C 7 ] 
greatefl force at the beginning. Thus, ffeveral per- 
ceived no noife diftinCt from that, which was occa- 
floned by the crackling of their houfes, and the dis- 
turbance of the moveables in them ; while others, 
who were waked by the noife, and ran from one room 
to another, have told me, that they felt nothing at 
all of the (hake. For this reafon, the conjectures, 
which perfons in thefe circumflances made, as to the 
duration of the fhock, ought not to be put into 
the balance with the aCtual obfervations made by 
watches. 
The courfe of this earthquake feems to have been 
nearly from N.W. to S.E.. My neighbour before- 
mentioned, who was then abroad, and informed me, 
that the noife began about the N.W. told me at the 
fame time, that it paffed off towards the S. E. and 
that he heard the noife in that quarter gradually 
abating, as it became more diftant, for about the 
fame fpace of time after the fhock was over here, as 
he heard it in the N. W. before the fhock began 
here. Other accounts, which I have iince met with, 
agree with this. Thofe, who were in fuch clear 
open places, could make the beft judgment in this 
matter ; for fuch, as were within doors, or furround- 
ed with buildings, might eafily be milled by the 
various reflections of the found. I am induced t b 
give the greater credit to this information by what 
1 obferved myfelf : for a key, which was thrown 
from off a flhelf in my houfe, was found at a place 
on the floor, which bore very near N.W. of the 
place, from which it fell though the fltuation of it 
before its fall was fuch, that it might have been 
thrown in any direction, except towards the S. E. 
