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then again retired, at fir ft gently ebbing, at laft fink- 
ing away with fuch quicknefs, that it left a confider- 
able quantity of water entangled amongft the peb- 
bles, laid to defend the bank, which run thence in 
little ftreams over the fliore, now deferted by the 
water, which at other times always covers it. As 
the flope of the fides of the moat is very gentle, the 
fpace left by the water at its reflux was confiderable, 
thouo;h the difference between the hieheft flood and 
loweft ebb of thefe little tides, if I may be allowed 
the expreffion, was but about four inches and an half 
perpendicular height ; the whole body of water feem- 
ing to be violently thrown againft the bank, and then 
retiring again, while the furface of the whole moat 
all the time continued quite fmooth, without even 
the leaft wrinkle of a wave. The time it took up 
in one flux and reflux, as I did not then obferve it, 
I cannot pretend to guefs at. There happened to lie 
at the bottom of the water, about four feet deep, as 
I believe, feveral pieces of white paper j and I could 
perceive them move backward and forwards, keeping 
pace with fome weeds, and other things, which 
floated on the top of the water backward and for- 
ward, as it ebb’d and flow’d.. Being defirous to 
know, whether the motion was univerfal over the 
the moat, I fent a perfon to the other corner of it, 
at the fame end that I flood, and about 25 yards 
from me, to examine whether the water moved there 
or not. He could perceive no motion there, or hardly 
any ; but another, who went to the north-eaft corner 
of the moat, diagonally oppofite to me, found it as 
confiderable as where I was. As I imagined, that, 
in all probability, the water at the corner diagonally 
VoL. 45>. B b b oppofite 
