

CENTURY VIII. 409 



way you would think the sea were near at hand, 

 though it be a good distance off : and it is nothing 

 but the shining of the nitre upon the sea sands, such 

 abundance of nitre the shores there do put forth. 



Experiment solitary touching bodies that are borne 

 up by water. 



773. The Dead Sea, which vomiteth up bitumen, 

 is of that crassitude, as living bodies bound hand and 

 foot cnst into it have been borne up, and not sunk ; 

 which sheweth, that all sinking into water is but an 

 over-weight of the body put into the water in respect 

 of the water ; so that you may make water so strong 

 and heavy, of quicksilver, perhaps, or the like, as 

 may bear up iron ; of which I see no use, but impos 

 ture. We see also, that all metals, except gold, for 

 the same reason, swim upon quicksilver. 



Experiment solitary touching fuel that consumeth 

 little or nothing. 



774. It it reported, that at the foot of a hill near 

 the Mare Mortuum there is a black stone, whereof 

 pilgrims make fires, which burneth like a coal, and 

 diminisheth not, but only waxeth brighter and whiter. 

 That it should do so is not strange : for we see iron 

 red hot burneth, and consumeth not; but the strange 

 ness is, that it should continue any time so; for iron, 

 as soon as it is out of the fire, deadeth straight- 

 ways. Certainly it were a thing of great use and 

 profit, if you could find out fuel that would burn hot, 

 and yet last long: neither am I altogether incredulous 



VOL. iv. B B 



