An Hijlorical account of a firangely f elf-moving 
Liquor. By the Honorable Robert Boyl, Fel- 
low Royal Society. 
AN Ingenious Teacher of Mathematicks, having^ 
occafion to make a Gom.pofition for a new Fir t" 
Engine] whereof he was to ftiew his Majefly a Triall, 
mingled divers Ingredients in an Earthen Pot, over 
kindled Coals j but could not, or did not, do it fo wa- 
rily, but that the fiMtter!tadk^lr!e, and began to blaze 
furioufly ; which obligd him to ftifle the flame as ha- 
ftily as he could; and haying removed the Veflel from 
the fire, a.nd fuffered it tp grdw cold > when afterwards 
lie ta fee if is?Kat remained 
might of any life to him, he was tui^prizTd to find 
it vaf ioufly and briskly moV'd. Wherefori^ having fet 
it afide, to be fufe that it might be throughly cold, he 
'after {bme hoilrs vifited it again, and found it move 
as before* And having caft flore of feeds u|)on it, to 
'fee if the Liquor would inove them alfo, the Bitumi- 
Bous jpart of it conneded them into a kind of thicfc 
Scum, that covered moft o( ihe Superficies y but yet left 
fome Iritervalls, in which the Liquor appeared, and 
toco^^ered that it continued its motions. Two days 
after, the ^^^^/w^^rdifcourfing \^ith me of his Fire work, 
about which he had advifed with me before 5 told me,, 
among, other things, of this odd accident.^ And when. 
I had asked him, if the motioit continued ftiJl, and 
had been anfwered affirmatively, tho* it was then 3^ 
dark night aad ill weather, my Diffidence or my Cu- 
riofity made me eiigage him to fend for the Pot a, 
it was ; partly to be lure of the matter of pad:, an ' 
gartly to try^, if the knowledge I had of the Ingredi- 
ents 
