VOL. XLVI.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIOM&. IQ 



little meadow-fields, as render the same absolutely useless, and never to be re- 

 covered. 



It would surpass all credit to give the dimensions and weight of some rocks, 

 which are not only tumbled down the steep parts of the mountains, but carried 

 a considerable way into the fields, several thrown on the banks larger than a 

 team of 10 horses could move. Near a place called Lobwath, one was carried 

 a great way, which was 676 inches, or near 19 yards about. The damage done 

 to the grounds, houses, walls, fences, highways, with the loss of the corn and 

 hay then on the ground, is computed variously, by some at lOOOl. by others at 

 15001. 



One of these brooks, which is called Mose or Mosedale Beck, which rises near 

 the source of the others, but runs north from the other side of Legburthet 

 Fells, continues still to be foul and muddy, having, as is supposed, worn its 

 channel so deep in some part of its course, as to work on some mineral substance, 

 which gives it the colour of water hushed from lead mines, and is so strong as 

 to tinge the river Derwent, into which it empties itself, even at the sea, near 

 20 miles from their meeting. 



Of an Extraordinary Fireball Bursting at Sea. By Mr. Chalmers. 



N° 494, p. 366. 



Nov. 4, 1749, in the latitude of 42° 48', longitude 9° 3', the Lizard then bore 

 N. 41° 5' about the distance of 569 miles, as Mr. C. was taking an obsei-vation 

 on the quarterdeck, about 10 minutes before 12 o'clock, one of the quarter- 

 masters desired he would look to windward, which he did, and observed a large 

 ball of blue fire rolling on the surface of the water, at about 3 miles distance 

 from them. It came down upon them so fast, that before they could raise the 

 main tack, they observed the ball to rise almost perpendicular, and not above 40 

 or 50 yards from the main chains : it went off with an explosion as if hundreds 

 of cannon had been fired at once ; and left so great a smell of brimstone, that 

 the ship seemed to be nothing but sulphur. After the noise was over, which did 

 not last longer than half a second, they found the main-topmast shattered into 

 above a hundred pieces, and the mainmast rent quite down to the heel. There 

 were some of the spikes, that nailed the fish of the mainmast, drawn with such 

 force out of the mast, that they stuck in the main deck so fast, that the car- 

 penter was obliged to take an iron crow to get them out : five men were knocked 

 down, and one of them greatly burnt, by the explosion. They thought that 

 when the ball, which appeared to be of the size of a large millstone, rose, it 

 took the middle of the main-topmast, as the head of the mast above the hounds 

 was not splintered. The ball came down from the n. e. and went to the s. w. 



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