[ 57 8 3 
In the fame funnels you fee the fpirit of fulphur 
rife againft thofe fulphureous cryftallifations, and 
drop down like very clear water. The chemifts 
agree, that fulphur is no other than an oily matter 
fixed by an acid fpirit. This is evident from artifi- 
cial fulphur. By mixing oil of turpentine with fpirit 
of vitriol you obtain a fuiphur equal to natural brim- 
ftone. It is farther proved byanalyfing it. An acid 
fpirit may be extracted from it, and its allies afford 
but a very fmall quantity of alkaline fait. What 
paffes in this mountain may be called a natural ana- 
lyfis and diftillation. The brimftone takes fire in the 
center of the earth, as in chemical operations, when 
the mixture of fpirit of nitre and oil of turpentine 
luddenly produces a furprifing heat and flame : in 
like manner an oily and fulphureous exhalation in- 
flames and fends forth fires, which the ignorant vul- 
gar take for fhooting or falling ftars. 
The flowers rife with the acid fpirit, which being 
condenfed by the cool air, falls down in drops. By 
fixing bell-glaffes to the apertures of the funnels, one 
might colledt a fpirit, that rifes naturally. One of us 
having thruft his cane too far into one of the funnels, 
and not being able to pull it out again, helped him- 
felf with the blade of his fword to catch hold of it. 
In an inftant we faw the hilt quite wet, and the water 
dropping off, and when he drew it out, we were fur- 
prized to find the blade extremely hot. We could 
not then lave any of this fpirit, nor make any expe- 
riments upon it. However, I do not believe it is like 
that, which flows from the baths of Wolckeftein in Ger- 
many, which Charles Patin fays turns to brimftone 
when 
