It was further observable also, that as it did not consume
like Wood, so neither did it crack and flie like a Flint, or such like hard
Stone, nor was it long before it appear'd red-hot.
Fifthly, in its _dissolubleness_; for putting some drops of distill'd
_Vinegar_ upon the Stone, I found it presently to yield very many Bubbles,
just like those which may be observ'd in spirit of _Vinegar_ when it
corrodes _corals_, though perhaps many of those small Bubbles might proceed
from some small parcels of Air which were driven out of the pores of this
_petrify'd_ substance by the insinuating liquid _menstruum_.
Sixthly, in its _rigidness_, and _friability_, being not at all flexible
but brittle like a Flint, insomuch that I could with one knock of a Hammer
break off a piece of it, and with a few more, reduce that into a pretty
fine powder.
Seventhly, it seem'd also very differing from Wood to the _touch_,
_feeling_ more cold then Wood usually does, and much like other close
stones and Minerals.
The Reasons of all which _Phaenomena_ seem to be,
That _petrify'd_ Wood having lain in some place where it was well soak'd
with _petrifying_ water (that is, such a water as is well _impregnated_
with stony and earthy particles) did by degrees separate, either by
straining and _filtration_, or perhaps, by _precipitation_, _cohesion_ or
_coagulation_, abundance of stony particles from the permeating water,
which stony particles, being by means of the fluid _vehicle_ convey'd, not
onely into the _Microscopical_ pores, and so perfectly stoping them up, but
also into the pores or _interstitia_, which may, perhaps, be even in the
texture or _Schematisme_ of that part of the Wood, which, through the
_Microscope_, appears most solid, do thereby so augment the weight of the
Wood, as to make it above three times heavier then water, and perhaps, six
times as heavie as it was when Wood.
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