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On the New Syftem, which admits the Electric Fluid as the Cause of the Congelation of Water. By the Abbé E. G. Robert of Liege.

I

F the opinion of the learned refpecting the formation of ice appears till to leave a more extenfive field for reafoning than for the experiments of the philofopher, he ought rather to fubfcribe to the received opinion than become a partizan of a doctrine abfolutely hypothetic, which contains more novelty than inftruction.

The opinions of Boerhaave and Mufchenbroek refpecting congelation, have been long received as the most plaufible. The first affigus as the caufe of the condenfation of water, the abfence of the igneous matter; and the fecond, confidering this abfence as infufficient, adds to it the concourfe of certain particles which he diftinguishes by the name of frigorific parts.

Though the opinion of the latter be fupported by reafoning and experience fufficient to make us admit this frigorific matter, it is, however, phyfically acknowledged that the privation of the igneous fluid is the first and principal caufe of the congelation and conden'ation of water; and this opinion has been adopted by the Abbé Nollet and many other e minent philofophers. But as the explantation of a fyftem far from being eftablished ftill leaves mankind at lie berty to account for this phenomenon according to what they think they obferve, different opinions, more or lefs agreeable to reafon, and more or lefs ridiculous, have at different times been formed refpecting this object. Among other fyftems on the formation of ice, a Memoir was pub, lithed in the beginning of the year 1789, which admitted the electric fluid the principal caufe of it; and though this fyftem is calculated only to propagate doubt and perplexity, we are furprised to fee it received at

prefent by people who, doubtlefs, find it more convenient to adopt it n, on reafoning than from experien e, which, in natural philofophy, is the mother of juft nctions, and the only fource of truth.

According to this new fyftem, congelation depends upon the electric fluid, which combines with water in order to harden and cryftallize it. But how can this fubtle matter, which philofophers have agreed to diftin. guish by the name of an igneous fluid, elementary fire, &c. because they find in it all the properties of real fire, and which accumulates in large quantities on the hardest metals, and which is capable of putting them into a state of ignition, and of melting them, be the principle of a phenomenon in a body where we know fire cannot refide, and which it c ne not even touch without deftroying that hardness of which we with to make it the principle!

To fupport this opinion, f me have mentioned the great quantity of elec tricity which prevails in the atmof phere during very cold weather. I confefs that in dry frofts, experience demonftrates this; but does it thence follow that it is the principal caufe of freezing, whilft obfervation proves in the moft convincing manner that this igneous fluid can neither be confined nor alloyed, that it cannot be combined even with air, and that in the absence of the latter fluid, it exifts with more force and energy? 16 electricity manifefts its prefence in hard frofts, it is becaufe the air being then rarer, purer, and much lefs loaded with heterogeneous bodies, which form fo many obftacles to this fluid, it confequently acts with more force, traverses the atmosphere at more liberty, and accumulates more eafily, as it is then lefs diffipated, he

cauf

cause the air is not fo much impregnated with moisture, which is one of the grand conductors of the elec. tric fluid. It is this moisture which the col generally caufes to defcend to the earth under the figure of fmall Stars or ftalactites united, and forming Aakes of fnow, which are fo much the larger in calm weather, as they meet with more congealed matter in their fall; and it is this moisture alfo which falls on the nights of fummer, under the appellation of dew, and which in thofe of winter, forms what wwe call boar froft, because these small globules of water make an innumerable multitude of cryftallizations, which reflect fo many rays to our eye.

To judge of the juftnefs of Boerbaave's theory, it were to be wifhed that experimental philofophy, which has got a machine to free matter from a part of the air it contains, had one allo to free bodies from their fiery particles; the caufes of many phenomena would then appear to the philofopher; and this apparatus, by depriving water of these particles, which alone can render it liquid, might enable us, without the help of electricity, to obtain a hard and compact matter, which would form habitations moré folid even than ftone:-I fay more folid, becaufe thefe pieces of ice would unite in their contact, fo as to inake only one body and to render edifices conAtructed of it durable, it would be neceffary to remove from them all phlogifton, as well as every principle of heat, and confequently all electricity, which owes its existence to elementary fire alone.

As it is certain that electricity does not penetrate and pafs through vitrified bodies, we may demonftrate by experiments that congelation is affect ed independent of electricity. If you fil a very thick cryftal globe with water, feal it hermetically, and expofe it, fhaking it every now and then,

water

to the temperature of the fecond and third degree of Reaumur's thermo meter, you will fee this congeal, though it may be infulated and furrounded by any substance ever fo little calculated to tranfmit the electric fluid to it. According to Mufchenbrock, the privation of the igneous fluid is not alone fufficient to convert water from a fluid to a folid ftate, and according to this princile, which he has fupported by experiment, we must admit a subftance, which, combining with wa ter, hardens it, and causes it to cryftallize. This fubftance he calls the frigorific. In the fuppofition therefore, that we must allow of any fubftance whatever as the cause of congelation, the fyftem of Mufchenbroek gives us lefs reafon to receive the ele&ric matter as the congealing principle, than a nitrous and vola tile fubitance, which, according to many philofophers, prevails in the atmosphere, but in greater abundance during cold than warm weather. A proof that the atmosphere abounds with a nitrous and faline matter when ice is formed, is, that the globules of congealed water affume figures that appear conftant and fimilar, and which make them refemble crystalli zations- -a phenomenon afcribed to cryftallized falts.

The following fact, which is an nually renewed, appears ftill to favour this fyftem much more than that founded on the electric fluid. In the year 1788, the ground in thể neighbourhood of Liege having been covered with fnow, there arose a north wind which swept away a part of this foow into the valleys, and places which by their local fituation were moft sheltered from it. On the return of fpring, the farmers faw with pleasure and afton.fhment that thefe valleys were more fertile and luxuriant than the rest of the country, which had not been overloaded with fnow. This beneficent virtue,

which has been long fince acknowledged to refide in fnow, can be attributed only to the nitrous falts it Contains, and which the water car

ries with it into the bofom of the earth on the return of warm wea ther.

A Short Account of Georgia, and its Inhabitants. Tranflated from tha

Dutch.

GEORGIA, which the Perans It is impofuible to find better or more

call Gurguftan, and the Turks Gurthi, contains the ancient Iberia; Colchis, and perhaps a part of Al bania, fince the country of Kacketi, in the ancient Georgian language, was known by the name of Albon.

The inhabitants are Chriftians of the Greek church, and it is probable that they were called Georgians, on account of the great veneration which they entertained for St George, the tutelary faint of the country.

Georgia is divided into nine provinces, five of which are fubject to Heraclius, and compofe that part commonly named the kingdom of Georgia. The other four provinces are under the dominion of David, and form the kingdom, or rather principality of Immeretta.

All these countries are in general fo beautiful and fertile, that fome enthufiaftical travellers have imagined that the ancient garden of Eden was fituated in the middle of them. The moantains are covered with oaks, chefnut and walnut-trees, birches, and an immenfe number of trees, of every kind, intermixed with vines, which, though little cultivated, do not fail to produce abundance of grapes. The inhabitants make as much from them as is fufficient for their annual confumption, and fuffer the reft to perish. Cotton grows here without any care, and great plenty of our European fruit trees may be feen, which thrive much better than among us. Rice, hemp and flax are easily cultivated.

beautiful paftures; the rivers teem with fith, the mountains contain rich treasures of minerals, and the climate is pleasant and mild; in fhort, nature feems to have poured forth her richest gifts on this fortunate country, and to have entertained a peculiar favour for its inhabitants.

The rivers of Georgia are not proper for navigation, fometimes on account of their rapidity, occafioned by torrents which fall from the mountians and often on account of their fhallowness. The navigation of the Black Sea, which might have introduced commerce and European mannets into thefe countries being ftill exclufively in the poffeffion of the Turks, the internal trade of Georgia is very much limited by the mountains of Caucafus, and this inconvenience continues daily to increafe, on account of the numerous bands of plunderers who inhabit them.

In the fifteenth century, the Georgians were conquered and made flaves, partly by the Turks and partly by the Perfians. Since that epoch, having at different times, very inconfiderately, and without fupport, attempted to recover their liberty, they have on that account feen their country often ravaged and threatned with entire ruin. It is faid, the Schah Abbas the Great, in one campaign, carried with him eighty thoufand families, and the mercilefs Nadir exercifed against the inhabitants of

thefe

thefe rich countries every cruelty that the moft atrocious barbarity and a thint of blood could infpire into a mo fter like him. Hippy would it have been for thefe wretched people had they then got rid of their enemies; but the inteft ne wars which followed, and the great lords, ftill added to their misfortunes.

Thefe numerous bodies of idle, haughty, and cruel men, had unlimited power over the lives and poffeffions of their vafls. Not being acqua ned with any other exercife than that of arms, and no other means of aggrandifing themselves but by plundering, they carried on continual wirs with one another; and as the fate of arms naturally inclined different ways, the multitudes of peasants made prifoners, and fold to the Turks and the Perfians, vifibly diminished the number of the inhabitants. They carried their hatred fo far as to form alliances with the plunderers of the mountains; and the latter, attracted by a defire for booty, readily embraced this opportunity of indulging their incli nation. Thefe formidable allies having gradually acquired a knowledge of the country, and being throughly acquainted with the weakness and pufillanimity of the inhabitants, carried every where defolation along with them. A few unfortunate wretches, half naked, oppreffed by the tyranny of their lords, difperfed themfelves into fome of the beautiful countries of Georgia. The revolutions of Perfia, and the weaknefs of the Turks, have, it is true, placed the princes of the country in a fituation that might enable them to recover their liberty; but the fmallnefs of their revenues, arifing from the defpotifm continually exerciled by the nobles, has hitherto prevented them from eafing that heavy load of taxes which the poor inhabitants Aill fuftain.

The capital of Georgia, and the

refidence of Prince Heraclius, is Teflis; the inhabitants call it Tyblis Cahar, or the Warm City, on account of the warm baths which are found in its neighbourhood. This city was bul in the year 1063 by Prince Lierang, according to an infcription feen on the front of the castle:

The city of Tis is no more than two English miles in circumference ; it contains 20,000 fou's, the greater part of whom are Armenians, and the reft Georgians and Tartars. There are reckoned to be in this city twenty Armenian churches, fifteen Greek, and three Maticheds. The wideft ftreets are only feven feet in breadth, and fome of them are fo narrow that a man on horfeback can scarcely pafs along them. It may therefore be readily imagined that they are far from being clean. The houses are built with flat roofs, upon which the Georgian ladies walk to enjoy the fresh air when the weather is fine. Thefe houses are all regular, the greater part of the walls are wainscotted in the infide, and the floors are covered with carpets. There is an iron foundery at Teflis, in which a confiderable quantity of mortars, bullets, and can nons are caft every year; but the cannon, which are all of the fame calibre, are inferior to thofe of the Turks. The powder made here is excellent. The Armenians, naturally induftrious, have eftablished here the greater part of the manufac tories eftablished by their countrymen in Perfia: the most flourishing of all is that of printed cottons. Teflis has a mint of its own; but befides the money which is coined there, Perfian and Turkish pieces employed for purchafing honey, butter, cattle, and cloth, are alfo current.

The fubjects of prince Heraclius are faid to amount to 60,oco families; but notwithstanding the depopulation under which the country languifhes, it is proved that the third

of

of that number are omitted in collecting the taxes. The peasants, who are vaffals to the queen, as well as thofe of the patriarch, pay no taxes to the prince, and are confe quently not enrolled among thofe who pay fubfidies. The prince has permitted his fons in law, as well as his favourites, to free their vafials from every burden whatever. It is to be obferved that, as the peasants are taxed by fires, and not by the head, it often happens (and this confequently tends to diminish the revenues of the fovereign) that they carry the most valuable effects of feveral huts into one, and burn the rest; fo that they pay no tax, and the money which they thence fave, enables them to acquire more. The whole population of Georgia is reckoned to be about three hundred and fifty thoufand fouls.

The government of Georgia is defpotic; and notwithstanding this, the prince would be very much embarraffed to get his orders executed without the affiftance of the Ruffian troops. Corporal punishments here are barbarous, but fortunately executions are rare; for criminals find it extremely easy to efcape, as they are fo near foreign powers; befides, the prince is fenfible that it is more advantageous to confifcate the wealth of the guilty; and on that account, he is not too ftrict in enforcing the laws against them. Regular procef fes form a part of the privileges of the nobility, and are never employed except when the cafe is very complex, or when the power and influence of the parties are equally great, or rather when the court is afraid of embroiling itfelf with one of the parties. This manner of proceeding is called the judgment of God.

The Georgian drefs has a great refemblance to that of the Coffacks: people of any confequence drefs, however, after the Perfian manner. The greater part of them dye their VOL, XII. No. 67

F

hair, beard, and nails red. The Georgian women rub over their hands with the fame colour, and they wear a kind of bandage round their heads, from which their black hair falls over their forehead: their hair behind is formed into treffes. They paint their eye-brows black, in the form of a femi-circle, and their faces are daubed over with red and white. Their tunics are open as far as the girdle; fo that when they wish to conceal their breafts, they are obliged to cover them with their hands. Their carriage is noble, their converfation eafy and voluptuous, and the greater part of them can read and write, which are qualifications rarely to be met with, even among thofe Georgians who are of the firit diftinction. The Georgain women are indebted for their inftruction to the cloifters in which they are educated. The greater part of the marriages here are a kind of bargains; and girls are often betrothed at the age of four or five. Women of rank never go abroad without veils, and a man would be accufed of rudenefs, did he accoft them in the fireet; the cafe would be the fame did he in company enquire after the wife of another. Though this kind of etiquette feems to be in fome measure a prejudice, it is excufable. The cruelties which the Perfians committed against the Georgians, under the reign of Nadig Shaw, are ftill too fresh in their memory, though handed down from father to fon, not to make us forgive them for being very fufpicious of ftrangers.

Many travellers have accufed the Georgians of cruelty, lazinefs, avarice and cowardice. Thefe vices, which generally belong to flaves and tyrants, are abhorred in Georgia. The vaffals of the colonies established by Shaw Abbas at Perea, near Ifphahan, as well as the inhabitants of thofe of the Mefendran, have gain

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