Archimedes Texts

157
then such Ethereal matter as was subtle
enough freely to penetrate the pores of
the Glass, the external Air would have
been able to impel the Water to the top
of a Tube seven or eight times as long as
ours was; The Phænomenon under consi
deration seem'd manifestly to argue that
the many bubbles that broke at the top
of the Water did contain a real Air,
which, being collected into one place and
hinder'd by the top of the Glass from re
ceding, was able to withstand the pressure
of the outward Air. As we see that if
never so little Air remain in the Tube up
on the making the Experiment De Vacuo
with Quick-silver, no inclining of the
Tube, though a long one, will enable a
Man to impel the Mercury up to the very
top, by reason (as we formerly noted)
of the resistance of the included Air, which
will not be compress'd beyond a certain
degree.

But in order to a further Discovery what
our bubbles were, we will, on this occa
sion, inform Your Lordship that we try'd
the XIXth Experiment in one of our small
Receivers, and sound, that upon the draw
ing down of the Water, so many bubbles
disclos'd themselves and broke into the