upon the low rarefied land near the sea: The regular trade wind, however, blows upon the north-side of the island, as the low rarefied land lies nearly in its natural course. I am, how ever, well informed by Captains of Vessels which constantly ply round the island, that the land wind is neither so regular nor strong at night as on the south-side, in consequence, no doubt, of there being but a small extent of low rarefied land near the sea, the mountains approaching near the sea-shore. I shall now conclude, in the hope that I have said enough to make myself, if not (with the authorities I have quoted,) my subject, understood upon general principles. The field to be explored is so extensivo, thas is impossible we ever can ascertain where the local causes, which produce many variations. from the general operate; we ought, therefore, to rest satisfied that some higher rarefaction must exist in the quarter to which the wind blows, than with us or whence it comes, for all attempts to discover farther than the general causes can only bewilder us. A suggestion has offered itself that the electric spark which is produced by the machinethe flint and steel, metallic tube, &c. may be elicited by the compression of the intervening atmosphere; this compression, I conceive, may decompose the atmosphere (thereby producing an increase of temperature) and ignite its hydrogen gas, The supposed attraction of dif ferent bodies whose temperatures have been raised, I consider may be the effect of dense air seeking the expansion, and the repulsion of other bodies in the same state may be the effect of the repulsion of expansion.. To sum up all, I submit it to the Reader, if, after having perused the foregoing Theory, he can consider it reasonable that the Almighty Alchemist may have created all materiality by caloric, as is evidenced by many of its attendant phenomena, whether it is not reasonable to conclude that all the phenomena of nature (not even excepting that of the magnet), may not reasonably be attributed to the same agency, or latent caloric. May we not conclude so, particularly, as (so far our weakness permits us to judge,) neither materiality nor its attendant phenomena (the cause of which we can trace,) may have had existence without the agency of caloric, and as all may cease with it ?* * An idea has offered itself, that should it please the Almighty to withdraw the caloric altogether, the pressure of the surrounding dense atmosphere would be so great as to dissipate this Globe by slow decomposition. This conclusion seems to be borne out as not unreasonable, when we reflect upon the power of the dense atmosphere upon the piston of a pump, should the opening at the bottom of it be closed after the piston has been introduced; when this has been done, there is no power capable of drawing the piston, if it should fit the bore of the pump so close as to prevent any air passing; if this is the effect when such powerful caloric prevails, what would be the pressure if the ca loric should be taken away? THE EN D.. ERRATA. PAST 3, second line, for "veins" read "reins." 5, second paragraph, second line, for 66 succeed" read" succeeded." 11, second paragraph, fifteenth line, for ἐσ 62, eighth line from the bottom, for "rissen" read “risen.” 63, note, second line, for " signiture" read "signature," and for "Vitello" read "Vitellio." 93, fifth line, for "until" read "when." 95, note, twenty-eighth line, for " signs" 66 read size. 99, note, s "are red 101, no, o 2 which o |