Profefor WiLL rms on Earthquakes. 298 
There have been other effeéts upon the water, fuch as a fur- 
prifing flux and and reflux of the {ea,—extraordinary agitations 
and commotions of the waters,—an uncommon deftruction of 
fith, &c. ` Thefe effects have not been common, and never but 
at a confiderable diftance from the coat of New-England. 
And they ícem to be plain and evident marks and effects, of 
the difcharge of the fübterraneous vapours, at the bottom of 
the fea. Sucha difcharge, when finall, would be fufficient to 
occafion the de(tru&ion of fach fifh as were near it : and when 
large, would put an end to the earthquake, and produce the moft 
extraordinary agitations and commotions of the fea, by a furious 
eruption of vapours at its bottom ; which would immediately 
force their way through, or carry .up before oes um pete 
body of water that lay over them. : 
“And thus as to the conchifon :—1t cud be naturally ex- 
fed, that as the vapours, by which die earthquakes were 
cnifed; were fome time in growing ripe, fermenting, | orina 
ftaté of previous preparation, they would not be wholly fpent 
or difcharged yf once, but leave fmall remainders at particular 
places. _Thus it has proved in all the great VENT SORS we 
have had. |. "Ehe vapours, by which. they have been produced, 
have not "een wholly fpent at the firft fhock : bat. what je 
remained, and what has gathered after a great explofion, has 
produced various fmall fhocks in feveral places, for fome time. 
after the great ones :—thus wafting and evaporating by little 
and little, as they were collected and prepared at firft ; till, by 
degrees, ‘all has become quiet again. | 
: Such have been the phenomena that have at tended the earth- 
quakes ‘OF New-Engl Jand.—And to me, they appear to be fuch, is E 
as: (viewed either. together Or apart) make 1t highly probable p 
that 
