side, and contraction on the other side of the Earth's atmosphere; whereby it is propelled forward in the manner as will be more particularly shown when treating on the system; and which is performed by impulse. It seems very unaccountable, how the most eminent authors, who have made natural philosophy their study, should have overlooked the power inherent in the lightest substances; namely, fluids ; which, in the course of this work, will be demonstrated to possess the greatest of all powers, whereby they will overcome every other substance, so that there is not any thing on the face of the Earth that can withstand them, wherein I expect Sir Isaac Newton's attractive powers will be detected; for although, all sorts of fume, &c. fly from the surface of the Earth, whilst all heavy bodies move the contrary way, it will be found, that both these motions are dependent on the same cause; which is, that as this rarefied air which inclines upwards, presses on all sides, it drives, by its superior strength, that which is specifically heavier towards such parts as are most dense, whilst itself is moving towards the expanse, until it is involved with air of its own substance. That rarefied air expands on all sides, until it meets with resistance of superior strength is sufficiently proved by the explosions which take place, and is acted on thereby in all directions, which accounts why the lightest air which has the greatest strength, is notwithstanding, forced from the Earth, because the power which this air possesses individually, by its not being pent up, has the more room for expanding, and therefore cannot overcome the greater mass of Earth; consequently this light air having pressed the grosser so far as its power can reach, becomes itself repelled by the counter action of the obstruction of the denser parts, and is thereby lifted off in that direction, where only it can move.

To know the causes of the Tides would be a matter of the least consequence to the world, it

being sufficient that the effects are so far ascertained, as to know its periodical returns to any future time, whether we know the cause or not. Still natural curiosity is so great as to make this question a matter of great importance, and it has become a very desirable case to know to what cause this phenomenon is to be attributed, which is pregnant with so much benefit to the world; and if by this enquiry it should prove to have any connexion with the winds, it then becomes a real matter of great. importance; because, by its being a link of the same chain, it will tend to corroborate that of the winds, whereby the truth will be developed, and therefore deserves particular notice.

The existence of the world depends on motion; as soon as that is at an end, there must be an end to all purposes for which the universe was created; there certainly cannot be an opinion to gainsay this position, and therefore the attempt to prove it, would be an insult to the meanest capacity; which being admitted, I shall submit another of equal importance, and for which I expect equal credit, that nothing was created in vain in the whole universe; by uniting these two propositions they create a third, namely, that motion is the natural propensity of all things; and when that property is taken from them, it is either a suspension, or annihilation of nature in those substances, whatever they may be; in either case where matter is deprived of motion which it inherited before, it will be found invariably to have increased in weight; this will be proved by several experiments and opinions on this particular; it therefore becomes very obvious, that in all such cases whatever is deprived of motion, has lost its nature; and therefore as nature cannot be supported by unnatural means, it follows that the system of gravitation, according as it is understood, is not the means whereby all the heavenly bodies are connected, because according to it, all things

attract according to size and distance, and therefore the Sun is said to have the greatest power, this way, in the solar system, whereas it will be proved by experiments that the greatest power is lodged in the lightest body, and any thing that is acted on by any matter of superior weight, must be by a repelling power, which is contrary to the centripetal power supposed to be in the Sun.

Alphonsus, the King of Castile, notwithstanding his great knowledge of astronomy, had the impiety to say, that if he had been consulted at the creation

he would have advised better." Another philosopher among the moderns has published a kind of apology for eliptical orbits, with the Sun in one of the foci, this arrangement being contrary to the simplicity which is expected in nature, he has attempted to prove by a very ingenious calculation, that such orbits will admit of a greater number of bodies to traverse in them, whereby more glory is obtained to the Creator, by the increase of created beings.

To suppose that this agreeable union, which we see to exist in the regularity of the celestial world, should be created so as to admit of any possible error, must be impious; and to imagine that the world should be formed without a substantial connection existing to combine the whole, thereby to render each particular object the means to fulfil its functions, would be, to reject every philosophical, as well as every mechanical idea.

In every instance where it is possible to arrive at certainties, in respect to the works of the creation, there can be, and is but one opinion; the wonders disclosed by the microscope, of such infinite wisdom in the regularity of corresponding exactness, fills the mind with astonishment and adoration; these things are evident to all, and therefore cannot be disputed; it is only in uncertain matters that difference of opinion can exist; the ways of the celestial bodies in expanse are not known so certain, and therefore

they are disputable, so that whatever may be offered as explanatory of the causes, should be strictly examined, and such which do not agree with that simplicity which nature exhibits in other respects, should be discarded; on the other hand, if any thing should offer that bears the face of truth, it claims a priority; and should be received according to its merits.

The extraordinary power which the extreme of cold possesses, I expect is not so generally known as is that of heat; at least it does not occur so frequent to our feeling in the general course of affairs, and is very likely on that account, not so much noticed.

Such people as have any thing to do with the bottling of any kind of fluids, find this power to operate sometimes very much to their cost by the bursting of the bottles, through the means of freezing; the manner and cause of this phenomenon I must leave to be described by such as understand the nature of it.

The following experiments will demonstrate its great strength :-" I made a strong cylindrical box "of metal, with a broad rim, to which a flat cover "was applied so exactly, by grinding one upon the "other in a turning-lath, that when the cover was "laid upon the box, no light could be seen through "the joint. Then I prepared some water, by boiling "and placing it upon an air pump. This water "when cold, was so thoroughly purged, that it "would not yield the least bubble of air, when the pump was well evacuated; and this I tried immediately before the using of it. I filled the box "with some of it, till it stood convex above the rim; and having applied a wetted leather to the cover, screwed it down firmly upon the box with "four iron screws; by means of which, it was made air-tight; and in this state, I suppose, the box "and cover would not have been separated by a weight equal to half a ton, and perhaps not by a

great deal more. Having plunged the whole into a freezing mixture, the water was frozen into a "solid mass in less than half an hour; and as its "bulk increased, by means of the enclosed bubbles "of cold, three of the screws were forced by the "violence of the pressure, and the cover was raised upon one side, about a quarter of an inch above "the rim.

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"Common air, it is certain, could have no share "in this effect; the whole being occasioned by a "fine æther, so small in quantity, that it did not occupy a cubic inch; and so great in force, that "its pressure must have been an hundred times greater than that of the atmosphere, which is only “fourteen pounds upon a surface of an inch square. -Jones's Philosophy: Note to page 153.

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Speaking of the force that is exerted in the "experiments on artificial freezing, I have called it "a force which art would find it difficult to measure. "Such I then imagined it to be, and contented "myself with relating an experiment, from which it "could only be guessed at in the grossest manner. "But being desirous of obtaining some certainty in "an affair which deserves a deeper examination, I "contrived a way, this last winter, of measuring "this force to a sufficient degree of exactness.

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"I made use of the box already described in the foregoing part of this note. It was filled as "before with water purged of its air; and being covered, but not screwed down, it was placed upon "an oaken pedestal, which had for its base a fiat "hewn stone, of about a foot square. The shorter "arm of a very strong lever was made, to press upon the top of it; and this lever was compounded with two others, by which the power of "it was greatly increased. At the extremity of the "longer arm of the most remote lever, a cord was "fastened, which ran over a pulley, and had a weight of twenty-eight pounds hanging at the end