15^ ^5tober 1748. 



The Datura Stramonium, or Thorn Apr 

 fhy grows in great quantities near ^11 the 

 villages. Its height is different according 

 ^o the foil it is in. For in a rich foil it 



grow$ 



half an inch of mould was produced. But he obferves in the 

 fame time, that this obfervation was not at all exaft; for as 

 the common mould feldom exceeds a foot, it muft from 

 the^ce follow, that fmce the deluge no more than 2400 years 

 were elapfed, though the fcripture chronology reckons up,- 

 *vards of 4000 years fince that event : befides this, he re- 

 marks, that moujd always becomes more dry and comprefled, 

 >vhere it is out of the reach of rain and fnow ; and where i^t 

 is expofed to rain, it is carried oiF to lower places, and 

 .therefore increafes and decreafes according to the qualities of 

 its local fituation. Moreover, vegetables it is known profpei" 

 che beft where mould is found. As the furface of oiir globe 

 has been covered with vegetables fmce the deluge, they muft 

 have had a mould to grow in ever fince that time ; confer 

 quently it is highly probable, that there muft have been a 

 mould covering the furface of our globe, ever fince the firft 

 origin. I fhould be led by feme other confiderations, tp 

 doubt of the infallibility of this rule for the iijcreafe of 

 mould. In Rufta, on this fide the river Vclga, are high and 

 extenfive plains, which have been uncultivated ever fmce the 

 deluge, for we know froip hiftory, that the Scythians, Sarmar 

 tians, Huns, Chazars, and Mogols, were fucceffively the 

 piafters of thefe vaft countries, and were altogether nomadic 

 nations, who lived without agriculture; the country has 

 been without wood fmce time immemorial, nor could there 

 even fpring up any wood whatfoever, fmce its rambling pof- 

 felTors every fpring fet fire to the old dry grafs, in order to 

 make room for the new grafs, which in the latter end of Ma>', 

 I found come up very near to my waift. And thefe vaft, de- 

 ikrt plains, I faw every where covered with at leaft two feet 

 fnould ; nay, in fome places it amounted to four feet ; this 

 would give according to the former rule of half an inch per 

 century, 4800 years, in the firft inftance, and in the fecond, 

 9600 years, and therefore fhews that this rule for calculatinc^ 

 the increafe of mould, is very precarious. The chemical 



analyfis 



