( joO 
as weft as other Conveniences, for acquiring a due 
Knowledge of the Thing and therefore they content 
themfelves with fome flight Obfervations of their 
own, fupplying the reft from the common,, but gene- 
rally fabulous, Reports of the Neighbourhood. Add 
to this, that a ftrong Propenfity in Mankind towards 
the Marvellous,, with the Surprize ufually attending 
uncommon Sights, often hinders Men from feeing 
Things in a true Light j and even fometimes impofes 
upon them fo far, as to make them report things under 
Circumftances abfolutely falfe. 
Every curious Perfon can, I believe, furnifli him- 
felf with Jnftances of thefe Truths, from his own 
Obfervations compared with the Accounts of others : 
But nowithftanding lo weak a Foundation for railings 
Philofophical Conjectures, they will ftill have their 
ufe, if they are not impofed upon the World for Ac- 
counts of things certain, to be entirely acquiefced 
in. Let them be modeftly offered as meer Hypo- 
thefes fubmitted to a farther Examination, and then 
their Confequences will be fo many Particulars, which, 
being carefully examined and compared with the Phe- 
nomena themfelves, may ferve to refute, correct, or 
confirm the faid Hypothefes, from whence they were 
deduced*. 
It is in this Senfe only, and with fuch a View, that 
I offer the following Conjectures upon the Subject of 
intermitting and reciprocating Springs. For though 
thefe Thoughts were fuggefted to me by the Pheno- 
mena of a particular Fountain, feen by my felf this 
laft Winter, yet I am fenfible that my Obfervations 
made on it are very imperfeft, in Comparifon of what 
the Society mayexpeCt and I. my felf hope hereafter' 
to 
