[ 136 j 



An attempt towards difcovering the caufe of the great 

 rifing of the fea^ and the uncommon agitation of 

 the lejfer waters at Lifbon^ and other parts far 

 difiant from thence^ immediately after the 

 dreadful earth^uake^ on the firfi of Novemhr 



npHE caufes of earthquakes are, I muft con- 

 fefs, altogether unknown to me -, but whe- 

 ther the late violent far-fpreading ftiock pro- 

 ceeded from the atmofphcre or air above us, or 

 from fubterranean convulfions, makes no dif- 

 ference in regard to my conjedbure, which only 

 refpefts the agitation of the waters. 



If the folid parts of this globe be confidered, 

 as conneded and joined altogether in one mafs, 

 (though fuperficially divided into main-lands 

 and iflands) and the waters as a fluid, which 

 may have a motion independent of the folid 

 earth : then fuppofing the earth ftiould receive 

 fome excefllve violent ftroke, either from with- 

 out 



