C 5 ] ' 
to go from the bed to the chimney, without being 
thrown down ; and therefore thought it bed: not to 
attempt it. The fpace of time, in which I lay 
awake, I cannot think to be much, if any thing, 
lefs than 2'. This was the conjedture I formed at 
that time ; though, it being but conjecture, I would 
not lay very great flrefs upon it, were it not fupport- 
ed by concurring obfervations. On the fecond abate- 
ment I rofe, and lighting a candle, looked on my 
watch, and found it to be 15' after four. The 
fhock then was not quite over, but the windows 
continued rattling for about a minute longer, as near 
as I can remember; for the fhock went off very 
gradually. As foon as I had looked on the watch, 
I went diredlly to the clock, which was in another ' 
chamber, that I might fee whether that agreed with 
the watch, and found that it was flopt at 4 h 11' 55 ". 
Its flopping, however, was not immediately owing to 
the violence of the fhock, though feveral clocks, 
and watches too, at Boflon, are faid to have been 
flopped by it, but to the following accident : Having 
fome time before ufed a pretty dong glafs tube, in a* 
particular experiment, I had float it up in the clock- 
cafe for fecurity ; and this tube, being overthrown 
by the earthquake, lodged againfl the pendulum, 
and flopt its -motion. By this accident, the begin- 
ning of the earthquake, I conceive, is determined 
with all the exadtnefs, that can be defired ; for, fo 
far as I can learn, the firfl fhake was violent enough 
to .overfet fo tall, flender a body, and'. Handing in a 
pofition fo near a perpendicular, as that tube ; and 
it was impcfhble for the pendulum to make one 
ofcillationj after the tube had ftruck againfl it. But. 
I am 
