66(5 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1755. 



motion from west to east ; another from east to west, and a third from west to 

 east again. Some chimnies fell in at Cudrefin ; the bell in the tower at Morat 

 rung 2 strokes. The shock was severer in lofty places than it was in low grounds. 

 The lake of Morat, immediately after the earthquake, sunk 3 inches, and re- 

 mains still in the same depression. The same earthquake was felt the same day, 

 at the same hour, at Basil, Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, and all over Swisserland ; 

 as likewise at Besanqon in France. 

 Of the Earthquake felt at Geneva, Dec. Q, 1755. Bij Mons. Trembley. p. 438. 



The earthquake of Nov. 1, was felt at Lyons. It is said that the waters re- 

 tired for some moments at the end of the lake of Geneva ; and that a motion 

 was observed in those of the lake of Zurich. On the Qth of this month, (Dec.) 

 a little before half an hour after 2 in the afternoon, in very fine and very calm 

 weather, there was felt here in all the houses in general a very great shock of an 

 earthquake; but it did no damage. The motion was particularly i-emarked in 

 looking-glasses and windows. Those who were sitting perceived that their chairs 

 shook; and many thought that they were going to fall. The sick felt the motion 

 in their beds. The bells in the rooms of several houses rang. The bell of the 

 clock in the tower of the isle of Rhone rung several times. The motion was felt 

 even on the ground floor of houses. It was felt at Nion, Morges, Lausanne, 

 Berne, Zurich, and perhaps more strongly than here. Three shocks were in 

 fact felt within the space of about a minute. During the first a noise was heard 

 like that of a cart passing over a pavement. 



Of the Earthquake felt at Boston in New- England, Nov. 18, 1755. Communi- 

 caied by John Hyde, Esq. F. R. S. p. 439. 



Tuesday, Nov, 18, 1755, about half an hour past 4 in the morning, Mr. H. 

 was awaked by the shaking of his bed and the house ; the cause of which he im 

 mediately concluded could be nothing but an earthquake, having experienced one 

 before. The trembling continued about 2 minutes. Near 100 chimnies are 

 levelled with the roofs of the houses : many more, probably not fewer than 1 2 or 

 or 1500 are shattered, and thrown down in part; so that in some places, espe- 

 cially on the low loose ground, made by encroachments on the harbour, the 

 streets are almost covered with the bricks that have fallen. Some chimnies, 

 though not thrown down, are dislocated, or broken several feet from the top, 

 and partly turned round, as on a swivel; some are shoved on one side horizon- 

 tally, jutting over, and just nodding to their fall : the gable ends of several brick 

 buildings, perhaps of 12 or 15, are thrown down, and the roofs of some houses 

 are quite broken in by the fall of the chimnies : some pumps suddenly dried up ; 

 the convulsions of the earth having choaked the springs that supplied them, or 

 altered their course. Many clocks were also stopped by being so violently 

 agitated. 



