AT CHATRA IN RAMGUR. 315 



a certain quantity of heat, which becomes what he very 

 properly calls latent heat; it being heat not appearing 

 either to the fenfes, or to the thermometer, while they 

 remain in that liquid ftate; but mewing itfelf imme- 

 diately by its effects on whatever is near it, upon their 

 changing their form from fluid to folid; as on water 

 becoming ice, or metals fixing, and the like. In the 

 folution of falts, alfo, there is an abforption of heat, as 

 we daily experience in the cooling of our liquors by 

 diffolving falt-petre in water; and this he has found to 

 be the cafe with water itfelf, and other fluids, when 

 palling into a ftate of vapour by boiling. From the 

 moft accurate and judicious experiments, indeed, he 

 infers, and with the greateft appearance of truth, that 

 the heat thus concealed in vapour raifed by boiling, 

 from any given bulk of water, would be fully fufflcient, 

 if collected in a piece of iron of the like fize, to make 

 it perfectly red hot. What then muft be the effect of fo 

 much heat communicated in our way of diftilling to 

 the worm, and to the water in the tub, will be fuffi- 

 ciently evident from what has been faid to prove, I 

 think, that we have hitherto employed a worfe and 

 more defective method than we might have done with 

 refpect to cooling at leaft, both in the making of fpirits, 

 and in other diftillations of the like kind, where a fimi- 

 lar mode is adoDted. 



The poor ignorant Indian, indeed, while he with 

 wonder furveys the vafl apparatus of Eurcpea ji d\R.i\\ers, 

 in their immenfe large ftills, worms, tubs, and expen- 

 five furnaces, and finds that fpirits thus made by them 

 are more valued, and fell much dearer than his own, 

 may very naturally conclude, and will have his compe- 

 titors join with him in opinion, that this muft alone 

 furely be owing to their better and more judicious man- 

 ner of diftilling with all thofe ingenious and expenlive 

 contrivances, which he can no ways emulate ; but in 

 this, it would appear, they are both equally miftaken> 



Z 2 imputing 



