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WATER AND THE OCEAN 



con 



d 



bably from the putrefacStion of a great many animal fubflances, that 



the ocean, float in it, and in hot cahn days frequently and 



fifhes and mollufca contain oily and in- 



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The acid of phofpho- 



Th 



fuddenly putrefy/ 



flammable particles is equally well known 



rus difen^aged by putrefadion from its original mixture in animal 



bodies, may eafily combine with fome of the juft mentioned in- 



flammables, and thus produce a phofphorus floating on the top of 



hich 



fo 



the ocean, and cauflng that luminous appearance, w 



much admire. 



Laftly the third kind of phofphoreal light no doubt arifes from 



h I 



live animals floating in the fea and is owing to their peculiar 

 flirucfture or rather the nature of their integrant parts, which per- 

 haps might be invefligated, by analyzing chemically fome of the 

 mollufca, v/hich have a luminous appearance. 



67 



tinned calm, becomes fliinking and highly putrid f , arifmg pro- ocean. 



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t 



O n the Qu E 8 T 10 n concerning the Existence of a 



Southern Land. 



A Suspicion was long flnce entertained by the author of the 

 Univerfal Hiflory, and by the learned and ingenious Prefident des 



K 2 



Brosses, 



■' 



f See Boyle. T. III. p. 222, he relates th?.t fome navigators, 'm ti culm which hflci 

 thuteen-days, fcur.d the fea bcccming putrid. 



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