An Account of the Extraordinary Agitation of the Waters in Several Ponds in Hertfordshire: In a Letter from the Rev. Thomas Rutherforth, D. D. F. R. S. to the Rev. Samuel Squire, D. D. F. R. S.

CVII. An Account of the extraordinary Agitation of the Waters in several Ponds in Hertfordshire: In a Letter from the Rev. Thomas Rutherforth, D.D. F.R.S. to the Rev. Samuel Squire, D.D. F.R.S. Dear Sir, I have lately had an opportunity of making some enquiries about an unusual motion of the water in a pond at Patmerhall, which is a farm in the parish of Albury, and county of Hertford. Mr. Thomas Mott, who is the occupier of the farm, tells me, that there are two ponds in his yard, which are parted from one another only by a causey, which is just wide enough to allow of a convenient passage for a waggon and driver: the causey runs from north to south; so that one of the ponds is to the west, and the other is to the east of it. At the western end of the former, which is the head of it, are two drains, one higher than the other, to carry off the waste water; and on each side, at the other end, close to the causeway, is a mouth, or opening, where his cattle go to drink. The pond itself is about eight roods over, and twelve roods long: The other pond is of the same size; except, that there is a dove-house in the middle of it, which stands upon a small island. On the first day of November last, between ten and eleven o'clock in the forenoon, his servants, who were then close to these ponds, heard a rumbling noise, like the wind; wind; and took notice, that three ducks, which were then in the western pond, immediately flew out of it into the other, as if they were affrighted. At the same instant the water in the western pond arose at the head of it, so as to run out of the lower drain, which was ten or twelve inches above the level. He did not see this swell of the water himself; but his servants, who saw it, called him immediately; and he found, that the water was then in motion; and that it had run out of the drain. It continued to move backwards and forwards for some time; but he observed, that it did not swell any more at the head, but only arose and fell by turns at the two mouths; so that the motion was then from north to south. When it arose at either of the mouths, it flowed about six feet beyond what was then the water-mark. The other pond, during the whole time, was as calm and still, as he ever saw it; nor had his servants observed any motion in it, unless what was occasioned by the alighting of the ducks. Mr. Mott tells me farther, that Wickham-hall, which is another farm, about two miles and a half from him, in the parish of Bishop-Stortford, in the same county, a pond was moved at the same time in the same manner; and that the first motion of it was from east to west. This account he had from a person, who saw it. He adds, that a like motion was observed in a pond at Thaxted, in the county of Essex: but of this he knows no particulars. At Royston, in the county of Hertford, Mr. Newbell, an officer of the excise, observed an unusual motion in the pond, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, noon, November 1, last past. The pond is a large one, and almost round. The bank of it, towards the north, is faced with a brick-wall; and the bottom of it arises from thence, in a slope, towards the south. The water arose from north to south, so as to go five feet and a half beyond the water-mark. In his return it arose against the brick wall, the top of which was about one foot above the level of the water, so as to run over it. The water afterwards moved from north to south, and back again, five times before it stopped. I am, Barley, June 15, 1756. Dear Sir, Very faithfully yours, T. Rutherforth. CVIII. Some Considerations on a draught of two large pieces of Lead, with Roman Inscriptions upon them, found several years since in Yorkshire. By John Ward, LL.D. Rhet. Prof. Gresh. and V. P. R. S. Read July 1, 1756. Some time since a draught of two large pieces of lead, similar to each other, was communicated to this Society by a worthy member, Henry Stuart Stevens, Esquire (1). The account then given of them, which accom- (1) January 31, 1754.