THE FUEL OF THE FUTURE. 211 



call it), that is, the water did heave up and bubble as if it boiled. 

 This phenomenon in the water was caused by a vapor ascending out 

 of the earth through the water, as was manifest, for if that one did 

 but dig anywhere near the place, and pour water upon the place new 

 digged, one should observe in it the like bubbling, the vapor arising 

 not only in that place where the fountain was, but all thereabout ; the 

 like vapor ascending out of the earth and causing such ebullition in 

 water it passes through hath been observed in Mr. Hawkley's ground, 

 about a mile from the town of Wigan, in Lancashire, which vapor, by 

 the application of a lighted candle, paper, or the like, catches fire and 

 flames vigorously. Whether or not this vapor at Peroul would in like 

 manner catch fire and burn I cannot say, it coming not in our minds 

 to make the experiment. . . . At Gabian, about a day's journey from 

 Montpelier, in the way to Beziers, is a fountain of petroleum. It 

 burns like oil, is of a pungent scent, and a blackish color. It distills 

 out of several places of the rock all the year long, but most in the 

 summer time. They gather it up with ladles and put it in a barrel set 

 on end, which hath a spiggot just at the bottom. When they have put 

 in a good quantity they open the spiggot to let out the water, and 

 when the oil begins to come presently stop it. They pay for the farm 

 of this fountain about fifty crowns per annum. We were told by one 

 Monsieur Beaushoste, a chymist in Montpelier, that petroleum was the 

 very same with oil of jet, and not to be distinguished from it by color, 

 taste, smell, consistency, virtues, or any other accident, as he had by 

 experience found upon the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in several 

 places, $s at Berre, near Martague, in Provence ; at Messina, in Sicily, 

 etc." 



In Harris's " Voyages," published in 1764, an article on the empire 

 of Persia thus refers to petroleum : 



"In several parts of Persia we meet with naphtha, both white and 

 black ; it is used in painting and varnish, and sometimes in physic, 

 and there is an oil extracted from it which is applied to several uses, 

 The most famous springs of naphtha are in the neighborhood of Baku, 

 which furnish vast quantities, and there are also upwards of thirty 

 springs about Shamasky, both in the province of Schirwan. The Per- 

 sians use it as oil for their lamps and in making fireworks, of which 

 they are extremely fond, and in which they are great proficients." 



Petroleum has long been known to exist also in the northern part 

 of Italy, the cities of Parma and Genoa having been for many years 

 lighted with it. 



In the province of Szechuen, China, natural gas is obtained from 

 beds of rock-salt at a depth of fifteen to sixteen hundred feet. Being 

 brought to the surface, it is conveyed in bamboo tubes and used for 

 lighting as well as for evaporating water in the manufacture of salt. 

 It is asserted that the Chinese used this natural gas for illuminating 

 purposes long before gas-lighting was known to the Europeans. Re- 



