[ s6i 3 
water open in the middle, fo as that they could fee 
the poft and rail a good way down, almoft 'o the 
bottom, and the water dafliing up over a bank about 
two feet high, and perpendicular to the pond. This 
it did feveral times, making a great noife. They 
did not feel the leaft motion upon the fliore, nor was 
there any wind, but a dead calm. This happened 
yefterday fortnight, being Saturday the fi;il of No- 
vember. I fuppofe we may hear more accounts ; 
and perhaps the fame thing happened here, though 
unobferved. 
LETTER VIII. 
From Mr, Henry tells to Thomas Birch, D, D, 
Secret. R. S, 
Read Jan. 8, 
1756. 
SIR, Rotherhithe, Dec. 15, 1755. 
A S I am informed, that an account of 
what I obferved in the Thames, 
Nov. I. would not be unacceptable to you, the fadt 
was briefly this. Being in one of my barges, unload- 
ing fome timber, between eleven and twelve a clock, 
both myfelf and fervants were furprifed by a fudden 
heaving up of the barge from a fwell of the water, 
not unlike what happens when a fliip is launched 
from any of the builders yards in the neighbourhood. 
But the ffate of the tide did not then fuit with the 
launching of fliips, and I am fince certain, that no 
fhip was launched at that time. After the barge 
had alternately rofe and funk three or four times with 
a motion gradually decreafing, the water became 
quiet again j and I attended no further to an inci- 
VoL. 45). A a a dent 
