i26 Ohfervations on the Property of Oil 



docs not appear clearly from their information, whether the- 

 <i!vcT3, to whofc tellimony they refer, made their obferva- 

 tions at the furface of tb.e water, or at any depth. Bcfides, 

 we are not able to afcertain whether they looked througli 

 the oil as through a window, or as through a magnifying 

 glafs: for if a drop of limpid oil be let f.dl upon water, it will 

 form a very fnnple kind of microfeope, and magnify objctls 

 placed at a convenient depth below the water, Plutarch 

 fcems to believe, that the oil fpouted from the mouth of the 

 diver formed, in afcending, a kind of canal, which facili- 

 tated the padlige of the light through the water*. 



Of this property of oil, apparently fo wonderful, manv 

 fellimonies were afterwards produced ; and it was even con- 

 fecrated by fuperftition for thia purpofe. Thus we are told, 

 among the miracles of St. Cuthbert, that he gave a pricft, 

 for a fca voyage, fome confecratcd oil, by which he was en- 

 abled to allay the fury of the waves during a dreadful ftorm. 

 Erafmus was acquainted with this propertyf ; and at prefent 

 it is not unknown among feamen, particularly in Holland. 



Not many years ago, but before the celebrated Franklin 

 comnumicaced to the public his ohfervations on this fubjei?t, 

 the following article appeared in the Annual Rcgijler : — 

 " At the late fire in Thames-ftrcet it was obferved that the 

 nil, which, to prevent the farther fpreading of the fire, had 

 been thrown into the river, vifibly calmed the violent agi- 

 tation of the water. This property of oil," fays another 

 paragraph, " appears to have been long known. It is or- 

 dered, by an old marine law, that when goods, during a 

 ilorm, muft be thrown overboard, if any part of the ladino- 

 confiiis of oil, it fnall be the firtt article thrown into the fea." 

 \x). modern times we have a number of experiments which 

 feem to leave no doubt refpefting this circumftancc. I tliall 



* Canifius Left. Ant. Vol. IJ. p. ?., eil. Barn. 



\ His words are : Noiinulli jTocumbcntts in fabulas adorabant mare, 

 quicinid ent olei etfuiultntcs in undas. C&//oy. c recenf. P. Rjbi. Ulm. 



here 



