C 136 J 



An attempt towards difcovering the caufe of the gf-eat 

 rifmg of the fea, and the uncommon agitation of 

 the lejfer waters at Lifbon^ and other parts far 

 diflant from thence^ immediately after the 

 dreadful earthquake^ on the firfi of November 

 17 55- 



^T^HE caufes of earthquakes are, I muft con- 

 fefs, altogether unknown to me ; but whe- 

 ther the late violent far-fpreading fhock pro- 

 ceeded from the atmofphere or air above us, or 

 from fubterranean convulfions, makes no dif- 

 ference m regard to my conjecture, which only 

 refpeéls the agitation of the waters. 



If the folid parts of this globe be confidered, 

 as connected and joined altogether in one mafs, 

 (though fuperficially divided into main-lands 

 and illands) and the waters as a fluid, which 

 may have a motion independent of the folid 

 earth : then fuppoflng the earth fliould receive 

 ^fome excefTive violent ftroke, either from with- 

 out 



