2 CONJECTURES On THE 
quainted with; which therefore might {wim in or upon 
that fluid. Thus the furface of the globe would be a fhell, 
capable of being broken and difordered by any violent 
movements of the fluid on which it refted. And as air 
has been comprefled by art fo as to be twice as“denfe as 
water, in which cafe if fuch air and water could be con- 
tained in a flrong. glafs.veflel, the air would be feen to 
take the loweft place, and the water to float above and 
upon it; and as we know not yet the degree of denfity 
to which air may be compreiled; and M. “Amantons cal- 
culated, that its denfity increafing -as it approached* the 
centre in the fame proportion as above the furface, it 
would at’ the depth of leagues be heavier than gold, 
»poflibly the denfe fluid oceupyiag the internal parts of the 
globe might be air com prefled. And asthe force of ex- 
panfion in denfe air when -heated is in proportionsto its 
denfity ; this central ait might afford another agent to 
move the furface, as wellas be of ufein keeping alive the 
fubterrancous fires: “Though as you obferve, the fudden 
rarefaGlion of water coming into contact with thofe fires, 
may alfo be an agent fufliciently’ ftrong for' that. purpofe, 
when acting between the incumbent earth and the fluid on 
which it refts. 
If one might indulge imagination in fuppofing how 
_fuch a'globe was formed, | fhould conceive, that all the 
~€lements in feparate particles being originally mixed in 
confufion and occupying a great face, they would as foon 
‘as the almighty fiat‘ordained gravity or the mutual attrac- 
tion of certain iparts; and the mutual repulfion of other 
parts to exift, all move towards their common centre: 
Fhat the air being ’a fluid whofe parts'repel each other, 
though drawn to “the ‘common “centre by’ their gravity, 
would be denfeftt towards the: centre, and rarer as more 
remote 5 confequently all. matters lighter than the central 
part nid that air and immerfed in it, would recede from the 
: centre 
