Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664) by Robert Boyle
page 89 of 285 (31%)
page 89 of 285 (31%)
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to be further mention'd, I find both their Relations agree in this, that in
Dark Frosty Nights they could Discover more Stars, and See the rest Clearer than we in _England_ are wont to do. [8] Gent. Septen. Histor. lib. 4 cap. 13. 6. I know indeed that divers Learned Men think, that Snow so strongly Affects our Eye, not by a Borrow'd, but a Native Light; But I venture to give it as a Proof, that White Bodies reflect more Light than Others, because having once purposely plac'd a parcel of Snow in a Room carefully Darkned, that no Celestial Light might come to fall upon it; neither I, nor an ingenous Person, (Skill'd in Opticks) whom I desir'd for a Witness, could find, that it had any other Light than what it receiv'd. And however, 'tis usual among those that Travel in Dark Nights, that the Guides wear something of White to be Discern'd by, there being scarce any Night so Dark, but that in the Free Air there remains some Light, though Broken and Debilitated perhaps by a thousand Reflections from the Opacous Corpuscles that Swim in the Air, and lend it to one another before it comes to arrive at the Eye. 7. Thirdly, And the better to shew that White Bodies reflect store of Light, in comparson of those that are otherwise Colour'd, I did in the Darkn'd Room, formerly mention'd, hold not far from the Hole, at which the Light was admitted, a Sheet only of White Paper, from whence casting the Sun-beams upon a White Wall, whereunto it was Obverted, it manifestly appear'd both to Me, and to the Person I took for a Witness of the Experiment, that it Reflected a far greater Light, than any of the other Colours formerly mention'd, the Light so thrown upon one Wall notably Enlightning it, and by it a good part of the Room. And yet further to show you, that White Bodies Reflect the Beams From them, and not Towards |
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