Royal Society. 229 
water, will not only caufe a areat effervefcence, but will of itfelf 
break forth into an a6tual flame; io that there is only wanting 
Ibme chalybeate or vitriolic vapour, or Ibmething equivalent 
thereto, to produce the whole efteft, there being plenty of aque- 
ous matter in the clouds ; and there is no doubt, but that amongft 
the various effluvia from the earth, there may be copious fupplies 
of materials for fuch admixtures ; and it is alfb known that hay, 
if laid up too green, will not only heat, but take fire of itfelf 
The fame account may alfo be given of j¥.tJia and other burn- 
ing mountains, where the admixture of fteel and fulphur may 
give a flame ; which is often attended with prodigious explofions, 
and earthquakes, from the great quantities of nitre, as in fpring- 
ing a mine. 
This may alfb fiiggefl fbmething towards the accounting for 
the generation of hail, which is very often an attendant on thun- 
der and lightning. It is well known in our artificial congela- 
tions, that a mixture of fnow and nitre, or even common fait, 
will caufe a prefent and very fudden congelation of water; and 
the fame in the clouds may caufe hailftones ; and the rather, be- 
caufe not only in thofe prodigioufly large, but alfo in common 
hailftones, there feems fomething like fnow rather than ice in the 
middle of them. And as to thole in particular io very large, as 
to weigh half a pound, or three quarters of a pound, iuppofing 
them to fall from a great height ; it is very pofTible, that tho* 
their firfl concretion, on their fudden congelation, might be but 
moderately great, as in common hail, yet m their long defcent, if 
the medium, thro' which they fall, were alike inclined to conge- 
lation, they might receive a great acceflion to their bulk, and di- 
vers of them incorporate into one; like to that itrange fhower of 
hail in 2)ec. KJ72, wherein, a great deal hung on the trees in 
form of icicles, a foot or more in length. 
Obfervations at Cape Corfe ; by Mr. J. Hillier. Phil. Tranf. 
N°232. p. ^87. 
r\CT. 9d, idSy, ^ben Tenin y4prlvc, king of Fetu^ died 
^ here at Cape Corfe^ where he had been long fick. The Fe- 
tijhers had done all they could to fave his life, but all was to no 
purpofe, their phyfic fcarcely extending to any thing but the flux, 
and what we call the French dileale; his diforder was a con- 
fumption, and an afthmaof a long continuance; io they had re- 
courfe to their religion, and according to the rules of that, they 
made feveral pellets of clay, which they ranged in order in his 
chamber, all befprinkled with blood ; befides, they eat feveral 
muttons 
