{ounce} i of purifyd Tinkal & {ounce} i of Oyl of Vitriol, together with {ounce} iv of Water, to dilute the one & to facilitate the dissolution of the other, were put to distill in a small Retort by degrees of fire, giving a strong one at last. The Event was, that there came over some Ounces of clear Liquor, that was but weak & [space of 2 lines] & [ 'af' deleted] then about {ounce} i by guess of a deep red Liquor, which thô somewhat transparent in drops, was in the <mass>[replacing 'Glasse'] opacous. That which remain'd in the Retort, & for whose Sake <principally>[replacing 'the Experiment'] the Distillation was made, amounted to about {drachm} vi of very clear & colourless Glass, <besides some> parts <that>[replacing 'of which'] stuck so close to the inside of the Glass, that we could not well separate them.

To render the more probable some Chymical Opinions of mine, I caus'd to be taken {pound} i of purify'd Salt peter, & three pound of good White Clay, which being powder'd & diligently incorporated with the Salt, the Mixture was put into a strong Hassian Retort, & distill'd with a naked fire, gradually increas'd till at length it came to be very strong. By this means we obtain'd about nine Ounces & a half of very strong Spirit of Nitre, that emitted red Fumes into the upper part of the Glass, thô it were closed with a Glass Stopple ground to it. The Caput mortuum weighed {pound} iii & four ounces. So that in Spite of all the Laborants Care, who endeavour'd to make the Experiment exact, as He was told I intended it showed be, there wanted about ii {half} {ounce} of the four pound committed to Distillation. And yet we obtain'd much more than is usually afforded, when the Distillation is made with Earthen Long-Necks. For when the Laborant made the Spirit to sell for His own benefit, He usually obtain'd but somewhat more than five ounces, & seldom so much as six, out of a pound of Nitre. But the Phænomenon I mainly intended in this Operation was such as I look'd for. Since thô the Clay appeard