540 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1741. 



sethereal spirits, but of saline origins, equally subtile with this sethereal spirit of 

 wine. 



Soon after this the Doctor died, and never discovered any thing relating to 

 these elementary aethereal liquors ; only in a paper he left in Dr. M.'s hands, he 

 gave these few hints of their nature. 



There are 4 spheres opened, one of the earth, one of the sea, one of the 

 air, and one of the heaven. Whoever therefore knows how to extract the 

 essences out of vitriol and nitre, whose centres are salt, (and the surface of the 

 earth is salt), possesses 



1. The salt of the earth. 1. The salt of the sea is made from the sphere 

 of the sea, and common salt. 3. That of the air is made of sal ammoniac and 

 salts of vegetables. 4. The essence of fire is made soon and easily from a 

 concentrated spirit of wine, or of vegetables. Thus the four genuine elements 

 of nature are obtained. 



Of the Fire-ball seen in the Air, and of the Explosion heard, on Dec. 11, 1741. 

 By LordBeauchamp. N''46l, p. 870. 



Being then on the mount in Kensington gardens, at a quarter past lo o'clock, 

 the sun shining bright, in a serene sky, Lord B. saw towards the south, a ball 

 of fire, of about 8 inches diameter, and somewhat oval, which enlarged to the 

 size of about a yard and a half diameter. It seemed to descend from above, 

 and at the distance of about half a mile from the earth, took its course to the 

 east, and seemed to drop over Westminster. In its course it assumed a tail of 

 80 yards in length ; and before it disappeared, it divided into 1 heads. It left 

 a train of smoke all the way as it went ; and from the place where it seemed to 

 drop, there arose a smoke, which continued ascending for 20 minutes ; and at 

 length formed into a cloud, which assumed different colours. 



Concerning the same Meteor, seen in Sussex. By John Fuller, Esq. F. R. S. 



N°46l, p. 871. 



Between 12 and 1 o'clock, all this part of the country was alarmed with a 

 most terrible clap of thunder, as it is generally imagined. The sound came 

 from the north, where the weather appeared very black and dark all the morn- 

 ing. The sound was double, as if 2 very large cannons had been discharged at 

 the distance of about a second from each other. Most people thought, just 

 at the first hearing, that it was the discharge of cannons, till by the rolling and 

 echoing of the sound afterwards, they were convinced it was not. Some thought 



