380 
der, which lasted about six or seven 
seconds. 1 really thought’ my chair 
was sinking into the ground; and, 
after I bad recovered myself, I was 
not convinced that one of the fronts 
of the house, or a chimney, had not 
given way, tili I had been in all the 
rooms, where I found every thing 
in its place. All the other servants 
felt it as I did; and the neigh- 
bours in the village thought their 
houses were going to fall upon 
them. It was felt at Grantham, 
Mantborpe, and other towns in the 
neighbourhood. 
The Rev. Archdeacon Brown, 
in a Letter to Mr. Turnor. 
An uncommon rumbling noise 
was heard round my premises at 
Peterborough, 110 yards, resembling 
that occasioned by drawing a large 
garden-roller slowly over the pave- 
ment. The sound did not appear 
like thunder over the head, but upop. 
or near the ground. The like, in 
every respect, happened October 
27th, 1776, about a quarter before 
ten at night. 
Mr. Fydel’s Information 
to Sir Joseph Banks. 
The earthquake was felt and heard 
by a lady at Boston, who declared 
so at the time it happened, and said, 
she was sure it was something ex- 
traordinary, though no one else in 
the town observed it, or paid any 
attention to her, till the news of 
its having been felt at other places 
arrived. 
The Transactious of the Royal 
Society give an account of the earth- 
quakes in the northern parts of Eng- 
land, in the years 1703 and 17530. 
* Phil. Trans, vol. x1, p. 722. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1792. 
That of the latter year is described 
as ‘* beginning in Derbyshire, and 
passing off the island, through Lin- 
colnshire aud part of Cambridge- 
shire, its direction being from west 
to east*.” From the preceding 
narrative it appears, that nearly the 
same tract of country was affeeted 
by the late concussion, and that it 
came in the same direction from 
west to east; circumstances which 
correspond with the observations 
of Mr. Mechel: Ist, “* That the 
same places are subject to returns 
of earthquakes at different intervals 
of time ;"—2diy, ‘*Thatearthquakes 
generally come to the same place 
from one and the same point of the 
compass.” -These, and other facts, 
that ingenious philosopher adduces 
in support of his hypothesis, that 
earthquakes are caused by the steam 
raised by waters contained in the 
cavities of the earth, suddenly rush- 
ing in upon subterraneous fires ; 
which steam, the moment it is ge- 
nerated, insinuates itself’ between 
the strata of the earth, and pro- 
duces the undulatory motion before 
mentioned. It may, however, be 
remarked, that the state of the air, 
before the shock, was calm, close, 
and gloomy, such as is described 
by Dr. Stukely as necessary to pre- 
pare the earth to receive an elec- 
trical stroke ; and the circumstance 
of its having been partially felt in 
the same room, may be supposed 
to favour that hypothesis; but yet 
the concussion seems not to have 
been so strong on the eminence at 
Belvoir Castle as it was in the neigh= 
bouring vale. : 
I have the honour to be, &c. 
Epmunp TuRnor. 
March 10th, 1792. 
/ 
The 
