relating to Air and Water* ' 509 



binecl with It, as the water itfelf brings along with it, as an 

 eiTential ingredient in its compofition. For in one experiment 

 296 grains added to the weight of a quantity of iron by fteam, 

 made it to yield about 1000 ounce meafures of inflammable air. 

 This would weigh 60 grains, and one- fifth of the 296 grains 

 of water will be 59.2 grains. Again, 267 grains added to iron 

 by fteam made it to yield 840 ounce meafures of inflammable 

 air, which would weigh 50.4 grains, and one-fifth of the 267 

 would be 53.4 grains. 



When the experiments on the melting of iron in dephlo- 

 gifticated air Ihall be repeated on a larger fcale, which it will 

 not be difficult to do by the help of a larger burning lens than 

 I am at prefent pofleffed of, it will be eafy to reduce thefe cal- 

 culations to a greater certainty. All that I can do at prefent Is 

 to approximate to fuch general conclufionsas I have mentioned ; 

 ■but they are of fo much confequence in philolbphy, that It 

 will certainly be well worth while to afcertain them with as 

 much accuracy as poflible. Nice calculations would be ill be- 

 ^owed on the imperfedh data which I am as yet able to furnifh. 

 Attention muft alfo be given to the quantity of water contained 

 in inflammable air from iron ; which not being yet afcertalned 

 is not confidered in thefe inferences. I wifli only to hint in 

 this Poftfcript, that fome important conclufions feems to be 

 •nearly within our reach. 



XNfi OF ^ARt 1. OF VX)U LXtV* 



