of Carbon and Hydrogen, ^-c. 181 



preserved in ihe liquid state. The pressure ajjplied amounts 

 to 30 atmospheres ; and in the operation, the gas previously 

 contained in a gasometer over water, first passes into a large 

 strong receive!-, and from it, by pipes, into the portable ves- 

 sels. It is in the receiver that the condensation principally 

 takes place ; and it is from that vessel that the liquid I have 

 worked with has been taken. The fluid is drawn off at the 

 bottom by opening a conical valve : at first a portion of water 

 generally comes out, and then the liquid. It effervesces as it 

 issues forth ; and by the difference of refractive power it may 

 be seen that a dense transparent vapour is descending through 

 the air from the aperture. The effervescence immediately 

 ceases ; and the liquid may be readily retained in ordinary 

 stoppered, or even corked bottles, a thin phial being suffi- 

 ciently strong to confine it. I understand that 1000 cubical 

 feet of good gas yield nearly one gallon of the fluid. 



The substance appears as a thin light fluid; sometimes 

 transparent and colourless, at others opalescent, being yellow 

 or brown by transmitted, and green by reflected light. It has 

 the odour of oil gas. When the bottle containing it is opened, 

 evaporation takes place from the surface of the liquid ; and it 

 may be seen by the striae in the air that vapour is passing off 

 from it. Sometimes in such circumstances it will boil, if the 

 bottle and its contents have had their temperature raised a 

 few degrees. After a short time this abundant evolution of 

 vapour ceases, and the remaining portion is comparatively 

 fixed. 



The specific gravity of this substance is 0*821. It does not 

 solidify at a temperature of 0° F. It is insoluble, or nearly 

 so, in water ; very soluble in alcohol, aether, and volatile and 

 fixed oils. It is neutral to test colours. It is not more solu- 

 ble in alkaline solutions than in water ; and only a small por- 

 tion is acted upon by them. Muriatic acid has no action upon 

 it. Nitric acid gradually acts upon it, producing nitrous acid, 

 nitric oxide gas, carbonic, and sometimes hydrocyanic acid, 

 &c.,but the action is not violent. Sulphuric acid acts upon it 

 in a very remarkable and peculiar manner, which I shall have 

 occasion to refer to more particularly presently. 



This fluid is a mixture of various bodies; which, though 

 they resemble each other in being highly combustible, and 

 throwing off much smoke when burnt in large flame, may yet 

 by their difterence of volatility be separated in part from each 

 other. Some of it drawn from the condenser, after the pres- 

 sure had been repeatedly raised to 30 atmosj)heres, and at a 

 time when it was at 28 atmospheres, then introduced rapidly 

 into a stoppered bottle and closed up, was, when brought 



home. 



