«» 



650 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1753. 



7. In the River Thames, near Rotherhiihe. By Mr. Henry Mills, p. 36 1. 



Being in one of his barges, unloading some timber, between 11 and 12 

 o'clock, he was surprised by a sudden heaving up of the barge from a swell of 

 the water, not unlike what happens when a ship is launched from any of the 

 builders' yards in the neighbourhood. After the barge had alternately risen and 

 sunk 3 or 4 times, with a motion gradually decreasing, the water became quiet 

 again. 



8. In Peerless Pool, near Old-street, London. By Tho. Birch, D. D. Secret. 



R. S. p. 362. 



On the reports, received from several gentlemen, that the agitation of the 

 waters observed in many parts of England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, &c. on 

 Saturday Nov. 1, 1755, had been likewise noticed in Peerless Pool, near Old- 

 street road, being curious to have as authentic and circumstantial an account as 

 possible of a fact, which he had not heard to have been remarked in any other 

 part of London, or its suburbs, Dr. B. went thither on Saturday Dec. 6, 1755, 

 and took down the following particulars relating to it, from the mouth of one of 

 the two waiters there, who were eye-witnesses of it. He being engaged between 

 the hours of 10 and 11 in the morning, with his fellow-waiter, in some business 

 near the wall inclosing the ground, which contains the fish-pond, and acci- 

 dentally casting his eye on the water, was surprised to see it greatly moved with- 

 out the least apparent cause, as the air was quite calm. This occasioned him to 

 call to his companion to take notice of it, who at first neglected it, till being 

 urged to attend to so extraordinary an appearance, he was equally struck with 

 the sight of it. Large waves rolled slowly to and from the bank near them, at 

 the east end, for some time, and at last left the bed of the pond dry for several 

 feet, and in their reflux overflowed the bank 10 or 12 feet, as they did the oppo- 

 site one, which was evident from the wetness of the ground about it. This mo- 

 tion having continued 3 or 6 minutes, the two waiters stepped to the cold bath 

 near the fish pond, to see what passed there; but no motion was observed in it 

 by them, or by a gentleman who had been in it, and was then dressing himself, 

 and who, on being told of the agitation in the fish pond, went directly thither, 

 with the waiters, and was a third witness of it. On the ceasing of it, they all 3 

 went to the pleasure bath, between which and the fish pond the cold bath is situ- 

 ated; but they found the said pleasure bath then motionless, but to have been 

 agitated in the same manner with the fish pond, the water having left plain marks 

 of its having overflowed the banks, and risen to the bushes on their sides. The 

 motion in the fish pond had been also observed by some persons in a house be- 

 longing to Mr. Kemp, the master of Peerless Pool, situated at a small distance 

 from that pond, and commanding a full view of it. 



