( *99 ) 
Water of th $ Ca/pia# Set, for example, taken at a certain 
Place, in the dryefl Weather; and after fome GencurysoF 
Years the fame Weight of Water, taken in the fame place 
and under the fame Circumftances, be found to contain a 
fenubly greater Quantity of Salt than at the, time of the 
fir ft Experiment, we. may by the Rule of proportion, take 
an -efiimate of the whole time wherein the Water would 
adquire the Degree ^jf Saknefs we at prefect- find in ir, : 
And this Argument would be the moreeonclufive, if by 
a like Experiment a fimular Encreafe in the Saknefs of 
the Ocean ihould be obferved .* for that, after the fame! 
manner as aforefaid, receives innumerable Rivers, all 
which depefite their faline Particles therein 5 and are a- , 
gain fupplyed, as l have elfe where (hewn, by the V a fours 
of the Ocean, which rife therefrom in Atoms of pure Wa- 
ter, without the lead admixture of Salt. But the Rivers 
in their long Paffage -over the Earth do imbibe fome of 
the faline Particles thereof, though in fo fmall a Quanti- 
fy as not to be perceived, unlefs in thefe their Depofito- 
ries after a long Trad of time. And if upon repeating 
the Experiment, after another equal Number of Agesj it 
fhaft be found that the Saknefs is further ericreafed With 
the fame Increment as before, then what is npw, propofed 
as Hypothetic all would appear little lefs than Demonftra- 
tive. But fince this Argument can be of no ufe to Our- 
felves, it requiring very great Intervals of time to come 
to our Conclufion, it were to be wifhed that the ancient 
Greek and Latin Authors had delivered down to us the 
degree of the Saknefs of the Sea, as it was about xooo 
Years ago: for then it cannot be doubted but that the 
Difference between what is now found and what then was, 
would become very fenfible. I recommend it therefore 
to the Society, as opportunity fhall offer, to procure the Ex- 
periments to be made of the prefenc degree of Saknefs 
of the Ocean, and of as many of thefe Lakes as can be 
B b b z come 
