Profefor Nivvixws en Eurthguakes. "299 
order or.regularity. In-other places, the various kinds of Jolids 
appear to be difpofed with the utmoft apparent regularity, in 
the form of different and diftin& firata of clay, coals, falts, 
fulphur, minerals, &c. It is thus alfo with the fiuids ;—in 
many places, they are regularly collected into quantities, or foun- 
‘tains, within the bowels of the earth ; in others, they are con- 
ftantly and regularly moving in perpetual ftrezms and currents : 
fome of which are charged with fulphureous particles ; others 
with thofe of iron ; and others, with various other tin@tures and 
mixtures. 
And from this Struéfure of the earth, the motion of a fab- 
terraneous vapour would receive its direction. Forvapours, gc 
nerated and increafing in the bowels-of the earth, if they found 
no vent upwards, muft naturally take their courfe and rath fierce- 
dy along under the furface of the earth, according as they found 
fubterraneous paflages or frata, ‘of proper materials to conduct 
them.—And it feems as if fomething of this nature muft be the 
cafe inthis part ef America. That there fhould bea particu- 
lar part of the country, as to width, to which the earthquakes 
of New-England have repeatedly reached ; that they {hould all 
be of the fame kind,—come from the fame point,—and pro- 
ceed in the fame-path ;—thefe phenomena cannot be fuppofed 
to be the effe& ef what is called-chance er accident. It is evi- 
dent there muft have been fomething which ferved as conductors. 
If fubterraneous paffages, of fuch extent as thefe earthquakes, 
íhould be admitted, it would be -difficult to account for the 
width of the earthquakes, on that hypothefis. The more pro- 
bable fuppofition feems to be, that there are fome particular - 
Jfirata, which have {erved as fuel.or conductors to the vapour. : 
And that this was the cafe, feems further probable from the 
O o 2 fulphureous 
