150 HISTORY OF 



the bung is taken out of the cask, it sends up a 

 noisome and dangerous vapour, which would 

 take fire upon the application of a candle.* The 

 whole body of the water then is found replete 

 with little worm-like insects, that float with great 

 briskness through all its parts. These generally 

 live for about a couple of days ; and then dying, 

 by depositing their spoils, for a while increase 

 the putrefaction. After a time, the heavier parts 

 of these sinking to the bottom, the lighter float, 

 in a scum, at the top ; and this is what the mari- 

 ners call the water's purging itself. There are 

 still, however, another race of insects, which are 

 bred, very probably, from the spoils of the for- 

 mer; and produce, after some time, similar ap- 

 pearances : these dying, the water is then thought 

 to change no more. However, it very often hap- 

 pens, especially in hot climates, that nothing can 

 drive these nauseous insects from the ship's store 

 of water. They often increase to a very disa- 

 greeable and frightful size, so as to deter the ma- 

 riner, though parching with thirst, from tasting 

 that cup which they have contaminated. 



This water, as thus described, therefore, is a 

 very different fluid from that simple elementary 

 substance upon which philosophical theories have 

 been founded ; and concerning the nature of 

 which there have been so many disputes. Ele- 

 mentary water is no way compounded; but is 

 without taste, smell, or colour ; and incapable of 

 being discerned by any of the senses, except the 



* Phil. Trans, vol. v. part ii. p. 71. 



