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* 1.1THO' it hath been generally allowed, that Water and other Liquors are condensed by Cold; yet from what I shall offer, it will appear, That Ice is not Water condensed but Rarified.
For I have not only observ'd, That Water exposed to be froze in a Bolt-head, would if the frigorifick Mixture inclin'd it to begin to
freeze at the Bottom first, be expanded, so as to rise considerably higher in the Stem, but when that Ice was thawed again will subside. And to this I shall add, That having included Water in a Cylinder, both ends of which were stopped up with Wax, the Cylinder being hung up in the Air, and the Water froze; it was so far expanded, That it forced the Wax out of each end of the Pipe, and form'd a Rod of Ice much longer than the Cylinder; from whence it appears, That the breaking of Bottles by Cold rather depends on the Expansion of the Included Li∣quor, than that the weight of the Air caused that Effect, as some Moderns teach; or that the Internal Liquor being condensed by Cold, the Air breaks in to prevent a Vacuum: For that Water is expanded by Cold, appears from what I have said; besides nothing is more commonly observ'd, than that Water being froze in a Vessel whose sides are strong enough to keep it from bursting them, the Superficies of the Ice is gene∣rally protuberant and convex. And that the breaking of Bottles depends not on Nature's abhorrency of a Vacuum, appears; since should we suppose, That the Fluid contain'd in a Bottle would be so far condensed as to possess less space than before; it is possible there might be a Vacuum there, and the Bottle not burst; since Glass-Bubbles much thinner than ordinary Bottles will endure the frost, tho' stopped close with Air in them.
But not only Water expands it self upon freezing but other Aqueous Bodies; so Eggs being froze, burst their shells asunder. And Milk, Urine, Rhenish Wine, and good Spirit
of Wine, being set to freeze in distinct Glass-Eggs; the Wine being froze swell'd an Inch above the first Surface, the Milk two Inches, and the Urine six or seven. And a Solution of Dantzick-Vitriol, did not only become Opace, but rose considerably higher in a Cylindrical Pipe, upon Congelation.
Whether more stable and consistent Bodies are capable of being expanded by Cold; would be worth enquiring; since it hath been observ'd, That in Nova Zembla the very Clocks have been froze so that they would not goe; and the like hath been observ'd by Capt. James in his Voyage at Charlton-Island; his Watch being froze as well as his Clocks. Whether these Effects depended on any Swelling of the Ropes, or whether the Spring of his Watch might be weakned by Cold, or whether some Iceicles stuck to the Internal Parts of it; I shall leave as bare Conjectures, to be further examined in∣to by Experience.
Having filled a Bolt-head which was as big as two Turkey Eggs with Water, till it rought, a pretty height into the slender Stem, being put into a Mixture of Snow and Salt, it subsi∣ded a little; but when it began to freeze it would sensibly swell.
The Experiment being repeated with a Glass whose Stem was as thin as a Raven's Quill; when first the Ball of it was immersed in the frigori∣fick
Mixture, the Water presently ascended the height of a Barly-corn, and presently subsided again, which the Florentine Virtuosi would attri∣bute to a Constriction of the Glass upon the Application of the frigorifick Mixture.
Secondly, And tho' the Florentine Virtuosi, re∣late, That they have observ'd, the Water after it had subsided, a little to rest, and then subsided again; yet in all the Tryals I made I did not observe it.
Thirdly, When the Water had subsided a little, it would be at a stand, till the Liquor began to freeze.
Fourthly, The Experiment being try'd with Glas∣ses whose Stems were unequally big, upon Glaci∣ation, the Ascent of the Water in the large ones would be indiscernible; but in a slender one it would ascend several Inches in a Minute, till it rose up to the top of the Stem.
Fifthly, Tho' the Forentine Academians, say, they have observ'd the Water to rise again, be∣fore Glaciation; yet I could never see such a Phaenomenon.
Sixthly, If the Glass was taken out of the Mixture when first it began to freeze, as soon as the small Iceicles were melted, it would sub∣side again; yet if reapply'd to the Mixture a second time, it would freeze in half a Min∣ute.
Of the Ex∣pansion of Water and other freez∣ing Liquors.