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the metal, the latter, by its fluidity, became 

 in motion. I likewife remarked that, at the 

 fame time, a momeatary cavity was pro- 

 duced in its furface, from the fall of the 

 drop, efpecially if it fell from any heights 

 It then occurred to me, that it might be 

 poflible that the explofion and detonation 

 might be the effect of the water finking 

 into the cavity, and being in part confined 

 in the melted metal ; where, paiTmg fuddenly 

 into the (late of vapour, and finding no 

 room for its dilatation, it impetuoufly farced 

 out the metal. But this fuppofition did not 

 accord with the fact. Had this been the 

 cafe, if the drop had touched the melted 

 tin without fmking the fmall cavity, it 

 would have caufed no explofion ; which 

 muft hav-e been the louder and more violent, 

 the deeper the cavity, which would then 

 have contained more water. I, therefore, 

 firfl let fall the drops of water on the tin 

 from a very fmall height, and afterwards 

 from one of five or fix feci ; but I found 

 DO fenfibJe difference, either In the explo- 

 fion 



