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tinued Seafon of Rain that I came to fee the Place, 
and make fome Experiments, and found accordingly, 
that a lighted Paper, though it were waved all over 
the Ditch, the Water would not take Fire. 1 then 
hired a Peifon to make a Dam in the Ditch, and 
fling out the Water, in order to try whether the 
Steam which arofe from the Ditch would then take 
Fire, but found it would not. I flill, however, pur- 
fued my Experiment, and made him dig deeper j and 
when he had dug about the Depth of half a Yard, we 
found a fhelly Coalj and the Candle being then put 
down into the Hole, the Air catched Fire, and con- 
tinued burning. 
I obferved that there had formerly been Coal-pits 
in the fame Clofe of Ground 5 and I then got fome 
Coal from one of the Pits neareft thereunto, which 
I diflilled in a Retort in an open Fire. At firfl: there 
came over only Thlegm^ afterwards a black O//, and 
then likewife a Spirit arofe, which I could noways 
condenfe, but it forced my Lute, or broke my Glaffes. 
Once, when it had forced the Lute, coming clofe 
thereto, in order to try to repair it, I obferved that 
the Spirit which iflued out caught Fire at the Flame 
of the Candle, and continued burning with Violence 
as it iflued out, in a Stream, which I blew out, and 
lighted again, alternately, for feveral times. I then had 
a Mind to try if I could fave any of this Spirit, in 
order to v/hich I took a turbinated Receiver, and 
putting a Candle to the Pipe of the Receiver whilfl: 
the Spirit arofe, I obferved that it catched Flame, and 
continued burning at the End of the Pipe, though 
you could not difeern what fed the Flame: I then 
blew it out, and lighted it again feveral times ; after 
which 
