Atmosphere; it arifing from the Globe in Form of Vapour, and falling down again in Rain, Dew, Hail, and Snow. That the Quantity of Water thus rifing and falling is equal; as much returning back in Rain, &c. to the whole terraqueous Globe, as was exbaled from itin Vapours. That tho' the Quantity of Water thus rifing and falling be certain and conftant as to the whole, yet it varies in the feveral Parts of the Globe; by reafon that the Vapours float in the AtmoSphere, failing in Clouds from Place to Place, and are not reftored down again in a Perpendicular upon the fame precife Tract of Land, or Sea, or both together, from which Originaly they arofe, but any other indifferently. So that fome Regions receive back more in Rain than they fend up in Vapour as, on the contrary, others fend up more in Vapour than they receive in Rain, Nay, the very Jame Region, at one Seafon, fends up more in Vapours than it receives in Rain: and, at another, receives more in Rain than it fends up in Vapour. But the Exceffes of one Region and Seafon compenfa

4.

ting the Defects of the others, the Quantity rifing and falling upon the whole Globe is equal; however different it may be in the feveral Parts of it.

That the Rain which falls upon the Surface of the Earth partly runs off into Rivers, and thence into the Sea and partly finks down into the Earth, infinuating it felf into the Interstices of the Sand, Gravel, or other Matter of the exteriour or uppermoft Strata. Whence fome of it paffes on into Springs, Wells, and into Grotts, and ftagnates there, 'till 'tis by Degrees again exhaled. Some of it glides into the perpendicular Intervalls of the folid Strata: where, if there be no Outlet or Paf Sage to the Surface, it ftagnates, as the other; but, if there be fuch Outlets, 'tis by them refunded forth together with the ordinary Water of Springs and Rivers. And the reft, which, by reafon of the compactness of the terreftrial Matter underneath, cannot make its Way to Wells, the perpendicular Fiffures, or the like Exits, only faturates the uppermoft Strata and in time remounts

up

up again in Vapour into the AtmoSphere.

That altho' Rains do thus fall into and augment Springs and Rivers, yet neither the one nor the other do derive the Water, which they ordidinarily refund, from Rains; notwithstanding what very many Learned Men have believed.

That Springs and Rivers do not proceed from Vapours raifed out of the Sea by the Sun, born thence by Winds unto Mountains, and there condenfed; as a modern ingenious Writer is of Opinion.

That the abovementioned great fubterranean Magazine the Abyfs, with its Partner the Ocean, is the Standing Fund and Promptuary which fupplies Water to the Surface of the Earth as well Springs and Rivers, as Vapours and Rain.

That there is a nearly uniform and conftant Fire or Heat diffemi

K 2

*

nated

*Heat and Fire differ but in Degree: and Heat is Fire, only in leffer Quantity. Fire I fhall fhew to be a Fluid confifting of Parts extremely small and light, and confequently very fubtile, active, and fufceptive of Motion. An Aggregate of these Parts in fuch Number as to be visible to the Eye, is what we call Flame and Fire: a leffer, thinner, and more difpers'd Collection, Heat and Warmth,

nated throughout the Body of the Earth, and efpecialy the interiour Parts of it; the Bottoms of the deeper Mines being very fultry, and. the Stone and Ores there very fenfibly bot, even in Winter, and the colder Seafons. That 'tis this Heat which evaporates and elevates the Water of the Abyss, buoying it up indifferently on every Side, and towards all Parts of the Surface of the Globe; pervading not only the Fiffures and Intervalls of the Strata, but the very Bodyes of the Strata themselves, permeating the Interftices of the Sand, Earth, or other Matter, whereof they contift: yea even the moft firm and denfe, Marble, and Sand-flone. For thefe give Admiffion to it, though in leffer Quantity, and are always found faturated with it; which is the Reafon that they are fofter, and cut much more eafily, when first taken out of their Beds and Quarries, than afterwards, when they have lain fome time exposed to the Air, and that Humidity is evaporated.

That this Vapour proceeds up directly towards the Surface of the

Globe

Globe on all Sides, and, as near as poffible, in right Lines, unless impeded and diverted by the Interpofition of Strata of Marble, the denfer Sorts of Stone, or other like Matter, which is fo clofe and compact that it can admitt it only in fmaller Quantity, and this very flowly and leifurely.

That where the Vapour is thus intercepted in its Paffage, and cannot penetrate the Stratum diametricaly, Some of it glides along the lower Surface of it, permeating the horizontal Intervall which is betwixt the faid denfe Stratum and that which lies underneath it. The reft paffes the Interfices of the Mafs of the fubjacent Strata, whether they be be of laxer Stone, of Sand, of Marle, or the like, with a Direction parallel to the Site of thofe Strata, 'till it arrives at their perpendicular Intervalls.

That this Water being thus approach'd to thefe Intervalls, in cafe the Strata, whereby the afcending Vapour was collected, and condenfed into Water, as we ufualy fpeak, in like Manner as by an Alembick, hapK 3

pen