172 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



and imposed upon by relators that were eye-witnesses. 

 I myself also was abused in like manner, and therefore 

 do verily believe there was then no more fountain there 

 than is now that is a fountain of fire, which, from the 

 constancy and perpetuity of its issuing out, it may be 

 called. Hence we may learn what credit is to be given 

 to the verbal relations of the generality of travellers. 



Black Notley, May 22, 85. 



Dr. ROBINSON to Mr. RAY. 



SIR, I thank you for freeing me of my error concern- 

 ing the burning fountain near Grenoble. Some French 

 and other writers were the authors of my mistake. Mon- 

 sieur Boissieu (a native of Dauphine, and a learned per- 

 son), speaking of the burning fountain of that countiy, 

 says, " Aqua e rupe procurrit, et ipsa frigida, sed sulphure 

 et bitumine leviter imbuta, cujus superficiei si sulphura- 

 tum admoveris extinctum statim accenditur, ardetque lu- 

 culenter ; ardet et admota palea, imprimis ccelo nubibus 

 cooperto." To save his credit, we may suspect well 

 enough that he either speaks of a different place from 

 that you were at up the river, or else that some times of 

 the year springs may arise near the bank, where the com- 

 bustible steams may meet with, and run through them, 

 and so produce the aforesaid phenomena ; but this is 

 only a mere conjecture of mine. 



London, June 2, 85. 



