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the End of three Months, he found, thatthe mineral Contents of that which .wasprepared in the common Way were all dis-solved, by which Means the Cement wasloosened, and, in many Places, the Woodquite uncovered ; but that on which thepowdered Tale, mixed only with Pitchywas put, remained whole and intire as whenput in, and so continued after -it hhd beenexposed for some Twelve-months in theSea, without any ithe least .-Alteration what-ever; and, undoubtedly,. ; wouid have..re-mained so much longer, had he not thoiightthis' a sufficient .Trial .beyond ill Contra-diction.

Xt is some'Years since-the. ^bove Expe-riment was made, and it: being.at my firstcoming into this Kingdom, I.had but verylittle Knowledge what Fossils, this Islandcontained, at least X never had heard tothat Time that it produced Tale ; so thatthis Discovery, howsoevengreat and ussfulit might he, fell vastly short of the realSatisfaction it would have given us,'whenwe considered how difficult, if not impos-sible, it would be to prevail on the.Ship-mechanicks to fetch Tale from Italy, andother Parts Abroad, wlfere they have it. ingreat Plenty; though tjsis might have-beendone at a small Expence, and to the great-est Advantage, especially when we considerof what prodigious Importance it is to -a

Nation