Profefor Wiríraws on Earthquakes. 289 
je& no further than it has relation to the earthquakes of New 
England, and what may be gathered, as to their caufes, from 
the preceding History and REMARKS. 
From the phenomena and obfervations that have been men- 
tioned, we may fafely infer, that the earthquakes of New-Eng- 
Jand have been produced by foirething which bas moved llis 
under the furface of tbe earth. Whatever may have been the 
cafe in other places, all the earthquakes of this country, fo far 
as we have any accounts of them, have been of the fame kind ; 
confifting, not of a fimple inftantaneous vibration, like that of 
an electrical fhock, but of a gradual heaving, {well, or undula- 
tion of the earth. This has moved along in much the fame 
path, with a motion not very fwift: and it has reached 
enough below the furfaice of the earth, to affe& and difturb the 
fountains, fprings, wells and pits of water. Thefe phenome- 
ona, are effects, which would naturally lead ùs to conclude, that 
the caufes, whatever they may be, had their feat, rife and 
operations under the furface of the earth. And this còn- 
clufion from the phenomena, is ftrongly confirmed from o4e- 
vation.—For the fhocks have come on, rofe to their greateft 
height, and gone off, to all appearance and obfervation, as if 
they had been occafioned by the rolling of fome folid body un- 
der the furface of the earth. In this manner Profeffor Win- 
throp deféribes that which happened November 22, 1755 :— 
œt Í was then," fays he, ** fitting on a brick hearth : and the 
** fenfation excited in me, was exactly the fame as if fome fmall 
_ *“ folid body, by moving along under the hearth, had raifed 
—.** up the bricks fucceflively, which immediately fettled down 
*- again."* The fame obfervation has been frequent made 
N n by 
* Leéture on Earthquakes, p. 12. 
