Il6 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1750. 



It was likewise mentioned, that in the same earthquake, a great parcel of hens 

 and chickens, kept at that time in Gray's-Inn-Lane, on the shock, ran to the 

 roost affrighted : and the like was observed of pigeons. And in our account of 

 the last earthquake from Northampton, it is remarked, that the birds in cages 

 put their heads under their wings, as to hide themselves. 



Mr. Jackson, potter at Lambeth, gave an account of some boats and lighters, 

 in the river at that time ; the people in them seemed to feel as if a porpoise, or 

 some great fish, had heaved and thumped at the bottom of the lighters. This is 

 sometimes the case with ships at sea ; which seems evidently owing to an electrical 

 impression on the water. 



In the Evening Post, June 23, we had a paragraph from Venice, that a ter- 

 rible earthquake had lately been felt in the Isle of Cerigo ; a little rocky isle. It 

 threw down a great number of houses, and above 2000 inhabitants were buried 

 in the ruins. Another earthquake about that time happened in Switzerland, 

 which split a vast rocky mountain, and an old castle wall, of an immense thickness. 



But, since then, these wonderful movements have stalked round the globe ; 

 (and been lately felt in our own island, though to the terror only of many thousand 

 people) besides those that appeared in the western parts, in the more early time 

 of the year. 



In a letter from Maurice Johnson, Esq. the founder and secretary of the Li- 

 terary Society of Spalding, which has now subsisted these 40 years, he says that, 

 on Thursday the 23d of August last, an earthquake was very sensibly felt there, 

 about 7 o'clock in the morning, throughout the whole town and neighbourhood, 

 and many miles round ; but chiefly spread northward and southward. He says, 

 that for a fortnight before the weather had been serene, mild and calm ; and one 

 evening there was a deep red aurora australis, covering the cope of heaven, very 

 terrible to behold. This same shock was felt at Grantham, Stamford, and Mil- 

 ton by Peterborough ; and generally at all the intermediate places. 



But we have had many advices from all hands, at the first and second meetings 

 of the B. s. for the winter season ; with further particulars relating to this great 

 ' concussion : that it was felt at the same time at Rugby in Warwickshire, and 

 reached to Warwick ; at Lutterworth in Leicestershire ; at Leicester, and round 

 about. They describe it, that the houses tottered, and seemed to heave up and 

 down, though it lasted but a few seconds. It was attended with a rushing noise, 

 as if the houses were falling ; and people were universally so affrighted as to run 

 out ; imagining that their own, or neighbours' houses, were tumbling on their 

 heads. In the villages around, the people, being at divine service, were much 

 alarmed, both with the noise, which exceeded all the thunder they had ever 

 heard, beyond compare ; and with the great shock accompanying, which was 

 like somewhat that rushed against the church-walls and roof ; some thinking the 



