124 THE CHEMISTRY OF CREATION. 



base. This was made that the water, being a 

 good conductor, might form a free electric 

 communication between the strata through 

 which the well is sunk, and thus acting on the 

 principle of a lightning conductor, draw off the 

 fluid. In the city of Udine, wells and other 

 excavations have been made for the same pur- 

 pose, and also great numbers in Nola in the 

 kingdom of Naples. The success of these ex- 

 periments at Naples and Udine does not appear, 

 but at Nola it seems that since they have been 

 undertaken the city has not been damaged by 

 earthquakes. Whether we are to attribute it 

 to this or other causes, appears more than ques- 

 tionable ; the experiment, however, deserves 

 repetition. 



The idea is very prevalent that we know 

 nothing of the effects of earthquakes in Eng- 

 land; and that while other countries are 

 shaken to their foundation, our land, excepting 

 on rare occasions, is altogether unmoved by 

 the great powers lying below. But this idea is 

 erroneous. Scientific observers have been sta- 

 tioned at a particular place in Perthshire, and 

 have obtained evidence that in every year a 

 greater or less number of shocks of earthquakes 

 have been felt even in Great Britain. By 

 means of ingenious instruments of various 

 kinds, sixty distinct shocks were observed be- 



