( 897 ) 
appearances of the Fire-damp in watery creviffes of the Rock^ 
we funk through , flafliing and darting from fidetofideof the 
Pit, and flbewiog Rainbow-GoIour-likeon thefurfaceof the wa- 
ter in the bottom 5 but upon drawing-up of the water with 
Buckets,which ftin*d the Air in the Pit, it would leave burning, 
till the Colliers ac work with their breach and fweat and the 
fmoke of their Candles thickned the Air in the Pic,then it would 
appear again, they lighting their Candles in it fcmetimes whea 
they went out • and fo in this Pit it did no further harm. 
Having brought our firft PitthusforwardjWe were to confider 
of another to follow it, both for free paflage of Air, as for fur- 
theranceof the work, and beingdefiroustoget it in feme for- 
wardnefs before Summerj (when the heat of the weather at fome 
tinie,and the clofenefs of the Air in foggy weather at other,occa* 
fions the Sniothering-damp)it was refQlv*d,forexpeditions fake 
and faving of fome charges, to fink a Pit within the hollows or 
deads of the upper work, at i6or 17 yards diftance from the 
firft Pit this we proceeded in till we came 6 or 7 yards deep, 
then the Fire-damp began to appear as formerly, accompanying 
the Workmen ft ill as they funk, and they ufingthe fame means as 
afore J fometimes blowing it out wich a blaft of their mouth, 
at other times with their Candles, or letting it blaze without in- 
terruption. As we funkdown and the Damp got ftill more and 
moreftrength, we found that cur want of Air perpendicularly 
from the day was the great caufe and nouriflier of this Damp, for 
the Air that followed down into this Pit, came down at the firft 
funk Pit at the forementioned diftance, after it had been dif- 
perfed overall the old hollows and deads of the former work , 
that werefiird up with noyfom Vapors, thick fmothering Fogs, 
and in fome places with the Smothering-damp it felf : Never- 
ihelefs we held on finking, till we came down to 15 yards, plys 
ingthe work night and day (except Sundays and Ho!yda> sj up- 
on which intcrm^iflion the Pit being left alone for 48 hours and 
more, and the Damp gaining great ftrengrh in the interim, by that 
time the Workmen went down , they could fee it flafbingand 
ftootingfrom fide to fide likeSword-blades crofs one another, 
thatnone durft adventure togodown into the Pit : Upon this 
they took a Pole and bound Candles feveral times to the end of 
it, which they no fooner fet over the Eye of the pit , but the 
Damp would flie up with a long flrarp flame and put out the Can- 
6 B 2 dies, 
