^. 294 Profefor WirriAMs on Earthquakes. 
confiderably broken and changed ; and the whole fyftem o£ 
fountains and fprings, was greatly affected. Great alterations 
were made in wells, ponds, fountains and currents of water : 
fome were dried up, others opened ; new ones produced, and, ^ 
in many, the kind, quality and quantity of the water was 
greatly changed.—Alterations in all refpeéts: fimilar to what 
might be expected from fubterraneous vapours, fiercely driving 
along under the furface of the earth, with a force fuflicient to 
move and fhake fo large a part of its furface. 
This opinion agrees alfo with the effets which the aima 
have bad on the water. "The earthquakes of New-England have 
been felt not only upon the land, but alfo upon the fea... Seve- 
ral veflels, which have been upon the coafts at the times of the 
larger fhocks, have been very fenfibly affected. To the people 
on board, the fhocks feemed as if the veffel had ftruck upon a 
rock ; or rather, as if fomething had thumped againft their 
bottoms. This, itis probable, was the very cafe ; and is agree- 
able to what might be expected from the Spanien: of fubter- 
‘faneous vapours. 
The earthquakes moved VI a VEN Aem to com- 
municate the fame kind of motion to the water that they did 
to the earth ; and thus caufed a very deep, large and extenfive 
fwell or wave. This wave, arifing from the bottom, rolled 
along with much the fame velocity as the earthquake moved : 
the effect of which, when it came to a vefíel floating upon the 
em would be a very confiderable ftroke or thump againft the 
 bottom,—more or lefs violent, according to the violence of the 
ock, and the depth of the water.—And in this manner have 
sedi upon the coaft, been affe&ted ;—fome fcarce perceiving 
at ; others not at all ; while to others it was pretty violent. 
i There 
i rad 
