An Account of an Earthquake at Scarborough, on Dec. 29. 1737. Communicated in a Letter from Maurice Johnson, Esq; Jun. Secr. of the Gentlemens Society at Spalding, to C. Mortimer, M. D. Secr. R. S.

mihi subortum, jam expiravit. *Subtilissima* enim illæ in *lapidibus*, vel *corporibus* etiam *petrefactis*, delineatæ *arbusculæ* nihil jam videntur esse aliud, quam ipsa *foliorum* hujus vel illius plantæ, *post putrefactionem* illorum adhuc *residua*, *reticula*, quæ, *post reliquorum corruptionem*, figuram suam maßæ isti molliori, quæ in duriorem successu temporis lapidem abiit, impressam, delineatamque reliquerunt ita, ut *ipsa* non raro in *lapideam* substantiam commutata deprehendantur. Apud me saltem hæc, ob summam reticulorum istorum, cum subtilissimis illis arbusculis, affinitatem, dubitatione omni carent: forsan vero & aliis isthæc non omni probabilitate desitui videbuntur. --- XII. An Account of an Earthquake at Scarborough, on Dec. 29. 1737. communicated in a Letter from Maurice Johnson, Esq; jun. Secr. of the Gentlemens Society at Spalding, to C. Mortimer, M.D. Secr. R.S. *SIR,* Spalding, Jan. 7. 1737-8. SINCE I last did myself the Honour of writing to you, nothing, I think, worth communicating to you for the Royal Society, in the philosophical Way, has occurred to us here, until last Thursday, when the following Account of an Earthquake, which has very lately happened at Scarborough, as sent in a Letter from an Eye-witness, to a Gentleman here, was was read, dated thence the 30th of December 1737. in these Words: "The Ends of several Inclosures or Fields behind the Clift, on the Back of the Spaw, sunk down very low into the Ground, making a large Valley of a vast Length, and considerable Breadth, with Five Cows then grazing on it (which they got out this Morning), the Weight of which shook and opened the Hill behind the House, after a frightful Manner, and forced up the Sands an hun- dred Yards in Length on each Side the Space, and Twenty-seven broad, to the Height of Six Yards, and in some Places Ten Yards high. The Pier, intire as it was, moved sideways out of its Place, and rose up about Five Yards in the Air; the House fell down, and at the same time took Fire. The Flag-house, and wooden Rails, which were about the Mouth of the Well, were forced up in the Air above Ten Yards high, so that it is thought the Spaw-water is intirely lost for ever *. The Tide was out when this happened, and I was walking on the Spaw till after 12 o’Clock, when I saw the Sands beginning to rise about half a Foot: There were but few People there then, but in less than Two Hours the Sands were covered with Men, Women and Children, to see the Sands and Pier rise gradually; which they began to do about 12 o’Clock Yesterday Noon, and were at the Height I mention before it was dark, and continues so now. * N.B. The Spaw was soon after recovered as good as before. "Nobody came by any Hurt, the People of the House getting away in Time; but all Dickey's* Household-goods are lost, with a Cellar well stocked with Wine and Ale." Now, Sir, though this Representation be not altogether so accurate, in every Part of the Relation, as we could have wished; yet coming from an Eye-witness, and who happened to observe it from the first Motion, and is esteemed a Person of Fidelity, we thought it might not be unacceptable to the Royal Society, and to you, Sir, and which, if the most learned and worthy President judge proper, you may be pleased to communicate to that Learned and Illustrious Body, with our most humble Services. I am, Your most obedient, and obliged humble Servant, Maur. Johnson, jun. XIII. An Examination of Sea-water frozen and melted again, to try what Quantity of Salt is contained in such Ice, made in Hudson's Streights by Capt. Christopher Middleton, F. R. S. at the Request of C. Mortimer, R. S. Secr. Dr. Hales, in his learned Paper lately read at the Royal Society, wherein he proposes a Method of rendering Sea-water fresh, and wholesome * Richard Dickinson.