THE EAUTIU 167 



of dissolving any more. The lakes of ilexico and of Titicaca in 

 i'ei u, though of no great extent, are nevertheless salt j and both 

 tor the same reason. 



Those who are willing to turn all things to the best, have 

 not failed to consider this saltness of the sea as a jieculiar bless, 

 ing from providence, in order to keep so great an element 

 sweet and wholesome. What foundation there may be in the 

 remark, I will not pretend to determine ; but we shall shortly 

 find a much better cause for its being kept sweet, namely, its 

 motion. 



On the other hand, there have been many who have consid- 

 ered the subject in a different light, and have tried every endea- 

 vour to make salt-water fresh, so as to supply the wants of ma- 

 riners in long voyages, or when exhausted of their ordinarj^ stores. 

 Aubrst itwas supposed simple distillation would do ; but it w as soon 

 found, that the bitter part of the water still kept mixed. It was 

 then tried by uniting salt of tartar with sea- water, and distilling 

 both, but here the expense was greater than the advantage. 

 Calcined bones were next thought of; but a hogshead of calcin- 

 ed bones, carried to sea, would take up as much room as a hogs- 

 head of water, and was more hard to be obtained. In this state, 

 therefore, have the attempts to sweeten sea-water rested ; the 

 chymist, satisfied with the reality of his invention, and the ma- 

 riner convinced of its being useless. I cannot, therefore, avoid 

 mentioning a kind of succedaneum which has been lately con- 

 ceived to answer the purposes of fresh water, when mariners 

 are quite exhausted. It is well known, that persons who go 

 into a warm bath, come out several ounces heavier than they 

 went in ; their bodies have imbibed a correspondent quantity of 

 water. This more particularly happens, if they have been pre- 

 viously debarred from drinking, or go in with a violent thirst ; 

 which they quickly find quenched, and their spirits restored. It 

 was supposed, that in case of a total failure of fresh water a* 

 sea, a warm bath might be made of sea-water, for the use oi 

 mariners ; and that their pores would thus imbibe the tluid 

 without any of its salts, which would be seen to crystalize on the 

 surface of their bodies. In this manner it is supposed, a sufii- 

 dent quantity of moisture may be procured to sustain life, till 

 lime or accident furnish a more copious sujjply. 



