288 Profefor Witrrams on Earthquakes. 
In fome places, they are faid to have been followed with great 
mortality, peftilential diforders, and the moft raging ficknefs. 
Nor is it improbable, that the air fhou]d be infected with noxi- 
ous cMuvia, from the vapours that were before confined, and 
perhaps corrupted. It feems credible, that fomething of this 
nature has been the cafe, and, probably, the confequence of earth- 
quakes, in fome places. Many of thefe reports, indeed, feem to 
‘be much like what has been faid of the effe&s of comets, mete- 
ors, and the conjunctions of the planets.—But at the fame time 
it feems probable, both from ancient and modern accounts, that 
in fome places, peftilential diforders have, in fact, and probably 
as the confequence, fucceeded great earthquakes. Nothing of 
this nature has been the cafe in New-England. It is, however, 
highly probable, from the Rev. Mr. Lowe's obfervation,* that 
fome very noxious vapour, or effluvia, attended the eruption of 
the earthquake of 1727 : ‘but no bad effects, no peftilential 
diftempers, no fweeping ficknefs, or uncommon diforder or 
mortality, has been obferved to fucceéd any of the earthquakes 
of this country ; no otherwife, at leaft, than what has begn 
common at other times. 
CONJECTURES on the CAUSES of thee EARTH- 
QUAKES. | 
IN this enquiry into the Caufes of Earthquakes, itis not 
Eu mus to enter into a particular difcuffion of the feveral 
hypothefes philofophers have affigned, as accounting for the 
du&ion of fuch phenomena.—I mean to confider the fab- 
je 
Æ Vide p. 268 ev 
