Fire. The opinions of the ancients concerning the nature and properties of fire now only 
bold conje&ures, p. 479. The profound veneration with which they contemplated 
that element accounted for, p, 480. Opinions of the alchymifis in the dark ages 
concerning it, ibid. On the revival of literature the nature of it began very foon 
to engage the attention of philofophers, p. 481. Difficulties attending a philo- 
phical invefiigation of it, ibid. The firft ftep that was taken towards the cultivation 
of this branch of fcience, ibid. 
Fiji:. Vail quantities thrown on ffiore during a very dry feafon at the ifland of Sumatra, 
p. 384. Conjecture of the caufe of that phenomenon, p. 383. 
Flies. Their ufefulnefs in deftroying putrefcent matter, p. 146. 
Floods of the tropical rivers. Probably, next to earthquakes, caufe thequickeft altera- 
tions in the face of our globe, p. 100. 
Fontana , Mr. See Air. 
Fordyce. See Crawford. 
Forfter, Dr. John Reinhold, his natural hitlory, &c. of the Tyger-cat of the Cape 
of Good Hope, p. 1. Similitude between that animal and the Nfuffi, p. 3. And 
our domeiiic cats, p, 4. Defcription of, ibid. Dimenfions of, p. 6. See Pennant . 
G. 
Ganges.^ See Fennell. Etymology of that name, p. 87. Fabulous account of the 
origin of, p. 89. Its courfe defcribed, in which it receives rivers, fome equal to the 
Rhine, and none fmaller than the Thames, ibid. Exceeds the Nile in magnitude, 
though not in length, p. 90. Different widths and depths of, p. 91. Though in 
fome places fordable, the navigation is never interrupted, but the principal branch 
cannot be entered by large veffels, ibid. Commencement of the head of the 
Delta, which is more than twice as large as that of the Nile, ibid. The part of the 
Delta bordering on the fea defcribed, p. 92. Width of the Ganges at its junction 
with the fea, p. 93. Medium rate of motion of that river, ibid. Its greater or 
^efs \elocity, to what to be attributed, p. 94. The gradual change in the courfe of 
that river accounted for, p. 95. And the llacknefs of the tide, ibid. Decreafe in 
the breadth of that river in nine years, p. 96. Various alterations in the appearance 
of, 99. Prefumptive proof of its wandering from one fide of the Delta to the 
other, p. 102. Its annua! fwelling and overflowing explained, p. 103. Still {hews 
it fea by the grafs, &c. on its banks and its rapid muddy flream, even when the 
inundation becomes general, p. 104. Particular trafts of land, which require lefs 
moiflure, are defended from the inundation by dykes, which do not always fucceed, 
and why, p. 105. The tide totally lofes its effect during the fwoln flate of the 
river, ibid. Manner of navigating the river during the inundation, p. 106. Table 
of the gradual mcreafe of the river and that of its branches, ibid. See Hoogly , 
Chundnab, //lands. Medium of that increafe, p. 107. The inundation is nearly at 
a ftand for fome days before it begins to run off, and why, ibid. Particular circum- 
fiance 
