[ 137 ] 



out its circumference, or from within its bowels, 

 which might, in any manner, flun, flop, retard, 

 or check its diurnal motion on its axis, (as I think 

 might probably happen from fo violent a fhock 

 as that of the late earthquake) in fuch a cafe, 

 the earth's being flopped in its diurnal rotation, 

 or only checked or retarded for a few minutes, 

 or even féconds, muft neceflarily occafion a great 

 agitation in the feas and other waters : for as the 

 earth turns from weft to eaft, and the waters are 

 moved equally, and in the famie direction with 

 the folid parts, if the folid parts are fuddenly 

 flopped or retarded by any unnatural violence, 

 fuch ftop cannot be immediately communicated 

 to the watery parts of the globe, but they will 

 move ftill onwards in their firft diredion, and 

 continue their motion eaftward, according to the 

 diurnal rotation of the earth, till meeting with 

 lands to oppofe their motion, they rife upon the 

 fliores to fuch a height, and increafe by degrees 

 fo much in weight, that the foremoft waves, be- 

 coming an over ballance for the waters behind 

 (which muft be lower than they) vibrate back- 

 wards and forwards, until the caufe of fuch an 

 unnatural motion ceafes. 



This 



