302 Dr. Cutbush on the Greek Fire. 
stration of No. 283, the phrase at east is used,where there 
should t most, and vice versa. e would suggest 
whether the reasoning of No. 283 is satisfactory; and 
whether it would not be better to deduce the lemma im- 
mediately, from the definition of a straight line. Such a 
tine being the shortest distance between two points, any 
line connecting these two points and varying from the 
straight line, 1s greater than it; and the more any line al- 
ways remaining convex,varies from the straight line between 
its extreme points, the greater is such line. The Edin- 
burgh Encyclopedists have laid down an axiom nearly 
equivalent to the lemma under discussion. 
ed 
PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, MECHANICS, AND THE ARTS. 
a ee 
Art. XI.—Remarks concerning the composition and proper- 
ties of the Greek fire; by James Cursusn, A. S. U.S. A- 
and Acting Professor of Chemistry and Mineralogy in the 
U. S. Military Academy. = Si 
Havuve been engaged for some time in collecting facts, 
both ancient and modern, in relation to pyrotechny, wit 
the view of forming a complete system on that subject; I ne- 
cessarily examined all the writings extant on the Greek fire, 
and other incendiary preparations. Although nothing fally 
satisfactory, asto the real composition of the original Greek 
fire, can be stated, yet we are assured from various author- 
ities, that the principal ingredient was naptha, which with 
other substances, (camphor appears to have been one,) 
in consequence of its great inflammability produced 
extraordinary effects recorded in history. ; 
The Greek fire was invented by Callinicus of Heliopolis, 
a town in Syria, who used it with so much skill and effect 
during a naval engagement, that he destroyed a whole fleet 
of the enemy, in which were embarked 30,000 men.* 
- * The Noveaw Dictionaire Historique par L. M. Chaudon et F. A. Delan- 
dine, article Callinicus, speaks of him thus: “ Callinique, d’ Héliopolis e> 
Syria, auteur de Ja découverte du Feu grecque. 1.” empereur Constantin 
