Mifcellanea Curiofa. 317 



afcribing it to Vapour difyofmg the Aqueous 

 Parts fo to congeal. And not unlikely. 



If I may interpofe my Opinion , you may 

 take it thus : 



Thunder and Lightning are fo very like the 

 Effe&s of fired Gun-powder , that we may 

 reafonably judge them to proceed from like 

 Caufes. The violent Explofion of Gun- 

 powder, attended with the Noife and Flafh, 

 isfo like that of Thunder and Lightning, as 

 if they differed only as Natural and Artifi- 

 cial ^ as if Thunder and Lightning were a 

 kind of natural Gun-powder, and this a kind 

 of artificial Thunder and Lightning. 



Now the principal Ingredients in Gun- 

 powder are, Nitre and Sulphur (the Ad mi* 

 ftion of Charcole being chiefly to keep the 

 Parts feparate for the better kindling of it.) 

 So that if we fuppofe in the Air, a conve- 

 nient mixture of Nitrous and Sulphorous Va- 

 pours, and thofe by Accident to take Fire ; 

 fuch Explofion may well follow, with fuch 

 Noife and Light, as in the firing of Gun-pow- 

 der. And being once kindled, it will run on 

 from Place to Place as the Vapour leads it, 

 as in a Train of Gun-powder, with like 

 EfFefts. 



This Explofion, if high in the Air, and far 

 from us, will do no Mifchief, or not confider- 

 able ; like a parcel of Gun-powder fired in 

 the open Air, where is nothing near to be 

 hurt by it : But if near, to us (or among us) 

 it may kill Men or Cattle, tear Trees, fire 

 Gunpowder, break Houfes, or the like; as 

 Gun-powder would do in like Circum- 

 ftances. 



Now 



