VOL. LI.] rMILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 44g 



is subterraneous fires. These fires, if a large quantity of water should be let 

 out upon them suddenly, may produce a vapour, whose quantity and elastic force 

 may be fully sufficient for that purpose. The principal facts, from which I 

 would prove, that these fires are the real cause of earthquakes, are as follows. 



Section i. — 1st. The same places are subject to returns of earthquakes, not 

 only at small intervals for some time after any considerable one has happened, but 

 also nt greater intervals of some ages. 



Both these facts sufficiently appear from the accounts we have of earthquakes. 

 The tremblings and shocks of the earth at Jamaica in 1692, at Sicily in 1693, 

 and at Lisbon in 1755, were repeated sometimes at larger and sometimes at smaller 

 intervals, for several months. The same thing has been observed in all other 

 very violent earthquakes. At Lima, from the 28th of October 17 46, to Feb. 

 24, 1747, there had been numbered no less than 451 shocks, many of them little 

 inferior to the first great one which destroyed that city. 



The returns of earthquakes also, in the same places, at larger distances of 

 time, are confirmed by all history. Constantinople, and many parts of Asia 

 Minor, have suffered by them, in many different ages : Sicily has been subjected 

 to them, as far back as the remains even of fabulous history can inform us of: 

 Lisbon did not feel the effects of them for the first time in 1755 : Jamaica has 

 frequently been troubled with them, since the English first settled there ; and 

 the Spaniards, who were there before, used to build their houses of wood, and 

 only one story high, for fear of them : Lima, Callao, and the parts adjacent, 

 were almost totally destroyed by them twice, within the compass of about 60 

 years ; nor were these the only instances of the like kind which happened there; 

 for, from the year 1582 to 1746, they have had no less than 16 very violent 

 earthquakes, besides an infinity of less considerable ones ; and the Spaniards, at 

 their first settling there, were told by the old inhabitants, when they saw them 

 building high houses, that they were building their own sepulchres. 



2dly, Those places that are in the neighbourhood of burning mountains are 

 always subject to frequent earthquakes ; and the eruptions of those mountains, 

 when violent, are generally attended with them. 



Asia Minor and Constantinople may be considered as in the neighbourhood 

 of Santerini. The dountries also about Etna, Vesuvius, mount Haecla, &c. 

 afford us sufficient proofs to the same purpose. But of all the places in the 

 known world, probably no countries are so subject to earthquakes as Peru, 

 Chili, and all the western parts of South America ; nor is there any country in 

 the known world so full of volcanos : for, throughout all that long range of 

 mountains, known by the name of the Andes, from 45 degrees south latitude 

 to several degrees north of the line, as also throughout all Mexico, being about 

 5000 miles in extent, there is a continued chain of them. 



VOL. XI. 3 M 



