Book III. of the Earth laft fpoken of, all of a prodigious Ufe to Mankind: Some being of great Ufe for Building; fome ferving for Ornament; fome furnishing us with commodious Machines, and Tools to prepare our Food, and for Veffels and Utenfils, and for multitudes of other Ufes; fome ferving for Firing to dress our Food, and to guard us against the Infults of Cold and Weather; fome being of great Ufe in Phyfick, in Exchange and Commerce, in manuring and fertilizing our Lands, in dying and colouring, and ten thousand other Conveniences, too many to be particularly fpoken of: Only there is one grand Ufe of one of thefe Strata or

Goutieres: Where the Water falling from the upper Parts of the Cave to the Ground, doth prefently there condenfe into little Stones, of fuch Figures as the Drops, falling either feverally, or upon one another, and coagulating prefently into Stones, chance to exhibit. Vid. Scept. Chym. pag. 360.

Such like Caves as thefe I have my felf met with in England; particularly on the very Top of Bredon-Hill in Worcestershire, near the Precipice, facing Pershore, in or near the old Fortress, called Bembfbury-Camp; I faw fome Years ago. fuch a Cave, which (if I mif- remember not) was lined with thofe Stalactical Stones on the Top and Sides. On the Top they hung like Icicles great and fmall, and many lay on the Ground. They feemed manifeftly to be made by an Exfudation, or Exftillation of fome petrifying Juices out of the. rocky Earth there. On the Spot, I thought it might be from the Rains foaking through, and carrying with it Impregnations from the Stone, the Hill being there all rocky. Hard by the Cave is one or more vaft Stones, which (if I mistake not) are incruftated with this Sparry, Stalactical Substance, if not wholly made of it. But it is fo many Years ago fince I was at the Place, and not being able to find my Notes about it, I cannot say whether the whole Stone is (in all Probability) Spar, (as I think it is,) or whether I found it only cafed over with it, notwithstanding I was very nice in examining it then, and have now fome of the Fragments by me, confifting, among other fhining Parts, of fome tranfparent angular ones.

The other Inftance of Mr. Boyl, is from Linschoten, who faith, that in the Eaft-Indies, when they have cleared the Diamond Mines of all the Diamonds, In a few Years Time they find in the fame Place new Diamonds produced. Boyl. Ibid.

Beds,

Beds, that cannot eafily be omitted, and that is, thofe fubterraneous Strata of Sand, Gravel, and laxer Earth that admit of, and facilitate the Paffage of the sweet Waters (d), and may probably be the Colanders whereby they are fweetened, and then at the fame time alfo convey'd to all Parts of the habitable World, not only through the temperate and torrid Zones, but even the fartheft Regions of the frozen Poles.

That thefe Strata are the principal Paffages of the fweet Fountain-Waters, is, I think not to be doubted, confidering that in them the Waters are well known to pass, and in them the Springs are found by those that seek for them. I fay, the principal Paffages, because there are other fubterraneous Guts and Chanels, Fiffures and Paffages, through which many Times the Waters make their way.

Now that which in a particular manner doth feem to me to manifeft a fpecial Providence of God in

the

(d) It is not only agreeable to Reafon, but I am told by Perfons converfant in digging of Wells throughout this County of Effex, where I live, that the furett Beds in which they find Water, are Gravel, and a coarfe, dark coloured Sand; which Beds feldom fail to yield Plenty of fweet Water: But for Clay, they never find Water therein, if it be a strong, stiff Clay; but if it be lax and fandy, fometimes Springs are found in it; yet fo weak, that they will fcarcely ferve the Ufes of the smallest Family. And fometimes they meet with those Beds lying next, under a loose, black Mould, (which, by their Description, I judged to be a fort of oazy, or to have the Refemblance of an ancient, rufhy Ground,) and in that Cafe the Water is always naught, and ftinks. And lastly, Another fort of Bed they find in Effex, in the clayie-Lands, particularly that part called the Rodings, which yields Plenty of Tweet Water, and that is a Bed of white Earth, as though made of Chalk and white Sand. This they find, after they have dug through forty, or more Feet of Clay; and it is fo tender and moist, that it will not lie upon the Spade, but they are forced to throw it into their Bucket with their Hands, or with Bowls; but when it comes up into the Air, it foon beComes an hard white Stone.

E

Thus

the repofiting thefe watery Beds is, that they fhould be difperfed all the World over, into all Countries, and almost all Tracts of Land: That they fhould fo entirely, or for the most part, confift of lax, incohering Earth, and be fo feldom blended with other impervious Moulds, or if they are fo, it is commonly but accidentally; and that they are interpofed between the other impervious Beds, and fo are as a Prop and Pillar to guard them off, and to prevent their finking in and fhutting up the Paffages of the Waters.

The Time when thofe Strata were laid, was doubtlefs at the Creation, when God faid (Gen. i.9.) Let the Waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one Place, and let the dry Land appear; or else at the Deluge, if, with fome fagacious Naturalifts, we fuppofe the Globe of Earth to have been diffolved by the Flood (e). At that Time (whatever it was) when the terraqueous Globe was in a chaotick State, and the earthy Particles fubfided, then thofe feveral Beds were in all Probability repofited in the Earth, in that commodious Order in which they now are found; and that, as is afferted, a6cording to the Laws (f) of Gravity.

Thus much for the Variety of Beds wherein the Waters are found. That it is in thefe Beds only or chiefly the Springs run, is farther manifeft from the forcible Eruption of the Waters fometimes out of thofe watery Beds. Of which fee Chap. 4. Note (k). This Eruption fhews, that the Waters come from fome Eminence or other, lying at a Distance, and being closely pent up within the watery Stratum, by the clayie Strata, the Waters with force mount up, when the Strata above are opened.

(e) v. Dr. Woodward's Effay, Part 2. Steno's Prodr. &c.

(f) Id. ib. pag. 28. and 74. But Dr. Leigh in his Nat. Hiftory of Lancashire, fpeaking of the Coal-pits, denies the Strata to lie according to the Laws of Gravitation, faying the Strata are a Bed of Marle, afterwards Free-Stone, next Iron Stone, then Coal, or Kennel Mine, then fome other Strata, and again Coal, &c.

But

But upon a ftricter Enquiry into the Matter, finding I had reafon to fufpect that few, if any, actually had tried the Experiment, I was minded to bring the Thing to the Teft of Experiment my felf; and having an Opportunity, on April II. 1712. I caufed divers Places to be bored, laying the feveral Strata by themselves; which afterwards I weighed with all Strictness, firft in Air, then in Water, taking Care that no Air-bubbles, c. might obftruct the Accuracy of the Experiment. The Result was, that in my Yard, the Strata were gradually specifically heavier and heavier, the lower and lower they went; and the upper which was Clay, was confiderably fpecifically lighter than the lower Stratum; which was firft a loose Sand, then a Gravel. In which Stratum princi pally the Springs run that fupply my Well.

But in my Fields, where three Places were bored (to no great Depth) I found below the upper (fuperficial Stratum) a deep Bed of Sand only, which was of different Colours and Confiftence, which I weighed as before, together with the Virgin-Mould; but they were all of the fame, or nearly the fame fpecifick Gravity, both out of the fame Hole, and out of different Holes, although the Sand was at laft fo gravelly, that it hinder'd our boring any deeper.

Upon this, fearing left fome Error might be in the former Experiments, I try'd them over again; and that with the fame Success.

After this, I made fome Experiments in fome deep Chalks Pits, with the Flints, Chalk, &c. above and below; but the Succefs was not fo uniform as before.

Acquainting our juftly renowned R. S. with thefe Experiments, they ordered their Operator to experiment the Strata of a Coal-Pit; the Succefs whereof may be feen in Philof. Tranf. Nr. 336.

I

CHA P. III.

Of the Subterraneous Caverns, and the
Vulcano's.

Shall take notice of the fubterraneous Caverns, Grotto's and Vulcano's, because they are made an Objection (a) against the prefent Contrivance and Structure

(a) Nemo dixerit terram pulchriorem effe quòd cavernosa fit, quod dehifcat in multis locis, quòd difrupta caveis & fpatiis in

F2

anibus t

Structure of the Globe. But, if well confidered, they will be found to be wife Contrivances of the Creator, ferving to great Ufes of the Globe, and Ends of God's Government. Befides many secret, grand Functions and Operations of Nature in the Bowels of the Earth, that in all Probability thefe Things may minifter unto, they are of great Ufe to the Countries where they are (b). To inftance in the very worst of the Things named, viz. the Vulcano's and ignivomous Mountains; although they are fome of the most terrible Shocks of the Globe, and dreadful Scourges of the finful Inhabitants thereof, and may ferve them as Emblems, and Prefages of Hell it felf; yet even thefe have their great Ufes too, being as Spiracles or Tunnels (c) to the Countries where they are, to vent the Fire and Vapours that would make difmal Havock, and oftentimes actually do fo, by dreadful Succuffions and Convulfions of the Earth. Nay, if the Hypothefis of a central Fire and Waters be true, these Out

anibus; iifque nullo ordine difpofitis, nullâ formâ: nec que aliud contineant quàm tenebras & fordes; unde graves & peftifera exhalationes, terra motus, &c. Burnet ubi fupr. c. 7.

(b) The Zirchnitzer Sea in Carniola, is of great Use to the Inhabitants of that Country, by affording them Fish, Fowls, Fodder, Seeds, Deer, Swine, and other Beafts, Carriage for their Goods, c. Vid. Phil. Trans. Nr. 191, &c. or Lowth. Abridg. Vol. 2. p. 306, &c. where you have put together in one View, what is difperfed in divers of the Tranfactions. This Sea or Lake proceeds from fome fubterraneous Grotto, or Lake, as is made highly probable by Mr. Valvafor, Ibid.

The Grotto Podpetfchio may be another Inftance, that the very fubterraneous Lakes may be of Ufe, even to the Inhabitants of the Surface above: Of which fee Lowth. ubi fupr. pag. 317. Sturmius also may be confulted here in his Philof. Eclett. Exercit. 11. de Terra mot. particularly in Chap. 3. fome of the most eminent Specus's are enumerated, and fome of their Ufes.

(c) Crebri fpecus [remedium] prabent. Praconceptum enim Spiritum exhalant: quod in certis notatur oppidis, qua minùs quaSiuntur, crebris ad ́eluviem cuniculis cavata. Plin. Hift. Nat. lib. 2. cap. 82.

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