Z 02 Mr. Majjey on Salt petty* 
thick, there can be no difpute, that, in the fpace 
of a year or two, they had been perfectly putre¬ 
fied, and a nitrous earth had been formed that 
might have prevented this cataftrophe ; efpeci- 
ally if the heap had been treated, as we have 
before hinted. 
When the author faw thefe materials, fomc 
time after the work was dropped, the dung ap¬ 
peared to have been quite burnt up by the lime, 
and to have had no effedt upon it; but his judg¬ 
ment was not then ripe enough, to point out the 
caufe of this difafter. 
This work, as we have been informed, was 
afterwards taken up by a foreigner, who formed 
his nitre beds in a very different manner; but 
they were raifed fo high, and confequently fq 
long in arriving at maturity, as quite tired 
out the patience of thole who were concerne4 
with him. 
There may have been other reafons for laying 
afide this work ; and among the reft, its not 
anfwering the expectations of the Proprietors in 
refpect to profit $ which, in new undertakings, 
are apt to run pretty high, without confidering, 
that the profits of every bufinefs depend upoq 
the {kill and knowledge with which it is con¬ 
ducted. We have before remarked, that Glauber 
generally added wood-afhes to the materials, 
of which he compofed his nitre beds; by which 
means, in a cqurfe of time, he obtained not a 
mere 
