An Account of the Subsiding, or Sinking down of Part of a Hill Near Clogher in Ireland. Communicated by the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Clogher, F. R. S.

been concerned with her ever since she was brought hither; so that you need not make a doubt of the Truth of it. I shall refer you to the other Narrative, subscribed by two Neighbouring Ministers, Church-Wardens and Overseers, with many others who were present at the finding her; which I judge will soon be published in Print. I am, &c. XXXI. An Account of the Subsiding, or Sinking down of Part of a Hill near Clogher in Ireland. Communicated by the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Clogher, F. R. S. Let S.T. in Tab. VI. Fig. 1. represent part of the Tab. VI. Ridge of an Hill, gradually rising from S to T, for near half a Mile; and S.T.W.U. the North side of the Hill, with a Declivity from S. to U. and from T. to W. The Perpendicular Height at X. to the Plain of the Bottom at Y. 150 Feet, and the Slope Line or Hypotenuse X.Y. 630 Feet. The Declivity pretty uniform from X. to L, and from L. to Y. considerably steeper: The Bank A.E.F.D. overgrown with Shrubby Wood: All the Ground on the side of the Hill being firm, green, and Arable; of a mix'd Soil, Clay and Gravel, but more Clayey. On Tuesday the 10th of March, 1712-13. in the Morning, the People observ'd a Crack in the Ground like a Furrow made with a Plough, going round from A. by B.C. to D. They imputed this to (what they call) a Thunderbolt; because there had been Thunder and Lightning on Monday Night. But on Tuesday Evening an hideous dull Noise raised their Curiosity; and they observ'd that the whole Space A. B. C. D. containing about three Irish (i.e. 4 3/4 English) Acres, had been all Day in a gentle Motion: And the Noise continued all Night, occasion'd by the rubbing of Bushes, tearing of Roots, rending and tumbling of Earth. The Motion ceas'd on Wednesday after Noon; when they saw the Bushes on the Bank E. F. were remov'd, some standing and some overthrown, to the plain Meadow Y. y. The green Ground above E. F. when it came to the top of the steep Part at E. F. rent with hideous Chasms, ten, fifteen, or twenty Feet deep, and tumbled down in Rolls of a Yard or two thick, and ten or twenty long and broad; not unlike a smooth Water breaking over a Cataract, and tumbling in Waves below. There was a Precipice at the Top X. x. 65 Feet Perpendicular, making the Slope Line X. x. 126 Feet. The Ground from x. to L. was made more level, the whole Perpendicular Height of x. not exceeding the Plain of L. above 30 Feet; but the Ground at L. in the whole Line from E. to F. was mounted above 20 Feet higher than the unmoved Ground on either side at E. and F. and the Height of L. above the Plain of y. is 55 Feet. There was a Ditch H. I. went cross the Ground; which being broken off at o. o. is removed together with the moving Part 34 Feet lower down than the immoveable; but at the Bottom y. it is tumbled 60 Feet over the Plain Meadow. The Breadth at the Bottom a. b. is 400 Feet, and at c. d. about 300. The whole Face of the Precipice X. x. is of a blue Clay, mix'd with many little blue Stones. The Mud is very hard when dry; but upon any Rain softens to a kind of Mortar, without the Degree of Toughness and Stiffness that is Natural to Clays. It is very much like that Gravel or Sand (as they call it) which is somewhat of a grey grey Marly Nature, and with which of late they so much improve the Plow'd Land in this Country. About x. there are Chasms or Gapings full of Water, which make a Rill down the Hiatus B. E. A. but in no greater quantity than might have been expected from a Well sunk to a less Depth. Though I was told that there were Holes in the higher Mountains, that received Water under Ground; yet I can find no such Thing, nor any Symptoms of a Current under Ground, either where it enters or rises, in all the Neighbouring Ground for some Miles. It seems to me that there has been no Vacuity under Ground to receive the subsiding Earth; for what the Bank E. L. F. is raised higher, and what is tumbled down to the Plain a. b. may very well compensate the Subsiding at the Precipice X. x. But I forgot to mention, that before the Rupture the Declivity from X. to L. was not altogether uniform, but was Hollower where x. is now, than the adjacent Parts: It might have been, by the description I have from the People, 10 Feet deep in the Middle, and 100 Feet Diameter; and they have a Tradition, that this was made by a Subsiding before the Forty one Wars, (the oldest Epocha the Country Irish know.) It lies in the Lands of Slat-beg, two English Miles S. W. of Clogher, on Mr. Mowtray's Estate. I have enquired diligently of the Neighbours, if they found any Shocks or Indications of an Earthquake, but don't find the least appearance of any. They impute it to the great and constant Rains we have had last Harvest and Winter, which have soak'd and steep'd all the Ground: but cannot guess after what manner they should produce this Effect; for it is impossible any Water should stand on the Ground, or in the Vicinity, it being all on the Declivity of the Hill. XXXII. An