VOL. XX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 321 



about 3 or 4 miles diameter, which incessantly sends up a flame rising very 

 high, without noise, smoke, or smell, yet it gives a very great heat, and it has 

 been observed to be always thus, except at great rains, which put it out for a 

 time, but when that is over, it burns with greater vigour and heat than before ; 

 the sand about it, when turned up, sends up a flame ; but within 3 or 4 yards 

 of it there grows corn all round about, for it continues always in the same spot. 

 The flame seems to proceed from a vein of bitumen or naphtha, that cropes, 

 as the miners call it, only here ; which, when by ploughing or some other acci- 

 dent the upper crust has been turned up, was kindled into a flame by the heat 

 and agitation of the air, as other salino-sulphureous bodies are, of which Mr. 

 Boyle's phosphorus is a particular instance. The like spontaneous accension is 

 seen in many mineral substances, but none that I know of so quick in its pro- 

 duction or so lasting as this is. The whole woods and fields have been destroyed 

 by it. The inhabitants there have been so little curious to observe it, that they 

 believed that there was a great hole in the flame place, but he found it to be 

 firm ground. Neither does any there remember, when, and upon what occa- 

 sion it first began. The flaming well near Wigan seems to proceed froni a 

 similar cause ; you may boil an egg in it, and upon the approaching of a lighted 

 candle it takes fire; both seem to proceed from a naphtha or subtle bitumen, 

 only that in a hotter country, and being in a drier soil, is more subtle and in- 

 flammable ; just as the petroleum which is found in Italy is white like spirit 

 of turpentine, and is more penetrating than the petroleum found in the 

 northern countries ; an instance of which we have in a well 2 miles from Edin- 

 burgh, called the Baume-well, of a black red colour, and very thick, but being 

 distilled, in colour, taste, and smell, it resembles that of Italy. This sponta- 

 neous accension of the naphtha seems to be made out by the smell that our 

 bitumen near Edinburgh yields, being most like coal smoke. There are three 

 such fires on the same hills that are extinguished in the summer, but burn in 

 the winter. 



A new Lamp. By Dr. Rob. St. Clair. N° 245, p. 380. 



As it is observed that the wick of a lamp or candle never wastes till the wick 

 be exposed to the air by the flames falling downwards ; hence it follows, that a 

 way found out to keep the fuel, and consequently the flame at the same height 

 upon the wick, would make it serve a long time; I have a good while since 

 thought this might be effected by hydrostatics ; thus : let a lamp, 2 or 3 inches 

 deep, with a pipe coming from the bottom, almost as high as the top of the 

 vessel, be first filled with water, so high as to cover the hole of the pipe at the 

 bottom, that the oil may not get in at the pipe, and so be loit ; thtn let the 



VOL. IV. T T 



