THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE. XXIX.] FOR MARCH, 1798. [VOL. V. The Four Volumes of the MONTHLY MAGAZINE, which are now completed, may be bad complete of any Bookfeller, price Thirty Shillings, neatly half-bound, or any fingle Number, or Volume, may be bad feparate, at the Pleafure of the Purcbafer. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, H AVING undertaken to examine the principles of the new theory of chemistry, I wish to excite as much attention as poffible to the fubject; and as your publication goes into the hands of all lovers of literature in England, I beg leave to make use of it, in order to ftate, in a general way, what appear to me to be the strongest objections to this system, which has now reigned triumphant about twelve years, very few perfons befides myself being advocates for the old doctrine of phlogiftion. I have already published two pamphlets on the fubject, and I intend to continue the controverfy till I have collected all the evidence that hall be fufficient to decide the question; and if in the iffue I fee reafon for fo doing, I fhall publicly acknowledge my converfion to the doctrine that I now controvert, and shall even take a pride in fo doing. In the mean time, having heard what has been advanced by fome very able advocates for the new fyftem, in answer to my first pamphlet, I think I am pretty well apprized of all that can be faid with refpect to thofe experiments that are yet before us. But in time fomething more decifive may be produced. In reply to all that I have yet heard on the fubject, I would obferve, 1. When ametal, viz. iron, is diffolv. ed in the vitriolic acid, the antiphlogiftians fay, that the inflammable air which is prosured does not come from the iron, but from the water, which is decompofed in the process. But, according to their theory, water confifts of two principles, hydrogen gas and oxygen, and therefore, if the hydrogen be fet at liberty, in the form of inflammable air, there ought to remain an additional quantity of oxygen in the vessel; and I ask, where is it to be found They fay in the calx of the iron. But I answer, that this calx exhibits no appearance whatever of its containing any oxygen, and the acid attached to it yields leis dephlogisticated air on being MONTHLY MAG. No. XXIX. fubjected to a red heat, than the fame quantity of the acid that was employed in the procefs. And if this calx be afterwards expofed to the heat of a burning lens in atmospheric air, it is fo far from making any addition to it, that this air is diminished. It is acknowledged by my opponents, that after the solution, the acid in the veffel will not faturate more alkali than it would have done before. Since, then, this additional quantity of oxygen which the new theory fuppofes, cannot be found, either in the form of an acid, or of de phlogifticated air, what evidence is there of its existence? And is not the proba bility greatly in favour of the inflammable air coming from the iron rather than from the water, and that by the lofs of this principle it becomes a calx. If this be the cafe, metals are compound fubftances, and water, as far as we yet know, a fimple one; whereas, according to the new theory, metals are simple substances, and water the compound. 2. When steam is applied to red hot iron, inflammable air is procured, and the iron receives an addition of about one half of its former weight, and is the fame thing with what the forge-men in England call finery cinder, and with the fcales of iron in a black fmith's fhop. This fub ftance the antiphlogiftians fay is an oxyde of iron, fuppofing that the water is de compofed by paffing in contact with it, when the hydrogen is feparated in the form. of inflammable air, and the oxygen remains united to it. But I ask, what is the evidence of this fubftance containing any oxygen, when it can neither be re duced to an acid, nor exhibited in the form of oxygenous gas, or dephlogisti. cated air? I think that the addition to the iron is mere water, and when it is heated in inflammable air, the iron is revived, and the water fet at liberty. Another evidence of a folid, fubftance, like this, containing oxygen, is its oxygenating, or as I call it, dephlogistica ting, the marine acid, But though this Y fubftance 160 Interesting Chemical Letter from Dr. Priestley. fubftance is completely diffolved in this acid, no fign of oxygenation appears. Indeed, fome very flight fign, barely perceivable, fometimes appears on the folution of scale of iron, to which (being formed in the open air) it is probable, that a fmall quantity of oxygen may adhere. But if this mall quantity be developed, I ask why is not more difcovered, when more was prefent? The agent is the fame, and it has much more matter to act upon. They fay that this finery cinder is a partial oxyde of iron, and common ruft of iron a complete oxyde. But fince iron receives a much greater addition to its weight by becoming finery cinder, than by being converted into ruft, and all the addition is allowed to be pure oxygen, the former ought to contain more of this principle than the latter. Befides, finery cinder is incapable of becoming ruft. The contrary, indeed, is afferted; but let the obfervation of the fact decide between us. I farther obferve, that when any folid fubftance, containing oxygen or dephlogifticated air, is heated in inflammable air, a quantity of fixed air is formed, by the union of the oxygen from the fubstance and the inflammable air in the veffel. This is the cafe when minium is revived in these circumftances, but not fo when finery cinder is ufed, nothing but water being found in the veffel. Alfo, when iron, or any fubftance containing phlogifton, is heated in dephlogifticated air, fixed air is produced. This the antiphlogiftians fay comes from the plumbago in the iron. But the plumbago in the iron employed is not one hundredth part of the weight of the fixed air produced, if the plumbago could be feparated, and decompofed, in the process, which it can Bot. That fixed air may be produced by the union of dephlogisticated and inflammable air, I farther prove by heating together red precipitate, which yields only dephlogifticated air, and filings of iron, which give only inflammable air; when there is a copious production of the pureft fixed air. This, however, I am informed my opponents deny. With mé the experiment has never failed. Let others judge between us. If this be the fact, here is a copious production of what the anti phlogistians call the carbonic acid without any carbone, which they fay is the only fource of it. But the argument which my opponents arge with the greatest confidence, is drawn from the fuppofed compofition of water, viz. from dephlogisticated and inflammable air burned in a certain proportion to each other.. I fay, however, that when these two kinds of air are fired together, they produce either the nitrous acid, or phlogisticated air, which is known to be capable, by decompofition, of forming nitrous acid. When the inflammable air is more than fufficient to form nitrous acid, the phlegifticated air is the two kinds of air in a close tube of produced. This I demonftrate, by firing glass or copper. that when I produce any acid, it must To this my opponents have objected, have come from the decompofition of the phlogisticated air, which I had not been careful to exclude in the procefs. But I am confident that, in my last method of making the experiment, there was not the leaft fenfible quantity of phlogifticated air prefent, and that, in all the cafes, the acid produced was a hundred times more formed. Whenever their flame burned than the phlogisticated air could have ftrongly, fo as to enfure more dephlogifticated air than they wifhed, the water they produced was not free, from acidity, and whenever it was, they found a furplus of phlogisticated air, which agrees with my experiments. air, uniting in certain circumftances, can That dephlogifticated and inflammable form phlogisticated air, I have fhewn in feveral proceffes. Inflammable air, expofed to ruft of iron confined by mercury, air, and the ruft is converted into a black becomes in time wholly phlogisticated powder, which no doubt is the fame thing with plumbago, This fubftance, therefore, is iron fuperfaturated with phlogifton. On the whole, I am as far as ever from feeor decompofition of water; but on the coning any evidence of either the compofition trary, much and very fatisfactory evidence against it. I write, however, with no other view than to promote a full and fair difcuffion of the fubject, which is certainly of confiderable importance in chemistry. I am, Sir, your's, &c. Northumberland, Dec. 20, 1797. J. PRIESTLEY. W HEN I wrote my note of Jan. 1, 1798, (which you inferted in indeed feen Mr. Scott's third and fourth number for that month) I had not letters; neither had your correfpondent your Mr. Dr. Beddoes on the Nitrous Acid.-Welsh Indians. Mr. BLAIR. For the fhips, by which they were brought, had not arrived. By thofe fhips Mr. SCOTT fent me a copy, requesting I would reprint the letters, in any publication which I might be preparing on the fubject of nitrous acid. But I have fince received from Mr. SCOTT, inftructions to suppress what be fays about the effect of bathing, as he is not fatisfied with his trials. This retractation, together with remarks on fome material points, will appear in the collection now in the prefs; for it is too late (in confequence of what has been published here) to fupprefs the remarks on the nitrous bath, as the author wifhed. I am afraid the collection of cafes will be a few weeks longer in appearing than I gave reafon to expect. A confiderable number of communications are printed. But fome, which were promifed two months ago, are not yet come to handand I could wish to prefent the public with a refpectable body of facts. I find by my correfpondence in America, that they have been employing nitrous acid there with various, but, for the most part, with good fuccefs."-I hope we thall, ere long, know how far this and the other fubftances newly brought into question, are useful-that we may use them fo far, and no farther. I am, Sir, with good wishes for the fuccefs of your exertions, yours, March 7, 1798. THOMAS BEDDOES. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, THE following is an extract of a let. ter from my correfpondent at Philadelphia, refpecting a late attempt to penetrate to the Welsh Indians, da.ed the 5th of December, 1797 "I was in hopes to have had it in my power to communicate fomething concerning JouN EVANS. Dr. JONES, of Lower Dublin, has received a letter from him a few days ago. I have fent two meffages for a copy of it, but it is not yet come to hand. I understand that EVANS has returned to Kentucky, without finding his brethren. I was apprehenfive of his miscarriage; for Judge TURNER, on his arrival in this city laft fpring, informed me that MACKAY, the acting partner in the Missouri Company, had returned to St. Louis, finding the western Indians in a hoftile position. Nothing was then mentioned of EVANS, farther than that the judge faid the commandant of St. Louis, in a letter to him, 161 complained that Mr. EVANS would not "In my last I promised you a copy of JOHN EVANS's letter; but the whole being rather a crude compofition, and rather long, I fend you the fubftance of his report, which has been published in feveral of the American papers; and in ma ing it known in Europe, you will oblige feveral of our friends. The ideas, which I fuggefted in my laft letter, on the fubject of this miffion, Iftill retain. I was always doubtful of the existence of Welch Indians; but, in my opinion, we are left in the dark as much as ever, in respect to their existence or non-existence. Those who have afferted that there are fuch a people may have equal credit, in the scale of probabability, with thofe who only, by fuperficial refearch, declare they cannot find them. EVANS's account is very lame, and to me appears doubtful. We may know more about it hereafter; and fhould I hear any thing farther, I shall not fail to communicate it. After enumerating his difficulties and fufferings on the Miffiffippi, which have been already published, EVANS gives a fhort account of his journey up the Missouri. "In Auguft, 1795, fays he, I started from St. Louis, in company with JAMES MACKAY, commandant on the Miffouri; and wintered, the fame year, with the Mahas nation, on the faid river. Whilft here, I fpent twenty-five days with the Indians, on their hunting ground, and then returned to Poft Mahas, where I tarried two months. "In February, 1796, I recommenced my journey westward, and, at the distance of 300 miles from the Mahas, was discovered by fome hoftile Indians, called the Seaux. Being obliged to retreat, I again returned to the Mahas; but in June following, undertook the fame route, and, in Auguit, arrived at the Mandans and BigBelly nation, 300 leagues from the Ma has, and 600 leagues from the confluence of the Missouri with the Miffiffippi. Y 2 The 162 Welsh Indians.-Prize in the Lottery. "The Missouri, for 260 leagues from St. Louis, traverses and forms beautiful meanders through fine meadows, as level as a table: the vale or bottom is from twelve to eighteen miles in breadth. The river fometimes glides along the hills on each fide, but its general courfe is to the fouth of the plain: for 400 leagues it is full of little iflands, and receives very confiderable ftreams above R. Platte, 190 leagues from St. Louis. From the Pancas to the Mandans, which is about 190 leagues, it has forced its way, and runs furiously through mountains and hills full of mine. "Having explored and taken a chart of the Miffouri, for 1800 miles, I returned with its rapid current, in 68 days, to St. Louis, July 15, 1797, after being abfent nearly two years. I was well received by the Spanish officers, who preffingly folicited me to undertake another adventure,across the continent,to the Pacific. "In refpect to the Welsh Indians, I have only to inform you, that I could not meet with fuch a people; and from the intercourfe I have had with Indians, from lat. 35 to 49, I think you may with fafety inform our friends, that they have no existence. "The applications made to me, by this government, prevent my coming at prefent to Philadelphia; fhould I accept of the offer, it will be fome time before I fee you. Signed, "JOHN THOMAS EVANS." The above is the refult of the expedition undertaken by EVANS, which was announced to take place about five years ago; and accompanied by fome decuments, upon which the hope of fucceeding therein in a great meafure depended. The above accounts do not explain clearly why EVANS returned from the point mentioned by him, which, from all the information received, is fhort of the fituation affigned for the people he was in fearch of. Yours, &c. MEITION. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, ALTHOUGH no man can mory the gerly ftrive than I do, to obey the apoftolic injunction," Live peaceably with all men," yet there is one reípect in which I rank with the difaffected part of this nation, and have feldom failed for Several years of my life, to oppofe one of the pofitive laws of my country. I allude now to the State Lottery, and my mode of oppofition is this. I endeavour to perfuade all my friends, particularly those who think they would have good luck, to avoid buying tickets, or shares of tickets; and although this be absolutely flying in the face of that government which has, in its wisdom, projected and commanded this fcheme of finance, yet I have hitherto contrived to steer pretty clear of punishment, because, although there are many claufes in the act which conftitutes and appoints a lottery, there is not one which compels us to purchase tickets. In my oppofition, therefore, I proceed fecurely, and, what is more, I act fairly; for I never repeat my annual admonitions unlefs at the clofe of the drawing. There are two reafons why I act thus; first, that I may not feem factious or invidious, and, fecondly, because at the end of a lottery, I find many perfons inclined to take my advice, who, at the beginning of it, would not listen to me. But why, you will fay, am I fo hoftile to lotteries? I will anfwer in few words Because I once was fortunate, and from that time had to date the miferies from which I am recovering only by very flow degrees; for I fuppofe I need not tell you, that a war is a very unhealthy time for perfons recovering from loffes in trade. It is a bad time to pick up, as we fay-It is like fending à confumptive pair of lungs into a fharp air, or curing the ague in the fens of Lincolnshire. But to my ftory, which has been the burthen of my fong for fo many years. You must know, Sir, that I began life in the humble capacity of a very refpectable tallow chandler, in Whitechapel, and carried on for fome time a very fnug trade. Befides families and chance customers, I furnished two hofpitals with candles, and frequently had the honour to throw fight on the many fubjects of political fpeculation, which were agitated in a neighbouring publicHoufe. Things went on then, Sir, exactly as they should do. My profits, if not great, were certain; and, upon the word of a tallow-chandler, I declare they were honeft, for I made it a rule to tick to the trade price, and never refufed at Christmas to give my customers' maids a few rafh-lights, in order to thew them how to play whisk like their mafters, As to politics, I went not a jot farther than the Daily Advertiser enjoined me; and, like a good fubject, I had a heart felt fatisfaction in the victories of my country, especially when they were fo great as to require the aid of my trade to Evils from a Prize in the Lottery. give them an additional brilliancy,-My wife affifted me in my business, as a wife ought; and if any bufinefs called me from home, there was the behind the counter, and as attentive as myself. I ·kept one maid fervant, and a boy to car.ry parcels. My two children had got fuch fchooling as was thought proper for their expectations. I intended my fon ..to fucceed me in bufinefs; and, as for my daughter, he would have made an excellent houfe-wife, which is all, in my humble opinion, that tradefmen's daugh..ters ought to be. I paid all parish rates with pleasure, and ferved parish offices fo honestly, that I do not think I eat more than two children in all my time, which is faying a great deal. As to amufe. ments, we never defired the expenfive ones. Now and then, in very fine weather, I would treat my family to Sadler's Wells, or Barnaby Spa, but as to trips by fea,we never went farther than Gravelend, and carrying our own provifions with us, and coming back by the next tide, you must allow all this was very moderate. In this happy state things went on for fome years. All was fun-thine and broad day-light; aye, and good broad humour at night with us. But happinefs will have an end. There are many ups and downs in life. The devil is never tired of the many pranks he plays us poor honest folks. It happened one day, Sir, that my wife received a hand bill about the lottery, wrapt round an ounce of green tea which we had brought to treat the curate of our parish with. What there was in this wicked bill, I do not now remember, but the woman would not rest until he had bought a ticket, or a fhare of one. I had not been fed to contradict her, and perhaps the devil might enter into me at the fame time, for I believe he generally prefers a whole family, when he can get them. The ticket was bought, and I had been happy if it had proved a blank; but in a few days it was pronounced an hundred pound prize. A fecond ticket followed of courfe, and a third; and before the lottery had done drawing, I was mafter of five thousand pounds fterling money. This was a fum of which there is no mention in the records of our family for feveral generations. I feemed, indeed, born a great man without the help of ancestors. But alas! this was the beginning of forrows and evils. My wife now declared war against all business, industry, 163 and frugality; and as it was by her advice I bought the ticket, fhe took the whole merit of our fuccefs out of the hands of Dame Fortune, and insisted that we fhould lay out our money like people of fashion. People of fathion! Thefe were her very words; and, she added, likewife, that the muft now see a little of the world, and metamorphofe me and my children after her own way. Would you believe it, Sir? I cannot fay that I was wholly against all this, becaufe I could not help feeling how much more comfortable it is to have five thoufand pounds, than to be daily toiling to make up as many hundreds; but I declare, that if it had not been for this money, I never should have thought of becoming a man of fashion, for I had no other notion of fuch at that time, than that they were perfons who required long credit. But to proceed-The first step my wife took, was to dispose of our stock in trade, and this was easily done, at the lofs of about three hundred pounds, for we were very precipitate, and the buyers knowing that we could not for fhame's fake keep our stock on hand, refolved to eafe us of it in the genteeleft way poffible; and 'I may truly fay, for the first time of my life, that my candles were burnt at both ends. This being over, my wife discovered that there was something very pernicious in the air of Whitechapel, and determined to leave the place. My leafe had fifteen years to run, and I foon got a tenant who agreed to pay me lefs than I was obliged to pay the landlord; but this was nothing to a man who, by the fale of his effects, had added a pretty handiome fum to the above five thousand. After much confultation (for we found the whims of people of fashion come very naturally) we hired a houfe in one of the ftreets near Palace-yard, because it was only 1ool. a year rent, and was fo centrical (as my wife called it) to the playhouses, and the palace! By this you will learn, that he knew as much of the centre of the playhoufes as he did about the cir cumference of our fortune. Bt here, however, we fat down, and a difcovery having been made, naturally enough I muft fay, that the furniture of our old houfe was not proper even for the fervants' rooms of our new one, we employed an honeft broker, who furnished us completely, from top to bottom, with every article in the newest talte. We had carpets which it was almost herety to walk upon; chairs on which I dare not |