( 32^ ) 



of water^s helng reduced to vapour by their 

 co7iflagrat'io7i — Enquiry whether water 

 .filling upon a hitming volcano may be ca^' 

 pable to produce explojions^ as it is certain 

 it will if it inftnuates itfelf hi from below ^ 

 Und its vapours cannot otherwife obtain a 

 p^ffage out— Water falling upon oily and 

 boiling matters generates feeble explofons^ 

 which feems to favour the affirmative — 

 Arguments for the negative deduced from 

 the effefis of water poured on fame melted 

 fubfances^ ivhich are more analogous tha?i 

 oily to the liquefied matters of volcanos — 

 No explofon or detonation occafioncd by 

 water falling on cryfdl liquefied in the 

 furnace — Curious phenomena obfcrved in 

 this experiment — Similar cffeEls produced 

 i>y letting fall the fame fluid on iron or 

 copper 171 a flate of fufion — Explofiojis 

 and detonatio7is in water^ as foofi as it 

 touches the furface of melted tin or lead — ' 

 Ihefe explofions greater vohen the water 

 remai7is enclofed within thefe melted metals 

 -^Remar-kable diverfities in thefe expert- 

 fnents — Kxperime7its 07i lavas melted in the 

 VOL. in. Y furnace— 



