'tis taken for gf aated^ that the falling drops of Rah are fpheri- 
cal/yet theirdefcentisfo fwift, both by reafonof their Gra- 
vity in refpeft of the Air , and the height from whence they 
fall, that I fear men have rather fuppofed than obferved than 
their figure is Spherical; which will be the more queftionabie, 
if itbe true, which is vulgarly thought , that Hail is but Raim 
frozen in its paffage through the Air. For 'tis evident,that the 
grains of H^//are frequently of ©ther figures than truly orbi- 
cular. Butbecaure there may another poflible Accouat be gi- 
venof this Irregular Figuration of Hail, I fliall not infift on 
this Phcvmmemn , but proceed to what I tried about the 
Surface of Water \ of which I found it the more difficult to 
makeObfervations, becaufe that Liquor will readily mingle 
both with Sfirit of Wifiezv\d with Oil of Tartar^zud with other 
Liquors that are analogous to cither of thefe. 
The Surface of Water may have differing Figures, according 
as 'tis totally incompaffed with heterogeneom fluids, or, as 'tis 
only in feme places contiguous to one or more of 
Exp.xviii. them. In the former cafe we found it not fo eafie to 
make an Obfervation, both becaufe, that, as I lately 
noted, we know not of any two Liquors(fetting Mercury ^fidt) 
that will not mingle either with one another, or with xvater. 
And becaufe alfoour Oil of Guajacum it felf, though hea- 
vier than Water ^ would not be ferviceable on this occafion , in 
regard of its being of fodeepa Red^ that the figure of the 
Water inclofed in it could not bedifcemed through it ; where-- 
fore I made ufe of Chymical Oil of Cloves^ as being fome- 
what, and but a little, heavier in S^er/> than Water , fothat 
Tome drops or fmaller portions of this lafl nam'd Liquor 
would be almoft quite inviron'd with the other : We cautioufly 
therefore conveyed into fome 0/7 ^ CW^j, whofe furface the 
VefTel permitted to be large enough, fome portions of common 
Water differing bignefTes , taking care, as far as we could, 
that they might not touch one another ; by which means the Oil 
being tranfparent , and yet foraewhat colour d , 'twas eafie to 
obferve, that the/maller portions of Water were fo near totally 
inviron*d with the Oil , that they were reduc'd into almoft 
perfeft globes 3 thofe portions, that were fomewhat bigger, 
(as about twice the bignefs of aP^^,) would be of a figure 
fomewhat approaching to that of an JBiV)>/if (for *twasnbt the 
fame) 
