to be _perforated_, both by looking on the _ends_ of it, and by looking on
it _against the light_ which was much the _easier way_ to determine whether
it were solid or perforated; for, taking a small pipe of glass, and closing
one end of it, then filling it _half full_ of water, and holding it
_against the light_, I could, by this means, very easily find what was the
_differing aspect_ of a _solid_ and a _perforated_ piece of glass; and so
easily distingish, without seeing either end, whether any _Cylinder_ of
glass I look'd on, were a _solid stick_, or a _hollow cane_. And by this
means, I could also presently judge of any small _filament_ of glass,
whether it were _hollow_ or _not_, which would have been exceeding tedious
to examine by looking on the end. And many such like ways I was fain to
make use of, in the examining of divers other particulars related in this
Book, which would have been no easie task to have determined meerly by the
more common way of looking on, or viewing the Object. For, if we consider
first, the very _faint light_ wherewith the object is enlightened, whence
many particles appear _opacous_, which when more enlightned, appear very
_transparent_, so that I was fain to _determine_ its _transparency_ by one
glass, and its _texture_ by another. Next, the _unmanageableness_ of most
_Objects_, by reason of their _smalness_, 3. The _difficulty of finding_
the desired point, and of _placing_ it so, as to reflect the _light
conveniently_ for the Inquiry. Lastly, ones being able to view it but with
_one eye_ at once, they will appear no small _obstructions_, nor are they
easily _remov'd_ without many _contrivances_. But to proceed, I could not
find that water, or some _deeply ting'd_ liquors would in small ones rise
so high as one would expect; and the _highest_ I have found it yet rise in
any of the pipes I have try'd, was to 21 _inches_ above the level of the
water in the vessel: for though I found that in the small pipes it would
_nimbly enter_ at first, and run about 6 or 7 _inches_ upwards; yet I found
it then to move upwards _so slow_, that I have not yet had the _patience_
to observe it above that height of 21 _inches_ (and that was in a pretty