188 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1685. 



the water, and ran into round particles, just like oil when mixed with water. 

 As these figures passed slowly through a great deal of water, they increased 

 gradually ; as for example, a 4-sided figure was raised higher by the accumu- 

 lation of the vitriol, which made a border around it ; and this not only once, 

 but J 5 or 16 times. 



Salt or Oil of Tartar per Deliquium. — I mixed the liquor of tartar with 

 water, and let it stand for some time, that the grosser foul parts might sink 

 down. In this mixture I observed long slender particles, which through a 

 common microscope were like the shavings of a man's beard ; as N° 6, fig. A. 

 These drove against the superficies of the water; and some of them grew in 

 length, breadth, and thickness, as fig. B. Also some, as fig. C, having often 

 two slope ends, and some only one, the other end being sharp, as fig. D. 

 These salts in some places grew so large, that through a microscope they seemed 

 as long as one's finger ; but then they were oddly formed, especially when 

 crowded together. 



Of Muscovy Pot Ashes. — Having put Muscovy pot ashes in rain water, and 

 let it stand a few hours, I observed in it longish figures, like weavers' small 

 shuttles, as N° 7, fig. A. These particles were so small, that I judged them 

 to be 1000 times thinner than a hair of my head ; but as they became larger, 

 they became like fig. B. I saw also a 6-sided figure, which rose pyramidally, 

 like a 6-sided pointed diamond, as fig. C. But this sort was very rare, being 

 scarcely one to 1000 of the former. I saw also several oblong figures, with 

 A even or straight sides, as fig. D. And some few exactly square, as fig. E. 



After a day's time, I put more pot ashes into the water, .that the ley might 

 be the stronger, and after having stood 1 hours to clear, there appeared in it 

 a great number of extremely small 4-sided figures, E; also 6-sided ones, as F. 

 But they were generally imperfect, and somewhat long : these last two sorts 

 were each so small, as well as the first, and some few shaped like G, that they 

 would not cover the 1 6a6 - ( r '6»oo -!r part of a coarse sand. When the ley was 

 thicker in one place than another, there came out so many different figures, 

 having all their dimensions, that they were scarcely to be counted, viz. square, 

 oblong or parallelogram, cubical, triangular, hexangular, rhomboidal, and 

 various others ; which had sometimes their thickness equal to their length or 

 breadth. 



Of Camphor. — I observed some camphor as it is brought from the Indies, 

 and found at first nothing remarkable ; but on more narrowly examining it, I 

 perceived the crystalline figures as they were clotted together. These figures, 

 when not too close to one another, had 6 perfect sides ; they were of different 

 magnitudes, and generally longish ; they had all their dimensions, their breadth 



