PHYSICAL AND LITERARY, ss 



its expofition to the air, How cloe£» marie 

 operate? Aa anfwer to this quedion 

 would neceflarily lead us to confider the 

 operation of manures in general ; a fub- 

 jed; too extenfive and intricate to be dif- 

 cufTed within the narrow limits of this 

 effay j therefore I (hall delay any fur- 

 ther inquiry into the adion of marie 

 to a more convenient opportunity. In 

 the mean time, confider, " Quod in 

 *' omnibus rebus, et maxime phyficis, 

 " quid non fit, citius quam quid fit, dix- 

 " erim". Cicero de Nat. Dlor, 



found a whitidi falinc tfflorefcence In confiJcrable quan- 

 tity. 1 his efflorefcence was moift, and diflbfved leadi- 

 Ij in wacer. An alkaline ialt added to a folucion of it 

 immediately precipitated a calcarious earth. Af er 

 feparating this earth by filtration, the remaining Vquie 

 afforded, by a proper eraporation, many diliiudt cluy- 

 flals of a cubical figure. They tafted like iea fair, 

 crackled in the fire, and, by the addition of the vitrio- 

 lic acid, emitted copious fuffocating fumes. Hence Ic 

 appears, that the fait found upon this marie confided 

 of the muriatic acid united to calcarious earth. It Is 

 fingular that no veftige of this fait appeaieJ upon any 

 of the beds of marie but one, and this one had nothing 

 peculiar either in its compofition or fiiuatlon It d ffer- 

 ed from the reft in this oaly, it was poffefled of a great, 

 tr degree of moiilure. 



