[ 9 3 
the 9^ might well be fpent in conveying the motion 
excited in the water, from the place where it was 
excited, to St. Martin’s ; for the waves raifed thereby 
could not move with near the velocity of found. 
It is worthy of remark, that, of the five great 
earthquakes, which this country has felt fince its fet- 
tlement by the Englifh, two have gone nearly in the 
fame track as this lafi: did. The firft, which was on 
June 2 . 1638, ‘ came from the northward, and pafied 
‘ fouthward.’ By the defcription given of it, it was 
very much like our late earthquake, only perhaps 
not quite fo violent. ‘ The noife and fhakes of the 
‘ earthquake, October 29. 1727, feemed,’ it is faid, 
‘ to come from the north -weftward, and to go 
4 off fouth-eafterly ; and fo the houfes feemed to 
c reel.’ As to the great earthquakes of 1658 and 
1662, we have no account of the courfes, which 
they went in. But, from the other three, it may 
be reafonably conjectured, that the fource of our 
earthquakes, or the place in which they originate, 
is in fome part of Canada, or perhaps beyond it. 
The extent of this earthquake feems to have 
been greater than that of any of our former earth- 
quakes. This province of the Maflachufetts-bay, or 
rather the province of New Hampfhire, about the 
latitude of 43 0 north on the fea-coaft, feems to have 
been the center of it, or the place of its greatefl 
violence ; and the fhake to have been lefs confiderable 
each way from hence towards the S. W. and N. E. 
By the accounts we have from the S. W. the fhock 
was lefs at New York than it was with us j and ftill 
lefs at Philadelphia, which is farther towards the 
S.W. By the beft information lean procure, the 
Vol. 50, C limit 
