W AGE ERA SPOUT S. 10$ 
inftantly fubfide ? The caufe of which undoubtedly is, that 
thefe drops, or hail-ftones, defcending from a great height 
in the atmofphere, acquire feverally fuch a momentum in 
their fall as to plunge through the furface to a proportional 
depth, driving the fuperficial water back on every fide, 
and leaving a momentary vacuum behind them; not in- 
deed a pure vacuum, but fuch, relative to the furrounding 
fluid, which immediately returns to fill up the chafm, and, 
as it clofes, gathers and rifes in the little columns above 
defcribed. When a large round ftone, or any other heavy 
body plunges, the effe&t is proportionably greater. 
5- Let us, for argument’s fake, fuppofe the atmofphere 
over any certain circular tra&t of ocean of fome miles in 
diameter, to be for a moment annihilated, the fpace it oc- 
cupied before being reduced to a pure vacuum: The fur- 
rounding atmofphere, when at liberty, would rufh in from 
every quarter towards the centre, where the converging 
currents would immenfely croud each other, and force up 
a vaft quantity of air through a very narrow funnel, con- 
tracted below by the united preflure of thofe currents from 
all fides, into the higher regions; which funnel, as the 
denfity of the air leflens according to its height, and the 
furrounding preflure which contracts it muft decreafe near- 
ly in the fame proportion, would more and more diverge 
and expand the higher it rofe above the furface of the fea. 
This would be attended with a moft furious blaft of wind 
up to, and far above the top of the atmofphere. In like 
manner, 
6. If inftead of a pure vacuum, or a total annihilation 
of fuch part of the atmofphere, we fuppofe the fame to be- 
come, by any means whatever, {pecifically lingter than the 
furrounding regions, the effet would be the fame as above, 
in kind, though not in degree; the denfer air flowing in, 
but with lefs rapidity, from all quarters without, expelling 
the lighter and fupplying its place, as in article four; upon 
which alfo a large quantity of this confluent air, for the 
fame 
