C 166 y 
very Delightful, but toolargeaSucvey for me ; and the 
Pouder begot nothing for my Sight, bur a dark Cloud ; 
and whatloever elfe I tound, I could meet with no Arms; 
which makes me think that if they have any, as needs 
they muft, they areconcealed, and are to be difcover* 
ed in another way. Wherefore, I retir d with my Can- 
tharides, and turrfd half a Pound of them into a Retort, 
that I might try their temper that way. Wonderful ! 
there my Enquiry was fully fatisfied : There came over 
with the leaft Sand- heat and in a very ftiort time, vaft 
quantities of Bodies fo very (mall, that I was not able 
to difcern their fliape. This convinced me,that thefe Par- 
ticles were~very many, and might have an indefinite de- 
termination ; fince they were fo undifcernibly divided, 
by To weak an Agent, yet with (o great force : And 
therefore, that all the World will grant that they can 
make a Wound ; and when the force is known, their 
Power will be found to be of a large extent, which is 
all that I am concerned with at this time : Infomuch, 
that I (hould be perfwaded not to name the Procefs, 
but that I know that it will plcafe you to difcover what 
I met w ith in my Tryals on this Animal fince no body 
has given any tolerable account of them ; All the Au- 
thors have fbppos'd their parts to be very fixed, very 
acid, and very corrofive ; Doftor Grew alone has found 
that they are Alcaline : but he will place them among 
th e laft and weakeft of that Tribe : tho' I hope that the 
following Account (hall be more Inftrudive. 
I retired then with my Cantharides, and to the pur- 
pofe I told you before ; only, it is very remarkable, 
that though I proceeded in the ufual way, on the like 
Qccafions, the whole Operation was performed very 
loon, and fo haftily, that very little .S^?// ftuck to the 
neck of the Rttort^ and the volatil Salt ftot in moft de- 
lightful Cryflals in the Receiver. Of the whole Eight 
Ounces 
