Wesley Corpus

Mon. June 1.--I left Newcastle; and came to Durham, just as Jacob Rowell had done preaching, or rather, attempting to preach ; for the mob was so noisy, that he was constrained to break off. I reached Osmotherley in the evening, and found a large congregation waiting. I preached immediately ; God renewing my strength, and comforting my heart. Here I inquired, of eye and ear witnesses, concerning what lately occurred in the neighbourhood. On Thursday, March 25th last, being the week before Easter, many persons observed a great noise near a ridge of mountains in Yorkshire, called Black Hamilton. It was observed chiefly in the south-west side of the mountain, about a mile from the course where the Hamilton races are run; near a ridge of rocks, commonly called Whiston Cliffs, or Whiston White Mare; two miles from Sutton, about five from Thirsk. The same noise was heard on Wednesday, by all who went that way. On Thursday, about seven in the morning, Edward Abbot, weaver, and Adam Bosomworth, bleacher, both of Sutton, riding under Whiston oa 580 REY. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. | June, 1755. Cliffs, heard a roaring, (so they termed it,) like many cannons, or loud and rolling thunder. It seemed to come from the cliffs; looking up to which, they saw a large body of stone, four or five yards broad, split and fly off from the very top of the rocks. They thought it strange, but rode on. Between ten and eleven a larger piece of the rock, about fifteen yards thick, thirty high, and between sixty and seventy broad, was torn off and thrown into the valley. About seven in the evening, one who was riding by observed the grounw to shake exceedingly; and soon after several large stones or rocks, ov some tons weight each, rose out of the ground. Others were thrown on one side, others turned upside down, and many rolled over and over. Being a little surprised, and not very curious, he hasted on his way. On Friday and Saturday the ground continued to shake, and the rocks to roll over one another. The earth also clave asunder in very many places, and continued so to do till Sunday morning.