1769. A Philofopbical Converfation. above their yet weak comprehenfions. This confideration, fir, induced me to fend this fcrap to you, which I have contracted as much as poffible, that it may take up little of your room; and if you apprehend it will be acceptable to any of your younger readers, it is at your fervice to infert. The questions and anfwers are fet down carelefly, juft as they occurred, and I am fenfible make but an aukward appearance; however, I truft the fenfe, which is all I have aimed at, will be found confiftent with our prefent philofophical fyftem. The reason why I chofe this method of queftion and anfwer, was because I found it would beft fit my intended brevity, and alfo be more familiar and easy to young and ignorant readers, which it is alone calculated for. To the more knowing it may perhaps appear impertinent and trifling, but fuch have no business with it, it was never intended for their perufal, it belongs only to the ignorant, to give them fome rough ideas, which if it does, my purpofe is answered. I am, fir, Your humble fervant, G. E. A foort Philofophical Converfation, tending to fome Explanation of Air, Wind, Vapours, Clouds, Rain, Snow, Hail, Lightning, and the Rain-bow. PLEASE to give me a defini tion of air? A. Air confifts of invifible particles, which yield to any force, and move freely among one another, and from this ability of the particles to flip one among another, air is called a fluid. It has weight; may be rarified and condenfed, but cannot be congealed. 2. Is not the air limited to a certain diftance from the earth? A. It is; we cannot indeed tell exactly the height, but it is most reasonably believed to be within forty-five miles t. 2. Is the whole body of air of the fame confiftence? 357 A. No, the farther it is diftant from the earth, the more rarified it is, and fo by degrees arrives at a vacuum. 2. Is not air abfolutely neceffary to animal life? A. Certainly; though fome animals will live a confiderable time without it, as is found by experiments in the air pump $. 2. Is not too fine or rarified an air unfit for human respiration? A. Yes, even the air on the tops of the high hills (as the mountains of Peru) has been found to have very bad effects on those who have vifited them §. 2. What is the reason that fresh air is neceffary for refpiration? A. Because the air is impregnated with a certain vivifying ipirit that renders it fit for refpiration, which spirit is either deftroyed or left behind, every time the air paffes out of the lungs. 2 Pleafe to give an explanation of wind. A. Wind is nothing more than the air put in motion. 2. Pray can you tell me by what means it is put in motion? A. By various caufes, as heat and cold, the preffure of clouds, eruptions of vapours from fea or land, and indeed any thing that alters the balance of the atmosphere. 2. What is the caufe of the particular direction of the wind, and that fome winds are warm, and others cold? A. The direction of the wind, I think paft a doubt, is according to the degree of warmth or cold in the air; fo the particular course the wind takes is to be attributed to the warmth or cold of the air; and not as is commonly imagined, for instance, that a cold day is caufed by the wind being northerly. 2. What am I to understand by vapours? 4. Watery particles, or more properly fmall bubbles, which are raised * It is a very general miftake to reckon a fluid and a liquid as the fame thing. A liquid is certainly a fluid, but a fluid is not always a liquid. Fluidity confifis in the ability of the particles to flip one among another by any external force, therefore fand may be reckoned a fluid as well as water. + Dr. Keill, by an obfervation of the twilight, calculates the height of the air to be forty-four miles. See Mr. Derham's Phyfico Theology, Book I. chap. 1. note ƒ. § See ditto, book 1, chap. 1, note c. from A Philofophical Converfation. -358 Is not the afcenfion of these par- 4. A cloud is a collection of thefe bubbles of various heights, but commonly within a mile, and feldom lefs than a quarter of a mile." Pleafe to favour me with an explanation of the different productions of clouds; and firft rain, if you pleafe. A. Rain is caused by the particles running and mixing into one another, fo becoming heavier than air, confequently fall: this mixing of the particles is varioully effected, as by wind, the coldness of the air, and other caufes 2. Pleafe to explain fnow and hail. A. Snow is caused by the freezing of the watery bubbles, by the great degree of cold in that region where they are affembled, and by their adhering to one another, come down in flakes. Hail is the drops of rain congealed by the coldness of the air in their paffage. 2. Pray can you tell me how lightning is caufed? A. By fulphureous and nitrous vapours being drawn by the fun's attraction from the earth into the air, where by their clofe and confufed mixture a fermentation is cauled, and by this means they take fire; to produce lightning, and thunder as the confequence, 2. Is not the thunder produced in the fame inftant with the lightning? A. Yes, though we often fee the lightning fome time before we hear the thunder, which is by reafon of the difference in the velocity of light and found. 2. What is the difference? A. Light is computed to fly about 180000 miles in a fecond of time, whereas found takes about five le July conds in flying one mile. So by this you may pretty nearly compute the diftance of the lightning, by obferv ing the fpace of time between the light and the report. 2. Pray are there not fuch things as thunder-bolts? A. No, not according to the vulgar notion of them; what may with any propriety be called a thunder-bolt, is only that more folid part of lightning, which defcends rapidly to the earth, and is obftructed by nothing. This kind of lightning, though it makes its way through every body it meets with, yet acts only on particular bodies: the many extraordinary effects it bas (as ftriking a perfon dead when his clothes fhall not even be finged, meiting the money in a man's pocket, and himself not hurt) proceeds from the certain quality of the lightning, which caules it to have an ability to act only on particular fubftances. 2. Pleafe to tell me how the rainbow is caufed. A. By the certain direction of the fun's rays on the falling drops of rain. A curious Method of raifing Tarkies to Advantage. Tranflated from a Swedifh Book, intitled, Rural Oeconomy. ANY of our housewives, says MA this ingenious author, have long defpaired of fuccefs in rearing torkies, and complained, that the profit rarely indemnifies them for their trouble and lofs of time: whereas, continues he, little more is to be done, than to plunge the chick into a veffel of cold water, the very hour, if poffible, but at leaft the very day, it is hatched, forcing it to fwallow one whole pepper-corn; after which let it be returned to its mother. From that time it will become hardy, and fear the cold no more than a hen's chick. But it must be remembered, that this useful fpecies of fowls are alio fubject to one particular diforder while they are young, which often carries them off in a few days. When they begin to droop, examine carefully the feathers on their rump, and you will find two or three whofe quill part is filled with blood. Upon drawing thefe the chick recovers, and after that requires no other care, than what is commonly bestowed on poultry that range the court-yard. The 1769. A Batchelor's fruitless Purfuit of a Wife. The truth of these affertions is too well known to be denied; and as a convincing proof of the fuccefs, 'it will be fufficient to mention, that three parishes in Sweden have, for many years, used this method, and gained feveral hundred pounds by rearing and felling turkies. To the AUTHOR of the LONDON SLI R, 359 her whole generation of brothers, fifters, uncles, and aunts, were ready to devour me from kindness; but still it was apparent that the sweet idol of my affections felt neither the transport or gratitude of her relations. When I approached her she became pale, her eye loft all its vivacity, and the confufion that accompanied our private interviews, at laft convinced me that there was fome mystery in her fate. I frankly communicated my fufpicions, I Have for many years past been a bought her to regard me as the profeffed candidate for matrimony, but notwithstanding I have never met with one repulfe on my variety of applications, I am not only a batchelor, but likely to remain fo to the last hour of my existence. To a man of your fober fentiments, what I have now confeffed may poffi. bly be no recommendation of mebut allow me to prohibit all prejudgment; neither constitutional nor idle inconftancy has been the caufe; for when I told the fair-ones fo, I loved, and it was my honefty alone, as Richard phrases it, that gave me courage to avow the contrary. It may not perhaps be impertinent to prefent you with the outlines of my figure and appurtenance; as, let a history be long or fhort, we can derive but little entertainment from the hero's transactions, unless we are enabled from defcription to form fome idea of our hero. My perfon ever was, and in all probability will ever remain, that kind of perfon, which is in no degree calculated either to terrify, or charm its beholders. I am at this period under thirty, and am the uncontrouled master of fifteen hundred pounds per annum. Having a romantic generofity in my nature, I refolved to attach myself to merit wherever I found it, and according ly, when scarcely nineteen, a pretty millener was the Dulcinea of my devotions. She was daughter to one of thofe inconfiderate divines, who, fo that they can but behold their family in affluence during their day, are wholly inattentive to the miferable change they must experience on that too frequent contingency-the furviving their provifion. It is not wonderful, that for a girl fo fituated my overture was confidered as highly advantageous. Her mother, friend, not deftroyer of her happinefs; and affured her, that however I might be affected by an acknowledgment of prepoffeffion, I would forego every felt-confideration, and promote her happiness with the fame ardour, as if connected with my own. Thus encouraged, thus unexpectedly folicited, to confide the fecrets of her heart, where the kindly declared, under any other circumitance, the should not have hesitated to trust her person, I had the mortification to learn, that a linendraper's journeyman, the fon of one of her father's humble though worthy parifoners, was my happy rival.-I took the whole conduct of the affair on my felf, encountered all the brow-beatings, the natural reproaches of apoftacy, and having fome fmall intereft with the young fellow's mafter, foon faw an additional curl to his wig, and his name added to the copartnership; in a word, fuch was the profperity that attended my honeft endeavour, that the late defpifed lover fucceeded me in the full approbation of my Fanny's family, and received her at the hands of that very uncle, who, but three years hefore, threatened to cut his throat for his prefumption. My next choice was the only daughter of a molt venerable pair, who knew not a felicity beyond the promotion of her happiness, nor had a wish that did not begin and terminate in one and the fame fource; yet notwithKanding thele unspeakable obligations, notwithstanding every filial tye, notwithstanding the beautiful referve fo inherent in the female compofition, because he was unable to inspire this father and mother with the partial fentiments of me with which I had infpired her; because, from abundant tenderness, they were extremely anxious 360 A Batchelor's fruitless Pursuit of a Wife. The lady's pride (for I will not allow her fenfibility or affection) was inconceivably hurt when the perceived I was loft: nay, to fuch an extrava. gance did the carry what the called her affiction and her refentment, that parental refolution was totally fubdued. This venerable, this ill-requited father and mother, unable longer to refift the pleadings of nature, folicited me to fulfil my engagements to that child, that would have facrificed their everlasting peace to the gratification of love and vanity. I made the best apology I could; complimented the object of my abfolute deteftation, but declared myself wholly inca. pable of making ber happy. And thall I confels my weaknefs? Notwithftanding I had behaved with so much firmness, the dread of confequences was an interruption to my compofure for several months; when I was convinced of my folly and ignorance, by reading in the public papers, that the very lady I concluded was dying for me, had vowed to live for a little infignificant enfign in the guards, and for him alone. I determined now to be less tenacious of the beauty than understanding of my mistress, for feeing that though one was only the pageant of a day, the other was the thadow of a fhade. It was not long before I attached myfelf on this new principle: the lady had wit and vivacity in abundance; but wit and vivacity, according to my fentiments, can never conftitute un derstanding. Well received by all her family, from my accustomed re July commendations, we made a mere laugh of life-but reflection was not altogether fo fatisfactory-the perfonal defects, the imbecilities of mind, the common accidents, nay, the actuai calamities of our fellow-individuals, were converted into ridicule. It is true we laughed, but it was at no less expence than that of our humanity, cur politeness, our focial du ties. I was strongly incited to make a paufe, when the lady having exhaufted her fund of raillery, did not withhold even herself to keep up the ball. She gave us the 'portrait of a quondam lover in the moft exquifite colours; but he at the fame time gave but an ugly picture of her own heart. It was not the forfaken, but the fimple maid I could approve-that fimplicity that is ever the concomitant of innocence, the concomitant of purity. It must be needless to add, that by a rather ungenteel desertion of her, 1 fupplied her with a new fubject, which I doubt not but the treated with all due harmony. In short, fir, what with my primitive disappointment, what with the extravagance, the want of fentiment, delicacy, and veracity, the folly, the vanity, the flovenly turn of a fucceffion of females, any one of which, by being tolerably perfect, would have rendered me the happieft of mankind, I have from acting honeftly, and with an eye to the defenfive, acquired fo bad a reputation, that I now defpair of ever becoming a husband; yet does my confcience acquit me of all intentional blame. Could I, as a man of reflection, a lover of pofterity, unite myself to a fool, or a girl devoid of principle? Could I fit down fatisfied with the pretty driveller, or the illnatured wit? Confent to put a fword in the hands of a madman, by entrusting my poffeffions to the direction of extravagance? Could I mix converfation with the unfentimental? or hear expreffions from my wife, that I would not allow my best friend to utter in her prefence? Could I patiently permit a vain puppet to prefide at my table, or a half-bred flattern to disgust my acquaintance? If the women would but perfuade themselves that their lovers and their husbands are the last people on earth that should be witness to their foibles, and thofe de licacies 1769. Eafy Methods of making Salt-Water fresh. Your humble fervant. Proposals, by Dr. Lind, for preventing a Want of fresh Water, and a Scarcity of Provifions at Sea. doctor 361 be procured every three hours, which File off the handle of the tea-ket- IN the year 1761, the cover, wat from whence the team could efcape, fea water, fimply distilled, without the addition of any ingredient, afforded a water as pure and wholefome as that obtained from the beft fprings. This, like many other uteful difcoveries, was claimed from the author by another perfon, was also faid to have been formerly known, and met with various objections. The two first the doctor clears up, and, having removed the objection, endeavours to point out a few fimple contrivances for diftilling of fea water, for the benefit of those who may be in want of fresh water at fea, and who fhall imprudently neglect to carry out a fillhead. When fea water is boiled in a clofe covered pot or veffel, it may be obferved, that the team arising from it is converted into fresh water on the infide of the cover of the pot. From a pot of thirteen inches diameter, by frequently removing the cover, and pouring off the water collected upon it, a quarter of a pint of fresh water may be procured in an hour. The cover of the pot fhould be at least five or fix inches above the furface of the fea water, to prevent its boiling up to it. Let us fuppofe a fhip at fea to be in diftrels for want of water, having eight men on board, and that the pot for boiling their provifions can contain five gallons and a half, being twelve inches in diameter; by the following fimple contrivance, with only a tea-kettle, a muket, and a cafk, one gallon of freth water may July, 1769. ought to be luted or stopped up with a pafte compofed of equal parts of chalk and meal, moistened with a little falt water; and the tea-kettle, with the cover of the pot, fhould be kept down by weights, to prevent the team from forcing them up. If the cafk fhould be thought too near the fire, the tube may be prolonged by the barrel of another muf ket, or by a wooden pipe. If the barrel of another mufket be used, whole bore is not large enough to receive the extremity of the former, one end of it fhould be heated in the fire, and dilated with a marline-fpike. If a wooden pipe be used, it should not be bored with a hot iron, as I have found by experience, that the burnt wood would impart a permanent difagreeable tafte to the diftilled water. If we may suppose a ship at fea to have no tea-kettle on board, then let -pump, with which the wooden hand-p the water or beer is pumped out of the caiks, be cut through obliquely, and joined fo as to form an acute angle. One end of this tube thould be fixed in the hole made in the cover of the pot, the other fhould be faltened to the gun-barrel. From this apparatus, nearly the fame quantity of water may be procured as from the former, by means of the tea-kettle. It may justly be fuppofed that the coppers used for boiling the provifions will, in every thip, contain the proportion of above two quarts of water for every perfon on board, Z z which |