MY former Conjecture, That the unequal height of the sur­faces of the water proceeded from the greater pressure made upon the water by the Air without the Pipes A. B. C. than by that within them; I shall endeavour to confirm from the Truth of the two following Propositions.

The first of which is, That an une­qual pressure of the incumbent Air, will cause an unequal height in the waters Surfaces.

And the Second is, That in this Ex­periment there is such an unequal pres­sure.

Now that the First is true, the fol­lowing Experiment will evince: For if [Page 7] you take any Vessel so contrived, as that you can at pleasure either increase or diminish the pressure of the Air upon this or that part of the Superficies of the water, the equality of the height of those parts will presently be lost. And that part of the Superficies that sustains the greater pressure, will be inferiour to that which undergoes the less: A fit Vessel for this purpose, will be an invert­ed Glass Syphon, such an one as is descri­bed in the Sixth Figure. For if into it you put a quantity of Water, suppose enough to fill it as high as the Line A. B. and applying your mouth to one end, as to D. you shall find, that by gently blowing in at it, you shall depress the Superficies B. and thereby raise the op­posite Superficies A. to a considerable distance; and by gently sucking, you may perceive the clean contrary effects produced.

Next, That there is such an unequal pressure, I shall prove from this, that there is a much greater inconformity or incongruity (call it what you please) of Air to Glass, and some other Bodies, than there is of Water to the same.

What I mean hereby, I shall in short [Page 8] explain, by defining conformity or con­gruity to be a property of a fluid Body, whereby any part of it is readily united or intermingled with any other part, ei­ther of it self, or of any other Homoge­neal or Similar, fluid, or firm and solid bo­dy: And unconformity or incongruity to be a property of a fluid, by which it is kept off and hindred from uniting or mingling with any heterogeneous or dis­similar, fluid or solid Body.

This last property, any one that hath been observingly conversant about fluid Bodies, cannot be ignorant of: For (not now to mention several Chimical Spirits and Oyles which will very hardly, if at all, be brought to mix with one another, insomuch that there may be found some 8 or 9, or more, several distinct Liquors, which swimming one upon another, will not be brought to mix) we need seek no further for Examples of this kind, than to observe the drops of rain falling through the air; and the Bubbles of air which are by any means conveyed under the surface of the Water; or a drop of common Sallet Oyl swimming upon water: In all which, and many more Examples that might be enumerated, of [Page 9] this sort, the incongruity of two fluids is easily discernable. And as for examples of Congruity or Incongruity of Liquids one with another, or with several kinds of firm, or solid Bodies, they have long since been taken notice of, and called by the Names of Drieness and Moy­sture, (though these two Names are not comprehensive enough, they being com­monly used to signifie only the adhering or not adhering of water to some other solid Bodies) of this kind we may observe that water will more readily wet some woods than others; and that water let fall upon a Feather, the whiter side of a Colwort, and some other leaves, or upon almost any unctuous or resinous su­perficies, &c. will not at all adhere to them, but easily tumble off from them, like a solid Bowl; whereas if dropt up­on Linnen, Paper, Clay, green Wood, &c. it will not be taken off, without leaving some part of it behind adhering to them: So Quicksilver, which will very hardly be brought to stick to any vegetable body, will readily adhere to, and mingle with several clean metalline bodies.

Now from what cause this congruity [Page 10] or Incongruity of bodies one to another, does proceed, whether from the Figure of their constituent Particles, or inter­spersed pores, or from the differing mo­tions of the parts of the one and the o­ther, as whether circular, undulating, progressive, &c. whether I say from one, or more, or none of these enumerated causes, I shall not here determine; It being an enquiry more proper to be fol­lowed and explained among the general Principles of Philosophy, whither at present I shall refer it; as fearing lest it might here seem absurd, without the concatenation of several other Principles to explicate it; and knowing it like­wise sufficient for this enquiry to shew, that there is such a property, from what cause soever it proceeds.

These Properties therefore (alwaies the concomitants of fluid bodies) pro­duce these following visible Effects:

First, They unite the parts of a fluid to its homogeneal Solid, or keep them separate from its heterogeneal: Hence Quicksilver will (as we noted before) stick to Gold, Silver, Tin, Lead, &c. and unite with them: but roule off from wood, stone, glass, if never so little scituated [Page 11] out of its horizontale Paralelisme; and water that will wet salt and dissolve it, will slip off from Tallow, or the like, without at all adhering; as it may like­wise be observed to do, upon a dusty superficies. And next they cause the parts of homogeneal fluid bodies readily to adhere together and mix, and of he­terogeneal, to be exceeding averse there­unto. Hence we find, that two small drops of water, on any superficies they can roule on, will, if they chance to touch each other, readily unite and mix in one 3d. Globule or drop: the like may be observed with two small Bowls of Quicksilver upon a Table or Glass, provided the surfaces of those Globule be not dusty; and with two drops of Oyl upon fair water, &c. And further, water put unto wine, salt water, Vine­gar, spirit of wine, or the like, does im­mediatly (especially if they be shaken to­gether) disperse it self all over them: hence on the contrary also we find, that water powred upon Quicksilver, and Oyl up­on that water, and Air upon that Oyl, though they be stopt closely up into a Bottle, and shaken never so much, they will by no means long suffer any of their [Page 12] bigger parts to be united or included within any of the other Liquors (by which recited Liquors, may be plainly enough represented the 4 Peripaterical Elements.) From this property 'tis that a drop of water does not mingle with, or vanish into Air, but is driven (by that flu­id equality protruding it on every side) and forc't into as little a space as it can possibly be contained in, namely, into a Round Globule. So likewise a little air blown under the water, is united or thrust into a Bubble, by the ambient water. And a parcel of Quicksilver en­closed with Air, water, or almost any other liquor, is formed into a round Ball.

Now the cause why all these included fluids newly mentioned, or as many o­thers as are wholly included within a heterogeneous fluid, are not exactly of a spherical Figure (seeing that if caused by these Principles only, it could be of no other) must proceed from some other kind of pressure against the two opposite flatted sides. This adventitious or acci­dental pressure may proceed from di­vers causes, and accordingly must diver­sifie the Figure of the included hetero­geneous [Page 13] fluid: For seeing that a body may be included either with a fluid on­ly, or only with a solid, or partly with a fluid and partly with a solid, or part­ly with one fluid, and partly with ano­ther, there will be found a very great variety of the terminating surfaces, much differing from a Spherical, according to the various resistance or pressure that be­longs to each of these encompassing me­diums.

Which Properties may in general be deduced from two heads, viz. Motion, and Rest. For either this Globular Fi­gure is altered by a natural Motion, such as is Gravity, or a violent, such as i [...] any accidental motion of the fluids, as we see in the wind rufling up the water, and the purlings of Streams, and foam­ing of Cartaracts, and the like, which because they are so obvious and ea­sily understood, and so little pertinent to our present enquiry, I shall refer to some other intended Speculations, to which they do more properly belong. Or thirdly, By the Firmness and Stabili­ty of the ambient Solid. For if the inclu­ding Solid be of an angular or any other irregular Form, the included fluid will [Page 14] be near of the like, as a Pint Pot full of water, or a Bladder full of Air. And next, if the including or included fluid have a greater gravity one than another, then will the globular Form be deprest into an Eliptico-spherical: As if for example, we suppose the Circle A. B. C. D. in the first Figure, to represent a drop of water, Quick-silver or the like, included with the Air, or the like, which supposing there were no gravity at all in either of the fluids, or that the contain­ed and containing were of the same weight, would be equally deprest into an exactly-spherical body (the ambient pressing equally against every side of it▪) But supposing either a greater gravity in the included, by reason whereof the parts of it being prest from A. towards B. and thereby the whole put into moti­on, and that motion being hindred by the resistance of the subjacent parts of the ambient, the globular Figure, A. D. B. C. will be deprest into the Eliptico-spherical, E. G. F. H. For the side A. is detruded to E. by the Gravity, and B. to F. by the resistance of the subjacent medium: and therefore C. must necessa­rily be thrust to G. and D. to H. Or else [Page 15] supposing a greater gravity in the ambi­ent, by whose more than ordinary pres­sure against the under side of the inclu­ded globul, B. will be forced to F. & by its resistance of the motion upwards, the side A. will be deprest to E. and therefore C. being thrust to G. & D. to H. the globu­lar Figure by this means also will be made an Eliptico-spherical. Next if a fluid be included partly with one, and partly with another fluid, it will be found to be shaped diversly, according to the proportion of the gravity and incongrui­ty of the 3 fluids one to another, as in the second Figure, let the upper M M M be Air, the middle L. M. N. O be com­mon Oyle, the lower O. O. O. be water, the Oyl will be form'd not into a spherical Figure, such as is represented by the pricked Line, but into such a Fi­gure as L. M. N. O. whose side L. M. N. will be of a flatter Eliptical Figure, by reason of the great dispro­portion between the Gravity of Oyle and Air, and the side L. O. M. of a rounder, because of the smaller diffe­rence between the weight of Oyle and water. Lastly, The globular Figure will be changed, if the ambient be [Page 16] partly fluid and partly solid. And here the termination of the incompassed fluid towards the incompassing is shap'd ac­cording to the proportion of the congru­ity or incongruity of the fluids to the so­lids, and of the gravity and incongruity of the fluids one to another. As suppose the subjacent medium that hinders an in­cluded fluid's descent, be a solid, as let K. L. in the first Figure represent the smooth superficies of a Table, E. G. F. H. a parcel of running Mercury, the side G. F. H. will be more flatted, ac­cording to the proportion of the incon­gruity of the Mercury and Air to the Wood, and of the gravity of Mercury and Air one to another; The side G. E. H. will likewise be a little more de­prest by reason the subjacent parts are now at rest which were before in moti­on [I have not here time, nor is it much to my present purpose, to shew how much the Figure of the descending fluid may be altered from this Eliptico spheri­cal Figure, by a very small resistance of the subjacent medium, for the advan­tage the under parts of the descendent may have as to the acceleration of their motions of descent, may be able to [Page 17] draw them out into the Form of the Figure X.] Or further in the 3d. Fi­gure, let A. I. L. D. represent an including solid medium of a cylindrical shape (as suppose a small Glass Jar) Let F. G. E. M. represent a contain'd fluid, as water; this towards the bot­tom and sides, is figured according to the concavity of the Glass: But its up­per Surface, which by reason of its gra­vity, (not considering at all the Air above it, and so neither the congruity or incon­gruity of either of them to the Glass) should be terminated by part of a Sphear whose diameter should be the same with that of the earth, which to our sense would appear a straight Line, as F. G▪ E. Or which by reason of its having a grea­ter congruity to Glasse than Air has, (not considering its Gravity) would be thrust into a concave Sphear, as C. H. B. whose diameter would be the same with that of the concavity of the Vessel. But by reason of its having a greater gravity than the Air, and having likewise a grea­ter congruity to Glass, than the Air has; from hence I say it is terminated, by a concave Eliptico-spherical Figure, as C. K. B. For by its congruity it ea­sily [Page 18] conforms it self, and adheres to the Glass, and constitutes as 'twere one containing body with it, and therefore should thrust the contained Air on that side it touches it, into a spherical Figure, as B. H. C. but the motion of Gravi­ty depressing a little the Corners B. and C. reduces it into the aforesaid Figure, C. K. B. Now that 'tis the greater congruity of one of the two contiguous fluids, than of the other, to the contain­ing solid, that causes the separating sur­faces of the two liquids to be thus or thus figured: And that 'tis not because this or that figurated surface is more proper, natural or peculiar to one of these fluid bodies, than to the other, will appear from this, that the same flu­ids will by being put into differing so­lids, change their surfaces for the same water, which in a Glass or wooden Ves­sel will have a concave surface upwards, and will rise higher in a smaller than greater Pipe, the same water, I say, in the same Pipes greas'd over or oyled, will produce quite contrary effects, for it will have a protuberant and convex surface upwards, and will not rise so high in small, as in bigger Pipes: Nay, [Page 19] in the very same solid Vessel, you may make the very same two contiguous Li­quids to alter their Surfaces; for taking a small Wine-Glass, or such like Vessel, and pouring water gently into it, you shall perceive the surface of the water all the way concave, till it rise even with the top, when you shall find it (if you gently and carefully poure in more) to grow very protuberant and convex; the reason of which is plain, for that the solid sides of the containing body are no longer extended, to which the water does more readily adhere, than the air; but it is henceforth to be included with air, which would reduce it into a he­misphere, but by reason of its gravity, it is flatted into an Oval. Quicksilver also which to Glass is more incongruous than Air (and thereby being put into a Glass-Pipe, will not adhere to it, but by the more congruous air will be forced to have a very protuberant surface, and to rise higher in a greater than a les­ser Pipe) this Quicksilver to clean Me­tal, especially to Gold, Silver, Tin, Lead, &c. Iron excepted, is more congruous than Air, and will not only stick to it, but have a concave Surface like water, [Page 20] and rise higher in a less, than in a grea­ter Pipe.

In all these Examples, 'tis evident, that there is an extaordinary and adven­titious force by which the globular Figure of the contain'd heterogeneous fluid is altered, neither can it be imagi­ned, how it should otherwise be of any other Figure than Globular: For being by the heterogeneous fluid equally pro­truded every way, whatsoever part is protuberant, will be thereby deprest. From this cause it is that in its effects it does very much resemble a round Spring (such as a Hoop) I shall not here speak of the nature of Springs in general, as being more proper for another Dis­course, but only take notice, that as in a round Spring there is required an ad­ditional pressure against two opposite sides, to reduce it into an Oval Form, or to force it in between the sides of a Hole whose Diameter is less than that of the Spring, there must be a conside­rable force or protrusion against the con­cave or inner side of the Spring, [...]o to alter this spherical constitution of an in­cluded fluid body, there is required more pressure against opposite sides to [Page 21] reduce it into an Oval, and to press it into an Hole less in Diameter than it self, it requires a greater protrusion a­gainst all the other sides. What degrees of force are requisite to reduce them in­to longer and longer Ovals, or to press them into less and less holes, I have not yet experimentally calculated; but thus much by experiment I find in general, that there is alwaies required a greater pressure to close them into longer Ovals, or protrude them into smaller holes: the necessity and reason of this, were it re­quisite, I could easily explain: but be­ing not so necessary, and requiring more room and time than I have for it at pre­sent, I shall here omit it; and proceed to shew, that this may be presently found true, if Experiment be made with a Round Spring (the way of which trials can scarce be mist by any one, at all conversant in Experiments▪) And with the fluid bodies of Mercury, Air, &c. the way of trying, which will be somwhat more difficult; and therefore I shall in brief describe it. He therefore that would try with Air, must first be provided of a Glass-Pipe, made of the shape of that in the fifth Figure, where­of [Page 22] of the side A. B. represents a straight Tube of about 3 foot long (C. D.) re­presents an other part of it, which con­sists of C. E. F. G. D. &c. several round Bubles so ordered, that there is left a passage out of each of them, into its next, of which passages, that be­tween C. and E. is to be the biggest; (as for example, ⅙ of an Inch in Diame­ter) that between E. and F. is to be less, (viz. ⅛ of an Inch) that between F. and G. (1/12 of an Inch) that be­tween G. and D. (1/16) that above D (1/24 or half a Line) there may be ad­ded as many more as the experimenter shall think fit, with passages or interja­cent holes continually decreasing by known quantities so far as his senses are able to help him; I say so far, because there may be made Pipes so small that it will be impossible to perceive the per­foration with ones naked eye, though by the help of a Microscope, it may ea­sily enough be perceived: Nay, I have made a Pipe perforated from end to end, so small, that with your naked eye you would very hardly have seen the body of it, insomuch that I have been able to knit it up into a knot without breaking, but this by the by.

[Page 23] To proceed then, for the trial of the Experiment, the Experimenter must place the Tube (A. B.) perpendicular, and fill the Bubble E. with the passage beneath it, full of water, but leave the bubble C. full of Air, and then gently pouring in water into the Pipe A. B. he must observe diligently how high the water will rise in it before it protrude the Bubble of Air, (C.) through the narrow passage into E. and denote ex­actly the height of the Cylinder of wa­ter, then filling the bubble F. with water and E. with air, he may proceed as for­merly, denoting likewise the height of the Cylinder of water, able to protrude the Bubble E. through the passage E. F. the like may be do with the next passage, and the next, &c. as far as he is able, then comparing the several heights of the Cylinders, with the several holes through which each Cylinder did force the air (having due regard to the Cylin­ders of water in the Tube C. D) it will be very easie to determine, what force is requisite to press the Air into such and such a hole, or (to apply it to our present experiment) how much of the pressure of the Air is taken off by its ingress into [Page 24] smaller and smaller holes. Now because to prepare this Instrument, is somthing difficult (by reason of the holes which will be found very troublesom to be measured) it will be better to prepare small Glass-Pipes, such as F. G. H. I. K. L. of the several Bores desired, each of them about an Inch long, and having a Pipe, (such as is described in the 5th. Figure) with only one Bubble, as (C) with the passage (C. E) and pro­ceeding as before, to force the Air first through that; then to fasten into it with Cement the next smaller Pipe, and try with it as with the other; then a less, and so to the least, denoting, compa­ring, and collecting as before. From these, and other such trials, it will be found very evident, that to force the air or other fluid into a smaller hole, of an incongruous Solid, there is required a greater force, than there is requisite for the protrusion of it into a bigger. Come we therefore to the explanation of the Phaenomena, in the experiment of the ri­sing of water in a smaller Pipe; And from the application of what has been said to the entring of the Air into the bigger hole of the Vessel and▪ into the smaller [Page 25] hole of the Pipe, we shall clearly find, that there is a greater pressure of the air upon the water in the Vessel or greater Pipe, than there is upon that in the Lesser Pipe: For since the pressure of the air every way is found to be as much as is able to press up and sustain a Cylin­der of Quicksilver of two foot and a half high, or thereabouts; And since of this pressure so many more degrees are requi­red to force the Air into a smaller than into a greater hole, that is full of a more congruous fluid. And lastly, since those degrees that are requisite to press it in, are thereby taken off from the Air with­in, and the Air within left with so ma­ny degrees of pressure less than the Air without; it will follow, that the Air in the less Tube or Pipe, will have less pressure against the superficies of the wa­ter therein, than the Air in the bigger: which was the minor Proposition to be proved.

The Conclusion therefore will neces­sarily follow, viz.

That this unequal pressure of the Air caused by its protrusion into unequal holes, is a cause sufficient to produce this effect, without the help of any other [Page 26] concurrent, and therefore is the princi­pal, (if not the only) cause of this Phae­nomenon.

This therefore being thus explained, there will be divers Phaenomena expli­cable thereby, as, the Rising of Liquors in a Filtre, the rising of Spirit of Wine, Oyl, Melted Tallow, &c. in the Weake of a Lamp, (though made of small Wire, Threeds of Asbestus, Strings of Glass, or the like) the Rising of Liquors in a Spunge, piece of Bread, perhaps also the ascending of the Sap in Trees and Plants, through their small, and some of them imperceptible Pores, (of which perhaps I may say more on another occasion) at least the passing of it out of the earth into their roots. I know not also whether it will be requi­site to add what things occurr'd to my thoughts, when I had these Phaenomena under consideration; which I shall only propound as Queries, that may serve as hints to some further discovery, and not as Axioms.

In short, they were these;

First, Upon the consideration of the congruity and incongruity of Bodies, as to touch, I found also the like con­gruity [Page 27] and incongruity (if I may so speak) as to the Transcursion of the Raies of Light: For in this regard, water (not now to mention other Li­quors) seems nearer of affinity to glass than Air, and Air than▪ Quicksilver: For an oblique Ray out of Glass, will pass into water with very little refracti­on from the perpendicular, but none out of Glass into Air, excepting a direct, will pass without a very great refraction from the perpendicular, nay any ob­lique Ray under 30 degrees, will not be admitted into the Air at all, but reflect­ed. And Quicksilver will neither ad­mit oblique or direct, but reflect all; so that Quicksilver as to the transmit­ting of the Raies of Light, seems to be of a quite differing constitution, from that of Air, Water, Glass, &c. and to assimilate most those opacous and strong reflecting bodies of Metals: and as to the property of cohesion or con­gruity, it seems to keep the same or­der.

A Second thing (which was hinted to me, by the consideration of the inclu­ded fluid's globular form, caused by the protrusion of the ambient hetero­geneous [Page 28] fluid) was whether the Phaeno­mena of gravity might not by this means be explained, by supposing the Globe of Earth, Water and Air to be included with a fluid, heterogenous to all and each of them, which is so subtil, as not only to be every where interspersed through the Air, (or rather the air through it) but does pervade the bo­dies of Glass, and even the closest Me­tals, by which means it does endeavour to detrude all earthly bodies as far from it as it can; and partly thereby, and partly by other of its properties (of which I may some other time give a ful­ler account) move them towards the Center of the Earth. Now that there is some such fluid, I could produce many experiments and Reasons, that do seem to prove. But because I see it would ask some time and room to set them down and explain them, and to consider and answer all the Objections (many whereof I foresee) that may be alledg­ed against it; and because I know a more likely hypothesis for gravity, which I can make out by experiment; I shall at present proceed to other Queries, con­tenting my self to have here only given a [Page 29] hint of what I may elswhere determine.

A Third Query then was, whether the heterogeneity of the ambient fluid may not be accounted a secondary cause of the roundness or globular form of the greater bodies of the world, such as are those of the Sun, Stars and Planets, the substance of each of which seems altoge­ther heterogeneous to the circum-ambi­ent fluid aether?

A Fourth was; Whether the globu­lar Form of the smaller parcels of mat­ter here upon the Earth, as that of Fruits Pebbles or F [...]ints &c. (which seem to have been a Liquor at first) may not be caus'd by the heterogeneous ambient fluid. For thus we see that melted Glass will be naturally form'd into a round Fi­gure; so likewise any small Parcel of any fusible body, if it be perfectly enclosed by the Air, will be driven into a globular Form, and when cold, will be found a solid Ball. This is plainly enough ma­nifested to us by their way of making shot with the drops of Lead, or a show­er of Rain congealed in its falling into Hailstones; and if you gently let fall a drop of water upon small sand or dust, you shall find as 'twere an artificial round [Page 30] stone quickly generated. I cannot up­on this occasion omit the mentioning of the strange kind of Grain which I have observed in a stone brought from Kette­ring in Northamptonshire, and therefore called by Masons Kettering-Stone, like to which are found also at Tormanton, neer to Sudberry in Glocestershire: For I found it to consist of a great number of small and almost globular parcels of matter, which to my naked eye look'd much like the Cob or Spawn of a Herring, though through a Microscope it looked like a great Beach of round Pebble stone, such as I have often seen by the Sea-shore, some of which I perceived to be hollow, much like the broken Shels of Granadoes: Which brings into my mind what I long since observ'd in the fiery Sparks that are struck out of a flint, &c. For having a great desire to see what was left behind, after the Spark was gone out, I purposely struck fire over a very white piece of Paper, and observing diligently where some conspicuous sparks went out, I found a very little black spot no bigger than the point of a Pin, which through a Micro­scope appeared to be a perfectly round [Page 31] Ball, looking much like a polisht ball of Steel, insomuch that I was able to see the Image of the window reflected from it, making the like Observation in very many others, I found some to be hollow, and to look like the broken shels of Grandoes, much like that represented in the 4th. Figure. I cannot here stay to examine the particular Reasons of it, but shall only hint, that I imagine it to be some small parcel of the flint or steel (for I find it may be of either) which by the violence of the motion of the stroke (most of which seems to be im­prest upon those small parcels) is made so glowing hot, that 'tis melted into a Vitrum, which by the ambient Air is driven into a round Globul.

A Fifth thing which I thought worth Examination was, Whether the motion of all kind of Springs, might not be re­duc'd to the Principle whereby the in­cluded heterogeneous fluid seems to be moved; or to that whereby two solids, as Marbles, or the like, are thrust and kept together by the Ambient flu­id.

A Sixth thing was, Whether the Rising and Ebullition of the water out [Page 32] of Springs & Fountains (which lie much higher from the Center of the earth than the superficies of the Sea, from whence it seems to be derived) may not be ex­plicated by the Rising of water in a smaller Pipe: For the Sea-water being as it were strain'd through the Pores or Crevices of the earth, is as it were in­cluded in little Pipes, where the pressure of the Air has not so great a power to resist its Rising: But examining this way, and finding in it several difficulties almost irremoveable, I thought upon a way that would much more naturally and conceiveably explain it, which was by this following Experiment: I took a Glass Tube of the form of that descri­bed in the 6th. Figure, and chusing two heterogeneous fluids, such as water and Oyl, I poured in as much water as fill'd up the Pipes as high as (A. B.) then putting in some Oyle into the Tube (A. C.) I deprest the superficies (A.) of the water to (E.) and B. I raised to G. which was not so high perpendicu­larly as the superficies of the Oyle F. by the space (F. I.) wherefore the proportion of the gravity of these two Liquors was as (G. H.) to (F. E.)

[Page 33] This Experiment I tried with seve­ral other Liquors, and particularly with fresh water and salt (which we made by dissolving Salt in warm water) which two though they are nothing heteroge­neous, yet before they would perfectly mix one with another, I made trial of the Experiment: Nay, letting the Tube wherein I tried the Experiment remain for many daies, I observed them not to mix; but the superficies of the fresh was rather more than less eleva­ted above that of the salt. Now the proportion of the gravity of Sea-water, to that of River-water, according to Stevinus and Varenius, (for I have not now the opportunity of making trial my self) is as 46. to 45. that is, 46. Ounces of the salt-water will take up no more Room than 45▪ of the fresh▪ Or reciprocally 45 pints of salt, water weigh as much as 46 of fresh. Though I con­ceive the difference to be much more, for I found the proportion of Brine to fresh water to be near 13 to 12: Suppo­sing therefore G. H. M. to represent the Sea, and F. I. the height of the Mountain above the Superficies of the Sea, F. M. a Cavern in the Earth, be­ginning [Page 34] at the bottom of the Sea, and terminated at the top of the Mountain, L. M▪ the Sand at the bottom, through which the water is as it were strained, so as that the fresher parts are only per­mitted to transude, and the saline kept back; if therefore the proportion of G. M. to F. M. be as 45. to 46. then may the Cylinder of salt water G. M. make the Cylinder of fresh water to rise as high as E. and to run over at N. I cannot here stand to examine or con­fute their Opinion, who make the depth of the Sea below its Superficies, to be no more perpendicularly measur'd than the height of the Mountains above it: 'Tis enough for me to say, there is no one of those that have vented it, have experimentally known the perpen­dicular of either; nor shall I here de­termine, whether there may not be ma­ny other causes of the separation of the fresh water from the salt, as perhaps some parts of the earth through which it is to pass, may contain a salt, that mix­ing and uniting with the Sea salt, may precipitate it▪ much after the same man­ner as the Alkalizate and Acid Salts mix and precipitate each other in the prepa­ration [Page 35] of Tartarum Vitriolatum. I know not also whether the exceeding cold (that must necessarily be) at the bot­tom of the water, may not help towards this separation, for we find, that warm water is able to dissolve and contain more salt, than the same cold; inso­much that Brines strongly impregnated by heat, if let cool, do suffer much of their salt to subside and chrystallize about the bottom and sides. I know not also whether the exceeding pressure of the parts of the water one against ano­ther, may not keep the Salt from de­scending to the very bottom, as finding little or no room to insert it self between those parts, protruded so violently to­gether, or else squeeze it upwards into the superiour parts of the Sea, where it may more easily obtain room for it self, amongst the parts of the water, by rea­son that there is more heat and less pres­sure. To this Opinion I was somwhat the more induced by the relations I have met with in several Geographical Wri­ters, of drawing fresh water from the bottom of the Sea, which is salt above. I cannot now stand to examine, whether this natural perpetual motion may not [Page 36] artificially be imitated: Nor can I stand to answer the Objections which may be made against this my Supposition: As,

First, How it comes to pass, that there are somtimes salt Springs much higher than the Superficies of the wa­ter? And,

Secondly, Why Springs do not run faster and flower, according to the va­rying height made of the Cylinder of Sea-water, by the ebbing and flowing of the Sea?

As to the First, In short, I say, the fresh water may receive again a saline Tincture near the Superficies of the Earth, by passing through some salt Mines, or else many of the saline parts of the Sea may be kept back, though not all.

And as to the Second, The same Spring may be fed and supply'd by di­vers Caverns, coming from very far distant parts of the Sea, so as that it may in one place be high, in another low water; and so by that means the Spring may be equally supply'd at all times. Or else the Cavern may be so straight and narrow, that the water not [Page 37] having so ready and free passage through it, cannot upon so short and quick muta­tions of pressure, be able to produce any sensible effect at such a distance. Be­sides, that to confirm this hypothesis, there are many Examples found in Na­tural Historians, of Springs that do ebb and flow like the Sea: As particular­ly, those recorded by the Learned Camden, and after him by Speed, to be found in this Island: One of which, they relate to be on the Top of a Moun­tain, by the small Village. Kilken in Flintshire, Maris aemulus qui statis tempo­ribus suas revomit & resorbet Aquas; which at certain times riseth and falleth after the manner of Sea-Tides. A Se­cond in Caermardenshire, near Caermar­den, at a place call'd Cantred Bichan; Qui (ut scribit Giraldus) naturali die bis undis deficiens, & toties exuberans, marinas imitatur instabilitates. That twice in four and twenty hours ebbing and flowing, resembleth the uustable Motions of the Sea. The Phanomena of which two may be easily made out, by supposing their Cavern by which they are fed, to arise from the bottom of the next Sea. A Third, is a Well [Page 38] upon the River Ogmore, in Glamorgan­shire, and near unto Newton, of which Camhden relates himself to be certified, by a Letter from a Learned Friend of his that observed it, Fons abest hinc, &c. The Letter is a little too long to be inserted, but the substance is this, that this Well ebbs and flows quite contrari­ly to the flowing and ebbing of the Sea in those parts: for 'tis almost empty at Full Sea, but full at Low water. This may happen from the Channel by which it is supplied, which may come from the bottom of a Sea very remote from those parts, and where the Tides are much differing from those of the approximate shores. A Fourth lies in Westmerland, near the River Loder; Qui instar Euri­pi saepius in die reciprocantibus undis fluit & refluit, which ebbs and flows many times a day. This may proceed from its being supply'd from many Channels, coming from several parts of the Sea, ly­ing sufficiently distant asunder to have the times of High-Water differing e­nough one from the other; so as that whensoever it shall be High Water over any of those places where these Chan­nels begin, it shall likewise be so in the [Page 39] Well. But this is but a Supposi­tion.

A Seventh thing was, Whether in general the Glutinousness of most bodies may not be partly attributed to this pro­perty! For supposing glutinous bodies to be such as will easily conform them­selves to the superficies of homogeneal bodies, and being suffered for some time to rest in that Position, until they grow hard, the intercourse of the Air or other fluid body being hindred, the force re­quisite to disjoyn those two superficies must necessarily be such as is able to pre­ponderate and prevail against the pres­sure of the Air upon a superficies equal to that of the body which is toucht by the glutinous substance; for these two touch so exactly, that 'tis impossible for the Air to get between, until they are somwhat disjoyn'd, by which means the pressure of the Air can only be a­gainst the two outward sides opposite to those which joyn them together: This may be confirmed by the Experiment of two flat Marbles, pieces of Glass, and the like smooth bodies; for if they be so exactly plain, that by rubbing them together, you can detrude the interja­cent [Page 40] Air,Of this much has bin [...]id in the 31 [...] 32 Experi­ments of the [...]bove-menti­ [...]ned Discourse [...]f the Air, & [...] more copi­ [...]usly ex­ [...]lained in a Treatise of [...]he same Ho­nourable Au­ [...]hour now in [...]he Presse. you shall find them stick so hard, that an ordinary strength can hardly separate them; especially if they be of any bigness.

This Property I say, may at least be the cause why some bodies adhere to Glass, and the like: For I am not ig­norant, that as for Wood, and many other porous bodies, the glutinous sub­stance may penetrate into their little ca­vities, and so hardning, become little Hooks or Buttons, that may contri­bute much to the former Cohesi­on.

An Eighth Query was, Whether the dissolution or mixing of several bodies, whether fluid or solid, with saline or o­ther Liquors, might not partly be at­tributed to this Principle of the congru­ity of those bodies and their dissolv­ents? As of Salt in water, Metals in several Menstruums, Unctuous Gums in Oyles, the Mixing of Wine and wa­ter, &c. And whether precipitation be not partly made from the same Prin­ciple of Incongruity? I say partly, be­cause there are in some dissolutions, some other Causes concurrent.

I shall lastly make a much more seem­ingly [Page 41] strange and unlikely Query; and that is, Whether this Principle well ex­amined and explain'd, may not be found a co-efficient in the most considerable Operations of Nature? As in those of Heat and Light, and consequently, of Rarefaction and Condensation, Hard­ness or Solidity and Fluidness, Perspi­cuity and Opacousness, Refractions and Colours, &c. Nay, I know not whe­ther there may be many things done in Nature, in which this may not (be said to) have a Finger? This I may possibly further enquire into and exa­mine, if God grant me Life and Oppor­tunity. In the mean time, I would not be thought guilty of that Errour, which the thrice Noble and Learned Verulam justly takes notice of, as such, and cals Philosophiae Genus Empiricum, quod in paucorum Experimentorum An­gustiis & Obscuritate fundatum est. For I neither conclude from one single Ex­periment, nor are the Experiments I make use of, all made upon one Subject: Nor wrest I any Experiment to make it quadrare with any preconceiv'd Notion. But on the contrary, I endeavour to be conversant in all kind of Experiments, [Page 42] and all and every one of those Trials, I make the standards (as I may say) or Touchstones by which I try all my for­mer Notions, whether they hold not in weight and measure and touch, &c. For as that Body is no other than a Counterfeit Gold, which wants any one of the Proprieties of Gold, (such as are the Malleableness, Weight, Colour, Fixtness in the Fire▪ Indissolubleness in Aqua-fortis, and the like.) though it has all the other; so will all those no­tions be found to be false and deceitful, that will not undergo all the Trials and Tests made of them by Experi­ments. And therefore such as will not come up to the desired Apex of Perfe­ction, I rather wholly reject and take a new, than by piecing and patching en­deavour to retain the old, as knowing old things to be rather made worse by mending, than better. And this course I learn'd from Nature; whom we find neglectful of the old Body, and suffer­ing its Decaies and Infirmities to re­main without repair, and altogether sol­licitous and careful of perpetuating the Species by new Individuals. And 'tis certainly the most likely way to erect a [Page 43] glorious and everlasting structure and Temple to Nature, such as she will be found (by any zealous Votary) to re­side in; first to raze the old Pile built upon unstable Fancies and unsound opi­nions, and to begin a new upon a sure Foundation of Experiments. Thus Medaea when she renewed old Aeson, first searches Heaven and Earth, ga­thers and collects simples and Ingredi­ents of all kinds, nor would these do any thing till well mixt, concocted and di­gested.

Then we find her examine whether it will do what she expected.

And finding it to come up to what she desired, she then begins her great work.

After which, what succeeded, but a miraculous Renovation?

The Application of it is obvious, and therefore (to digress no further from the consideration of the Phaenomena, more immediatly explicable by this Ex­periment) we shall proceed to shew, That,

As to the rising of water in a Filtre, the reason of it will be manifest to him that does take notice that a Filtre is con­stituted of a great number of small long solid bodies, which lie so close together, that the Air in its getting in between them, doth lose of its pressure that it has against the fluid without them, by [Page 45] which means the water or liquor not finding so strong a resistance between them as is able to counter ballance the pressure on its superficies without, is raised upwa [...]d, till it meet with a pres­sure of the Air which is able to hinder it. And as to the Rising of Oyl, melt­ed Tallow, Spirit of Wine, &c. in the Weeck of a Candle or Lamp, it is evi­dent, that it differs in nothing from the former, save only in this, that in a Fil­tre the Liquor descends and runs away by another part▪ and in the Weeck the Liquor is dispersed and carried away by the Flame (which what it is, and how it consumes bodies, I shall on some other occasion by many luciferous Experiments manifestly prove) some­thing there is ascribable to the heat, for that it may rarifie the more volatil and spirituous parts of those combusti­ble Liquors, and so being made lighter than the Air, it may be protruded up­wards by that more ponderous fluid bo­dy in the Form of Vapours. But this can be ascribed to the ascension of but a very little, and most likely of that only which ascends without the Weeck, as for the Rising of it in a Spunge, Bread, [Page 46] Cotton, &c. above the superficies of the subjacent Liquor; what has been said about the Filtre (if considered) will easily suggest a reason, considering that all these bodies are bound with small holes or pores.

From this same Principle also (viz.) the unequal pressure of the Air against the unequal superficies of the water) pro­ceeds the cause of the accession or incur­sion of any floating body against the sides of the containing Vessel, or the ap­propinquation of two floating bodies, as Bubbles, Corks, Sticks, Straws, &c. one towards another. As for instance, Take a Glass-jar, such as (A. B.) in the 7th. Figure, and filling it pretty near the top with water, throw into it a small round piece of Cork, as (C.) and p [...]unge it all over in water, that it be wet, so as that the water may rise up by the sides of it, then placing it any where upon the superficies, about an inch, or one Inch and a quarter from any side, and you shall perceive it by degrees to make perpendicularly toward the nearest part of the side, and the nearer it approaches it, the faster to be mov'd; the reason of which Phaenomenon will be [Page 47] found no other than this, that the Air has a greater pressure against the middle of the superficies, than it has against those parts that approach nearer, and are contiguous to the sides. Now that the pressure is not so much, may (as I shew­ed before in the explication of the 3^d Figure) be evinced from the rising of the water near the sides, higher than that in the middle: Hence the Ball having a stronger pressure against that side of it which respects the middle of the super­ficies, than against that which respects the approximate side, must necessarily move towards that part from whence it finds least resistance, and so be accelera­ted, as the resistance decreases. Hence the more the water is raised under that part of its way it is passing above the middle, the faster it is moved: And therefore you will find it to move faster in E. than in D. and in D. than in C. Neither could I find the floating sub­stance to be moved at all, until it were placed upon some part of the Superfici­es that was sensibly elevated above the height of the middle part. Now that this may be the true cause, you may try with a blown Bladder, and an exact­ly [Page 48] ro [...]nd Ball upon a very smooth Table. For if the Ball be plac'd under a part of the Bladder w^ch is upon one side of the middle of its pressure, & you press strong­ly against the Bladder, you shall find the Ball mov'd from the middle towards the sides. Having therefore shewn the rea­son of the motion of any float towards the sides, the reason of the incursion of any two floating bodies will easily ap­pear: For the rising of the water against the sides of either of them, is an Argu­ment sufficient, to shew the pressure of the Air to be there less, then it is fur­ther from it, where it is not so much elevated; and therefore the reason of the motion of the other toward it, will be the same as towards the side of the Glass; only here from the same reason, they are mutually mov'd toward each other, whereas the side of the Glass in the former remains fixt. If also you gent­ly fill the Jar so full with water, that the water is protuberant above the sides, of the same piece of Cork that before did hasten towards the sides, does now fly from it as fast towards the middle of the Superficies; the reason of which will be found no other then this, that the pres­sure [Page 49] of the Air is stronger against the sides of the superficies G. and H. then against the middle I. which may be ar­gu'd from its being much lower then the middle; and therefore the consecution will be the same as in the former. It is very odd to one that considers not the reason of it, to see two bodies of wood to approach each other, as though they were indued with some magnetical vi­gour; which brings into my mind what I formerly tried with a piece of Cork or such like body, which I so ordered, that by putting a little stick into the same water, one part of the said Cork would approach and make toward the stick, whereas another would discede and fly away, nay it would have a kind of verti­city, so as that if the aequator (as I may so speak) of the Cork were placed to­wards the stick, if let alone, it would instantly turn its appropriate pole to­ward it, and then run a tilt at it, and this was only by taking a dry Cork, and wetting one side of it with one small stroak; for by this means gently put­ting it upon the water, it would depress the superficies on every side of it that was dry, and therefore the greatest pres­sure [Page 50] of the Air being near those sides caus'd it either to chase away, or else to fly off from any other floting body, whereas that side only against which the water ascended, was thereby able to attract. I cannot here stay to explain the Reasons of magnetical and electrical attra­ction, nor the Reasons of gravity or magneti­cal direction and variation, they being little or nothing at all to my present Subject, and besides, will afford matter enough to fill ano­ther sheet when I have leisure.

It remains only, that I should determine now high the water or other Liquor may by this means be raised in a smaller Pipe above the superficies of that without it: But to deter­mine this, will be exceeding difficult, unless I could certainly know how much of the Air's pressure is taken off▪ by the smalness of such and such a Pipe, and whether it may be whol­ly taken off, that is, whether there can be a hole or pore so small, into which Air could not at all enter, though water might with its whole force, for were there such, 'tis manifest, that the water might rise in it to some five or six and thirty English Foot high. I know not whether there may not be such natural Pipes in the bodies of small Trees, which we usually call their Pores, But I have already pretergres­sed the bounds of a Sheet, which I at first pre­scribed my self for the explication of this Phae­nomenon, and therefore I shall at present make