of the Devon Iron- IVorls . 327 



my recommendation, and was now fo loudly condemned on ac- 

 count of the water, I had other motives, than mere intereft, 

 for trying to become better acquainted with the phenomena 

 attending it. I accordingly determined to go into the air- 

 vault, and to remain enclofed in the condenfed air while the 

 engine was blowing the furnace. It is an experiment that 

 perhaps never was made before, as there never exiiled fuch 

 an opportunitv. I could not perfuade the engineer, or any 

 other of the operative people about the work, to be my com- 

 panions, as they imagined that there was much danger in 

 the experiment. Mr. Neil Ryrie, however, one of the clerks 

 of the Devon company, had fufficient confidence in my re- 

 prefentations to venture himfelf along with me. 



The machine had been iiopped about two hours previous 

 to our entering the vault, and we found a dampnefs and 

 miftinefs in it, which difappeared foon after the door was 

 fliut faft upon us, and the engine began to work in its ufual 

 manner. After four or five ftrokes of the engine, we both 

 experienced a fingular fenfation in our ears, as if they were 

 Hopped by the fingers, which continued as long as we re- 

 mained in the condenfed air. Our breathing was not in the 

 lead afiefted. I had no thermometer with me, but the tem- 

 perature of the air felt to us the fame as that without the vault. 

 Sound was much magnified, as we perceived, when we talked 

 to each other, or ftruck any thing; particularly th&noife of 

 the air efcaping at the blow-pipe, or wafte valve, was very 

 loud, and leemed to return back to us. There was no ap- 

 pearance of wind to difturb the flame of our candles ; on thc|, 

 contrary, I was furprifed to find, that when we put one of 

 them into the edu6tion-pipe, which conveys the wind from 

 the vault to the furnaces, it was not blown out. There was 

 not the fmallcil appearance of any drops of water ifluing out 

 of this pipe. The ouzing and dropping of water from the 

 fide of the rock next the bank, fcemed the fame as before the 

 condenfation was made in the vault. In fiiort, every thing 

 appeared, in other refpefts, the fame as when we were in 

 the common atmofphere. Having remained about an hour 

 in the condenfed air, and fatisficd ourfclves that no water, 

 during that time, that we could in the lead difcover, was 



asitatcd 



