Of Artificial Fires. LA5

Earth or Hay. In rhc same Lycia , ICvlcan ’s Mountains , touched with a burningTorch, will so burn, that the very hones and sand in Rivers are consumed by them,and will burn in the midst of the water--; and that fire is maintained by water. Thehollow Cave in Nymphæum forefhews terrible things to the men Apoilonia : asTheopompiu writes; it encreaseth by stiewres, and it casts forth Bitumen,thac must betempered with that Fountain that cannot be tasted, otherwise it is more weak thenaay Bitumen is. Now I shall search out the kindes of Bitumen. Tkc first kinde isliquid, called Naphtha, we call itOyl of Peter, which remains in stones and Ki:ram.This hath greac affinity with Fire, and the fire will take bold of it every way ac agreat distance. So some say, That Medea burnt a whore, who, when she came to sa-crifice at the Altar, the fire laid hold on her Garland. Another kinde is, that mencall Maltha ; for in the City of Comagenes Samosata , there is a Lake fends forthburning mud: when any solid thing couchech it, it will stick to it; and being touch'd,it will follow him that runs from it. So they defended the Walls, when LucuIIh*besieged them, and the Soldier burned in his Armor. Waters do kindle it, and onlyEarth can quench it, as experience shews. Camphise is a kinde of it: as Bitumen,itdraws fire to it and burns. Pissaphaltum is harder then Bitumen : both Amber andTetareof this fort ; but these burn more gently, and not so much in thewatemMoreover, in regard it burns in the Wat er,it is Brimstone - for no farter thing is dugforth of the Earth. To maintain this fire, it self is sufficient: it neither burns in thewaters, nor is it put out with water, nor doth it last long ; but, joyn’d with Bi-tumen , the fire will last always, as we fee in the Phlegrean Mountains at Puteoli:and as fire, if Oyl be cast in, burns the more j so when Bitumen is kindled, water caston, makes the flame the greater. Wherefore I shall make use of those fires that burnin and above the waters. Bur I shall bring some examples how is made

A Ball that trill turn under Water,

First prepare your Gun-Powder; for this must be one Ingredient in all Compositions,and gives force to the rest to burn vehemently. If it be in great corns,pown it well,and soiree it fine: to seven parts of this, add two parts of Colophonia, three of Salt-peter, one of Brimstone; pown them all together,and mingle them • sprinkling on ofNaphtha,or of liquid pitch Kitram; moyftning them so long,until the powder pressedin your hand will stay together. When these are well mingled, make trial by them:if it burn too vehemently,add more Colophonia,Salt-Petcr and Brimstonejbut if butweakly, more Gun-powder. This mixture must be wrapt in straw or linen-rags,or putinto coffins made of the fame things; and bidde it as close as you can with straw, orlittle cords round about: then dip it into scalding pitch, and so let it dry: then wrapit again with straw,and smeer it over with pitch, to keep it safe from water, and thatit may not break asunder by the violence of the fire. When it is well dried, and a lit-tle hole made in it,put in Gun-powder,and put fire to it: and when it begins to burn,stay but very little, and cast it into the water. It will by its weight fall to the bot-tom, and the flames will strive with the water, and drive them far from it: so it willappear to burn above, and is obscured with a black smoak, that you will think you seethe sulphureous waters at Puteoli burning there- Being then made lighter by manyturnings and windings, it will seem to ascend to the superficies of the waterjwhicb isa most pleasant sight : for you will think that the water burns . and you shall leetwo contrary Elements fighting together, yet to unite friendly until the matter bespent. Others wrap in cloth nothing but Gun-powder a whole handful; and thisthey bindein with cords : then they dip it in melted scalding pitch, and bound veryfast, and wrapt in many linen rags ; they make a small hole through it, and. theyplace this in the Centre of the Ball we even now spake of, that when it comes tothe superficies of the water, the fire taking hold on the Powder within , breaksthe Ball so pieces ; and with a mighty noise , wounds all those that stand neer it.Some make it

Otherwise.

They make a Composition of Brimstone, Colophonia, Salt-Peter, Vernish;and to this they add a fourth part of Gun powder ; and they add Venice-

Tor-