Volume I Part 5 (2/2)
[_Root-inwove mora.s.s_. l. 116. The great ma.s.s of matter which rests upon the lime-stone strata of the earth, or upon the granite where the lime- stone stratum has been removed by earthquakes or covered by lava, has had its origin from the recrements of vegetables and of air-breathing animals, as the lime-stone had its origin from sea animals. The whole habitable world was originally covered with woods, till mankind formed themselves into societies, and subdued them by fire and by steel. Hence woods in uncultivated countries have grown and fallen through many ages, whence mora.s.ses of immense extent; and from these as the more soluble parts were washed away first, were produced sea-salt, nitre, iron, and variety of acids, which combining with calcareous matter were productive of many fossil bodies, as flint, sea-sand, selenite, with the precious stones, and perhaps the diamond. See additional notes, No. XVII.]
1. ”HENCE with diffusive SALT old Ocean steeps 120 His emerald shallows, and his sapphire deeps.
Oft in wide lakes, around their warmer brim In hollow pyramids the crystals swim; Or, fused by earth-born fires, in cubic blocks Shoot their white forms, and harden into rocks.
[_Hence with diffusive salt_. l. 119. Salts of various kinds are produced from the recrements of animal and vegetable bodies, such as phosphoric, ammoniacal, marine salt, and others; these are washed from the earth by rains, and carried down our rivers into the sea; they seem all here to decompose each other except the marine salt, which has therefore from the beginning of the habitable world been perpetually acc.u.mulating.
There is a town in the immense salt-mines of Cracow in Poland, with a market-place, a river, a church, and a famous statue, (here supposed to be of Lot's wife) by the moist or dry appearance of which the subterranean inhabitants are said to know when the weather is fair above ground. The galleries in these mines are so numerous and so intricate, that workmen have frequently lost their way, their lights having been burnt out, and have perished before they could be found. Essais, &c. par M. Macquart. And though the arches of these different stories of galleries are boldly executed, yet they are not dangerous; as they are held together or supported by large ma.s.ses of timber of a foot square; and these vast timbers remain perfectly sound for many centuries, while all other pillars whether of brick, cement, or salt soon dissolve or moulder away. Ibid. Could the timbers over water-mill wheels or cellars, be thus preserved by occasionally soaking them with brine? These immense ma.s.ses of rock-salt seem to have been produced by the evaporation of sea-water in the early periods of the world by subterranean fires. Dr.
Hutton's Theory of the Earth. See also Theorie des Sources Salees, par Mr. Struve. Histoire de Sciences de Lausanne. Tom. II. This idea of Dr.
Hutton's is confirmed by a fact mentioned in M. Macquart's Essais sur Minerologie, who found a great quant.i.ty of fossil sh.e.l.ls, princ.i.p.ally bi-valves and madre-pores, in the salt-mines of Wialiczka near Cracow.
During the evaporation of the lakes of salt-water, as in artificial salt-works, the salt begins to crystallize near the edges where the water is shallowest, forming hollow inverted pyramids; which, when they become of a certain size, subside by their gravity; if urged by a stronger fire the salt fuses or forms large cubes; whence the salt shaped in hollow pyramids, called flake-salt, is better tasted and preserves flesh better, than the basket or powder salt; because it is made by less heat and thence contains more of the marine acid. The sea- water about our island contains from about one twenty-eighth to one thirtieth part of sea-salt, and about one eightieth of magnesian salt.
See Brownrigg on Salt. See note on Ocymum, Vol. II. of this work.]
125 ”Thus, cavern'd round in CRACOW'S mighty mines, With crystal walls a gorgeous city s.h.i.+nes; Scoop'd in the briny rock long streets extend Their h.o.a.ry course, and glittering domes ascend; Down the bright steeps, emerging into day, 130 Impetuous fountains burst their headlong way, O'er milk-white vales in ivory channels spread, And wondering seek their subterraneous bed.
Form'd in pellucid salt with chissel nice, The pale lamp glimmering through the sculptured ice, 135 With wild reverted eyes fair LOTTA stands, And spreads to Heaven, in vain, her gla.s.sy hands; Cold dews condense upon her pearly breast, And the big tear rolls lucid down her vest.
Far gleaming o'er the town transparent fanes 140 Rear their white towers, and wave their golden vanes; Long lines of l.u.s.tres pour their trembling rays, And the bright vault returns the mingled blaze.
2. ”HENCE orient NITRE owes it's sparkling birth, And with prismatic crystals gems the earth, 145 O'er tottering domes in filmy foliage crawls, Or frosts with branching plumes the mouldering walls.
As woos Azotic Gas the virgin Air, And veils in crimson clouds the yielding Fair, Indignant Fire the treacherous courts.h.i.+p flies, 150 Waves his light wing, and mingles with the skies.
[_Hence orient Nitre_. l. 143. Nitre is found in Bengal naturally crystallized, and is swept by brooms from earths and stones, and thence called sweepings of nitre. It has lately been found in large quant.i.ties in a natural bason of calcareous earth at Molfetta in Italy, both in thin strata between the calcareous beds, and in efflorescences of various beautiful leafy and hairy forms. An account of this nitre-bed is given by Mr. Zimmerman and abridged in Rozier's Journal de Physique Fevrier. 1790. This acid appears to be produced in all situations where animal and vegetable matters are compleatly decomposed, and which are exposed to the action of the air as on the walls of stables, and slaughter-houses; the crystals are prisms furrowed by longitudinal groves.
Dr. Priestley discovered that nitrous air or gas which he obtained by dissolving metals in nitrous acid, would combine rapidly with vital air, and produce with it a true nitrous acid; forming red clouds during the combination; the two airs occupy only the s.p.a.ce before occupied by one of them, and at the same time heat is given out from the new combination. This dimunition of the bulk of a mixture of nitrous gas and vital air, Dr. Priestley ingeniously used as a test of the purity of the latter; a discovery of the greatest importance in the a.n.a.lysis of airs.
Mr. Cavendish has since demonstrated that two parts of vital air or oxygene, and one part of phlogistic air or azote, being long exposed to electric shocks, unite, and produce nitrous acid. Philos. Trans. Vols.
LXXV. and LXXVIII.
Azote is one of the most abundant elements in nature, and combined with calorique or heat, it forms azotic gas or phlogistic air, and composes two thirds of the atmosphere; and is one of the princ.i.p.al component parts of animal bodies, and when united to vital air or oxygene produces the nitrous acid. Mr. Lavoisier found that 211/2 parts by weight of azote, and 431/2 parts of oxygene produced 64 parts of nitrous gas, and by the further addition of 36 parts of oxygene nitrous acid was produced. Traite de Chimie. When two airs become united so as to produce an unelastic liquid much calorique or heat is of necessity expelled from the new combination, though perhaps nitrous acid and oxygenated marine acid admit more heat into their combinations than other acids.]
”So Beauty's G.o.dDESS, warm with new desire, Left, on her silver wheels, the G.o.d of Fire; Her faithless charms to fiercer MARS resign'd, Met with fond lips, with wanton arms intwin'd.
155 --Indignant VULCAN eyed the parting Fair, And watch'd with jealous step the guilty pair; O'er his broad neck a wiry net he flung, Quick as he strode, the tinkling meshes rung; Fine as the spider's flimsy thread He wove 160 The immortal toil to lime illicit love; Steel were the knots, and steel the twisted thong, Ring link'd in ring, indissolubly strong; On viewless hooks along the fretted roof He hung, unseen, the inextricable woof.-- 165 --Quick start the springs, the webs pellucid spread, And lock the embracing Lovers on their bed; Fierce with loud taunts vindictive VULCAN springs, Tries all the bolts, and tightens all the strings, Shakes with incessant shouts the bright abodes, 170 Claps his rude hands, and calls the festive G.o.ds.-- --With spreading palms the alarmed G.o.ddess tries To veil her beauties from celestial eyes, Writhes her fair limbs, the slender ringlets strains, And bids her Loves untie the obdurate chains; 175 Soft swells her panting bosom, as she turns, And her flush'd cheek with brighter blushes burns.
Majestic grief the Queen of Heaven avows, And chaste Minerva hides her helmed brows; Attendant Nymphs with bashful eyes askance 180 Steal of intangled MARS a transient glance; Surrounding G.o.ds the circling nectar quaff, Gaze on the Fair, and envy as they laugh.
3. ”HENCE dusky IRON sleeps in dark abodes, And ferny foliage nestles in the nodes; 185 Till with wide lungs the panting bellows blow, And waked by fire the glittering torrents flow; --Quick whirls the wheel, the ponderous hammer falls, Loud anvils ring amid the trembling walls, Strokes follow strokes, the sparkling ingot s.h.i.+nes, 190 Flows the red slag, the lengthening bar refines; Cold waves, immersed, the glowing ma.s.s congeal, And turn to adamant the hissing Steel.
[_Hence dusky Iron_. l. 183. The production of iron from the decomposition of vegetable bodies is perpetually presented to our view; the waters oozing from all mora.s.ses are chalybeate, and deposit their ochre on being exposed to the air, the iron acquiring a calciform state from its union with oxygene or vital air. Where thin mora.s.ses lie on beds of gravel the latter are generally stained by the filtration of some of the chalybeate water through them. This formation of iron from vegetable recrements is further evinced by the fern leaves and other parts of vegetables, so frequently found in the centre of the k.n.o.bs or nodules of some iron-ores.
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