CALORIFICATION. 377 



desolation and ruin. Sir W. H, is decidedly 

 of opinion that these floods were occasioned by 

 the sudden dissolution of watery clouds, the 

 air having been too much rarified to support 

 them. They, therefore, burst ; the water fall- 

 ing from the air in streams, which, uniting with 

 fire, with ashes of a bituminous and oily qua- 

 lity, and accumulating in pools to a great 

 height, at length forced its way into new 

 channels, and came down in torrents in coun- 

 tries where it was least expected : composed of 

 scoriae, ashes, and stones, mixed with trees 

 that had been torn up by the roots : some of 

 the torrents were of the height of 10 to 40 feet, 

 carrying houses, walls, trees, and as it is said, 

 not less than 4000 sheep, with teams of oxen, 

 &c. &c." 



Whoever reads the sad history of the differ- 

 ent earthquakes, by which different parts of 

 the world have been visited, will be struck with 

 horror and with amazement: he will read of 

 large and populous cities, convulsed and shook 

 from their very foundations, buried and immur- 

 ed to a considerable depth, with all their inha- 

 bitants, the wrecks and ruins of which are 

 visible at this time. In the 17th year of the 

 Christian sera, under the emperor Tjberius, 

 Strabo relates that a dreadful earthquake took 

 place, in which twelve cities of Asia Minor 

 were destroyed in one night ; and it appears 



