lar 
