( 765 ) 
little quantities I fuppofethe Experiment will not fucceed. 
As CO the refemblance betwixt this SaUrmoniac.^ud that which 
comes from Mount ^t/E^tnuy where no Coals are fuppofed to be ; 
whence it feeiiis to follow, that our volatile Salt may proceed from 
fomewhatelfe than Coal. To which difficulty I anfwer, that 
when I deduced ours from Coal , I did not exclude other bitu- 
minous fubftances that are analogous co it, of which I fuppofe the 
Councry,where Mount zMtm !v,affbrdeth no inconfiderable qu^- 
tity; neither will it foliow,thac no Coals have been v&r ought, ^tx^- 
iQXt\\\txt are none \ fand if trial hath been made, and no Coals 
found,yet it will be a doubt flill, whether thofe Trials have been 
fufficienr* However it be, yec 1 think it were not impertinenc 
(by the way) to enquire, whether the fagacious Venetians md^^ wot 
be beholden to Mount ft^tna.ox fosie other Subterraneal fires/or 
the^;'^^/ quantity of SaUrmoniM {t\\ to our Merchants: for 
this Fire afFordeth no inconfiderable quantity thereof, efpecially 
in dry weather; fomeof which I have fent by my worthy and 
honoured Friend MuRichard Gi/pm^^ho was the perfon that firft 
brought home part of it from the fire , and in whofe company 
it was firft that I experimented it to be 5^/ armoniac , for till then 
none took notice of it. And I the rather put this trouble upon 
him , that by him you may be informed in circumftances that 
would be tedious to relate. 
The Box I have fent contains a bottle of the Spirit of this Sal 
armoniac diftilled from Quicklime, in which I ufed a confiderable 
quantity of Spring- water for the diflTolution of both the ingredi- 
ents, before I diftilled the Spirit from them. 
The great quantity of grey Salt is the Sd armoniac as it was 
gathered from the fire 5 fomeof it being fix inches broad, and 
above when it was taken up. 
The white Salts in the white papers are the fame grey ^fublimcdl 
p^r/"^ in a Sugar-mold. 
The white fnowy Salt in the Jar-glafs is thevelacile Salt of the 
fame, as it comes from the fire. The Lixhial fait I ufed, was orAy 
PotafliesdiflTolvedin Spring-water;, to the whole I added fome 
Spirit of PFi/ji^, whereby I commonly obtain a greater quantity of 
volatile Salt informaJicca^thmotheTwiCt I could expeft. 
Now, though it may feem incredible to Tome, thatBIackcoal 
(hould yield fo white a volatile Salt, yet they that know that all 
volatile Salts whatever may be freed from their fstor and intenfe 
colour^ 
