PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. ^227 



oil that came over was two drams and an 

 half ; it coagulates in the cold, and melts 

 with a fmall heat. There remained in the 

 retort two ounces of coal ; which being care- 

 fully burnt in a crucible, left eleven drams 

 and a few grains of fine yellow allies. 



That it may appear how far the Scotch 

 and Dutch peats agree, I fhall next giv.e.the 

 a7ialyfis of fome Dutch peat made by Degner. 

 He took twenty four ounces of peat, which 

 being firft reduced to a powder j and then 

 put in a retort, yielded, by a gentle diftillatir- 

 on, a good quantity of infipid phlegm, with 

 jan empyreumatical fmell. This being taken 

 away, there followed next a yellow fpirit, 

 and about the neck of the retort, remained 

 flicking a certain white undtuous earth, re- 

 fembling a volatile fait. The degree of heat 

 being increafed, there came forth a white 

 fmoke, with which a red oil rifing at the 

 fame time, was colledted in the receiver, in 

 the form of a thick pitchy matter, fwiming 

 upon the fpirit, and flicking ftrongly to the 

 lides of the veflel. In the retort remained 

 only a black coal. 



Having weighed each of thefe feparate- 

 |y, the coal was nine ounces fix drams ; the 



thick 



