Va pors (và' pûrz), n. plu. and pres. t. of Vapor. Volcanoes (vol ká' nòze), n. plu. of Volcano, a mountain which emits smoke, fire, and lava. Wa ter y (wå' tûr 'rẻ), a. wet, containing water; like or resembling water; thin. Whith er (hwith' ûr), ad. to what place. READING LESSON XXXVI. Air, Steam, Sulphur, Nitre, Charcoal, and Gunpowder. AIR. 1. Air is the fluid which we breathe. Air is inodorous, invisible, insipid, colorless, elastic, possessed of gravity, easily moved, rarefied, and condensed. 2. The whole mass of fluid, consisting of air, aqueous and other vapors, surrounding the earth, is called the atmosphere. 3. Air is necessary to life; being inhaled into the lungs, it is supposed to supply the body with heat and animation. It is the medium of sounds, and necessary to combustion. STEAM. 4. Steam is the vapor of hot water, or the elastic aeriform fluid generated by heating water to the boiling point. 5. When produced under the common atmospheric pressure, its elasticity is equivalent to the pressure of the atmosphere, and it is called low steam. 6. But when it is heated in a state of confinement, its elastic force is rapidly augmented, and it is then called high steam. 7. On the application of cold, steam instantly returns to the state of water, and thus forms a sudden vacuum. 8. From this property, and from the facility with which an elastic force is generated by means of steam, this constitutes a mechanical agent at once the most powerful and the most manageable, as is seen in the vast and multiplied uses of the steam-engine. 9. Steam is invisible, and is to be distinguished from the cloud or mist which it forms in the air, that being water in a minute state of division, resulting from the condensation of steam. SULPHUR. 10. Sulphur is a hard, brittle, inflammable substance, of a yellow color, which has no smell, unless heated. 11. It burns with a blue flame and a peculiar, suffocating odor. It is insoluble in water, but fusible by heat. 12. Sulphur is found, in great quantities, and sometimes pure, in the neighborhood of volcanoes. It is an ingredient in a variety of minerals and ores. 13. The sulphur of commerce is procured from its natural beds, or artificially extracted from pyrites. Sulphur is also called brimstone. NITRE. 14. Nitre is a salt, called also saltpetre. It exists in large quantities in the earth. 15. It is continually formed in inhabited places, on walls sheltered from rain, and in all places where animal matters are decomposed. 16. It is of great use in the arts. It is the principal ingredient in gunpowder, and is useful in medicines, in preserving meat, butter, &c. It is a white substance, and has an acrid, bitter taste. CHARCOAL. 17. Charcoal is the remains of wood burnt under turf, and from which all watery and other volatile matter has been expelled by heat. 18. It makes a strong heat, and is used in furnaces, forges, &c. 19. Charcoal is black, brittle, light, and inodorous, and not being decomposed by water or air, it will endure for ages without alteration. GUNPOWDER. 20. Gunpowder is in little black grains; it is used to kill animals and men. Almost every body has heard the noise made by guns and cannon: it is very much like thunder. This noise is made by gunpowder. 21. The gunpowder is put into a gun, or cannon, and as soon as it is touched by fire, it bursts from the gun with a great noise. This is called an explosion. Gunpowder is made of three things: sulphur or brimstone, nitre or saltpetre, and charcoal. 22. Before men had learned to make gunpowder, they used to kill each other with swords; now, when they fight, they take pistols, or cannon, and put gunpowder, and leaden or iron balls into them, and point to the spot whither they wish the balls should go; the balls kill or hurt the persons whom they strike. 23. The art of making gunpowder was found out before the art of printing was invented. powder was first made in 1380. Gun QUESTIONS.-What is air? What is that which surrounds the earth called? To what is air necessary? What is it supposed to supply? Of what is it the medium? What is steam? How is it generated or produced? When is it called low steam? When is it called high steam? On the application of cold to what does steam instantly turn and form? What does steam constitute? Is steam visible? From what is it to be distinguished? What is sulphur? What is its color? Has it any smell? What does it produce when burning? Can it be dissolved in water? Can it be melted by heat? Where is it found? What is nitre? Where does it exist? Where is it formed? For what is it of great use? Of what is it the principal ingredient? What are its color and taste? What is charcoal? What does it make? For what is it used? What is its color? Is it durable? What is gunpowder? What is its use? Of what is it made? With what did men fight in battle before the invention of gunpowder? With what do they now fight? Do you not hope that men will soon learn to settle their difficulties without fighting? Do fighting and attempting to kill each other alter the right or wrong about which they are disputing? Which was first found out, the art of printing or the art of making gunpowder? When was gunpowder first made? SPELLING LESSON XXXVII. Ap prize (åp prize'), v. to inform, to give notice to. Chew ing (tsh88' ing), par. of Chew, to grind or crush with the teeth, to masticate; to ruminate. Ci i gar (sẻ går'), n. a little roll of tobacco for smoking. Com mu ni ca ted (köm mů' nè `kå têd), pre. of Communicate, to impart; to reveal; to partake of the sacrament. Con quers (kong' kúrz), pres. t. of Conruer, to over come; to subdue; to surmount. Dash, v. to strike against; to break; to obliterate; to blot; to mingle; to confound; to fly off: n. a line; a stroke, blow. Dis a gree a ble (`dîs â grèè' â `bl), a. offensive, unpleasant, disgusting; unsuitable. Dis taste', n. aversion, dislike, disrelish; disgust: v. to dislike, loathe; to disgust. Ear nest (êr' nest), a. serious, zealous; eager, intent ; warm, ardent; diligent: n. seriousness; money advanced; a pledge. [effort; act of exerting. Ex er tions (gz er' shûnz), n. plu. of Exertion, an Ex pend ed (eks pênd' ed), pre. of Expend, to lay out, to spend. [perception; the sense of touch. Feel ings (feelingz), n. plu. of Feeling, sensibility; Fi er y (fre), a. ardent, vehement, passionate; unrestrained; consisting of fire, hot. Gen er a tion (jên êr à' shun), n. offspring, a race; a progeny, family; a single succession, an age. Grat i fi ca tion ('gråt è fè ka' shûn), n. pleasure, delight; act of pleasing; a recompense. Håb' its, n. plu. and pres. t. of Habit, custom, inveterate use; state of any thing; garb, dress: v. to dress; to accoutre, to equip. Hith er to (hith' ûr 't88), ad. to this time, yet. Ig no rant ly (ig' no 'rânt lè), ad. without knowledge. In flu ence (in' flù ense), n. a moral power, a directing or impulsive power; power unseen: v. to act upon or move by moral, unseen, or impulsive power; to persuade; to bias. [precept. In junc tion (in jungk' shûn), n. command, order; In tem per ance (în tem' pêr anse), n. excess in drinking; excess in any indulgence or action. In tox i ca ting (în tôks' è `kå ting), part. a. that will intoxicate or make drunk: par. of Intoxicate, to make drunk, to inebriate. Might y (ml' tè), a. powerful, strong; great. [soporific. Nar cot ic (når kot ik), a. producing sleep or torpor, |