[ 5°5 ] 
attended with a noife, owing to a current of air and 
vapour proceeding upwards from the earth. 
I do not hear of any perfon in thofe parts, who 
was fo fortunate as to be near any pool or lake, and 
had recollection enough to attend to the motion of 
the waters j but it may be taken for granted, that 
during the tremors of the earth the fluids muft be 
more affeCted than the folids : nay, the waters will 
apparently be agitated, when there is no motion of 
the earth perceptible, as was the cafe of our ponds 
and lake- waters in mofl: parts of Britain on the ifl: 
of November i/ff. Whence this happens is diffi- 
cult to fay : whether the earth’s bofom undergoes at 
fuch times a kind of refpiration, and alternately emits 
and withdraws a vapour thro’ its mofl; porous parts 
fufficient to agitate the waters, yet not fufficient to 
fhake the earth ; or whether the earth, during the 
agitation of the waters, does rock and vacillate, tho’ 
not fo as to be fenflble to man ; is what I ffiall leave 
to future inquiry. 
Earthquakes are very rare in Cornwall. This was 
but of ffiort duration, and did no harm, any- where, 
as far as I can learn ; and it is to be hoped not the 
fooner forgotten for that reafon ; but rather remem- 
bered with all the impreffions of gratitude fuitable to 
an incident fo alarming and dangerous, and yet fo 
inoffenflve. 
VOL. 50. 
Ttt 
LXV, 
