244 Mifcettanea Curiofa. 



or conftituent Atoms of Gold to be much larger 

 than thofe of other Bodies, and confequently the 

 Pores fewer ; whereas in other Bodies, the great 

 multitude of the interfperfed Vacuities doesdjmi- 

 nifh their Weights. 



Being defirous to examine this Notion of the 

 Magnitude of Atoms of Gold, I bethought my 

 felf of the extreme Du&ility of that Metal, which 

 is feen in the beating of it into Leaf, and above 

 all in the drawing fine Gilt-wire, by means 

 whereof, I believed I might moft exactly obtain 

 the true thicknefs of the Coat of Gold, that ap- 

 pears, even with the Microfcopc, fb well to re- 

 prefent Gold it felf, that not the leaft point of 

 Silver appears through it. In order to this, I in- 

 form'd my felf among the Wire-drawers, what 

 Gold they us'd to their Silver ; and they told 

 me, That the very beft double Gilt Wire was 

 made out of Cylindrick Ingots, 4 Inches in Cir- 

 cumference, and 28 Inches long, which weigh 

 16 Pounds Troy ; on theie they beftow 4 Ounces 

 of Gold, that is, to every 48 Ounces of Silver 

 one of Gold ; and that two Yards of the fuper- 

 fine Wire weighs a Grain. Hence at firft fight 

 i^appear'd, that the length of 98 Yards is in 

 weight 49 Grains, and that a fingle Grain of 

 Gold covers the faid 98 Yards, and that the 

 1 ooooth part of a Grain is above j of an Inch 

 long; which yet may be actually divided into 

 10, and fb the 1 oooooth part of a Grain of 

 Gold be vifible without a Microfeope. But be- 

 ing defirous to compute the thicknefs of the Skin 

 of Gold, by means of the fpecifick Gravities of 

 the Metals, vi%. Silver iOj 9 and Gold i8f, I 

 found the Diameter of fuch Wire the part of 

 an Inch, and its Circumference the Tjhrpart ; but 



