14 OF THE OIUC1NT OF CHEMISTRY. 



lately heated. Iron of thcfe qualities, however, 

 is now very rare; though it is not impoffiblc 

 that, in the infancy of the world.it fhould have 

 been more abundant, and by fucceeding ages 

 corroded into ochre. The flight mention made of 

 kin the fcripturcs proves not h ing certain as to its 

 proportion; it rc'ls therefore upon conjecture, 

 tuid that hy no means well founded. 



The facrcd writings fpcak of Noah, probably thci 

 ttaechiiL, of the Pagan*, that he made wine from 

 grapes*, and mention the burning of bricks foi 

 building the tower of Babel f. ThcfeareahnofUhe 

 Oiilytracesof chemical arts preceding the deluge J. 



in. T/JC 



Of fire produced hy friclion, Pliny fy&, 1. xvi. c. 40. 

 " Thofc trees from which touchwood can be made, a. ilu* 

 * mulberry, laurel, and ivy, arc all or" a warm nature. 

 " Scuutj of armies and fhepherds n.ake uk of them forlighl- 

 4 * iii fires, a* Hones aic not always to be found. Two 

 * pieces of wood are rubbed hard againft each oilier, until th- 

 *' tlamc breaks out, wMen i> iuuncdiatcly communieatcd tv> 

 44 foinc dry fuel, of fungus or leaves. For tliis puipofc no- 

 ' tiling h better than tlitf laurel and ivy. The \vood-\iuc 

 * alfo may be employed ; not \vlat ii c.iHcd \vild-viue, from 

 *' \vhuh it differ*, by twitting iUtlf round irccs in the ir.anncr 

 of ivy." 



By a fimilar proc^fi of rubbing pieces of wood together, 

 the Arabs, und the iflauoVr* cf America, obtain all their 

 lire. 



* Gen. ix. 20, 21. 

 f Gen. x:. 3. 



J lierofus tlic Annian rcbtes that Noah had olfcrved ^-7 

 cf the ferret \voiks of nature, which \v<?r: only cntr^fted tu 

 the priefts. Of iiis knowledge t'cfivcd from the pillar* cT 

 S:tb, Jofvphus fpcaks, Aiili'|. 1. i. c. 3. 



