228f COMPOSITION OF WATER, &C. 



diftllled water, I then tied to its mouth a bladder filled with 

 the different gafes I wanted to comprefs. Upon pouring out 

 the fand or water into the bladder, the gales entered the bar- 

 rel, and then having a ftrong iron ram-rod made perfedly 

 AsA'S*^ air-tight, it was forced down upon the gafes by a long 

 %:iu iron lever, by which means I was capable of making a ftronger 



conden(alion than reducing them to one fifth of the volume. 

 They gave out The refults of thefe experiments were, that all the different 

 heat and moift. g^fg,^ by being compreffed, gave out heat and raoifture : The 

 hydrogen gas, the greateft proportion of moifture to its fpe- 

 Oxigen and hy- cific gravity. That when oxigen and hydrogen gafes were 

 drogcn gave comprefled, there was an acid which produced flocculi in 

 lime water J and that nitrogen gas was not necefiary to the 

 produdion of the acid, but rather retarded its produ6tion. 

 The nitrogen gas obtained by the nitric acid and animal fub- 

 /lances ought not to be ufed in thefe experiments, as it rs 

 partly acid of itfelf ; but the nitrogen of the atraofphere ought 

 to be made ufe of, being previoully paflTed through lime 

 water. 



Mr. Nicholfon, I have condenfed this communication as 

 much as pofiible, in order that it might not occupy too much 

 room in your Journal. I am 



London, February, 15, 1S06. 



Your's, Szc. 



H. JB. K. 



X. 



On the Confinifilon nf the Sails of Ships and Vejftli. Bj Mal- 

 colm Cow yiN, }'jq. Cdptainw the Boycil Nary.* 



The fails of IT appears from the conftru6iion of the fails of (hips and 



Clips Lave been velTels, belonging to every nation, that it is a fubjedt no one 



long wjthout ^^^ hitherto taken much pains to invefiigate; but the maritime 

 joiprovement. •^ , 



world have been content to ufe them, as they tound them, 



every one following the beaten track of his predeceflurs, 



without examination. 



* Extrafled from an effay, by the author, who has letters pa- 

 tent for the fails. 



That 



