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tvhat terrible and deftrudive explofions 

 may be caufed in volcanos by a large 

 quantity of water entering among the fub- 

 terranean fires. 



Here a queftion naturally arlfes, which 

 it may not be unufeful to difcufs. It can 

 admit of no doubt, that water infmuat' 

 ing itfelf under the burning matter, and 

 fuddenly reduced to vapour by the extreme 

 heat, if it can obtain no paiTage, will caufe 

 the moft terrible erudations. But what 

 effedl will it produce fhould it fall upon the 

 fire, fiippofing it either fea- water or rain ; 

 for the latter may eafily penetrate, through 

 the pores and fiflures of the earth, to the 

 volcanic furnaces ? If we attend to fome 

 experiments, \we fhall be inclined to fup- 

 pofe that the evaporation of the water in 

 the latter cafe will produce the fame effei^ 

 as in the former. Thus, if we throw 

 drops of water on an oily and boiling mat-r 

 ter, fuch as butter, fat, or oil, the water, 

 by its violent expanfion in evaporation, will 

 force out the oily particles with a kind of 



explofion 



