132 PENTIL EVENING.

wheu the liquor came to dryness, there would only be
left those particles in which its roughness and colour
consist. This would make what is called an extract
of a plant. |

Pup. What becomes of the water that evaporates ?

Tut. It ascends into the air, and unites with it.
But if m its way it be stopped by any cold body, it is
condensed, that is, it returns to the state of water
again. Laft up the lid of the tea-pot, and you will see
water collected on the inside of it, which is condensed
steam from the hot tea beneath. Hold a spoon or
knife in the way of the steam, which bursts out from
the spout of the tea-kettle, and you wiil find it imime-
diately covered with drops. This operation of turning
a fiuid into vapour, and then condensing it, is called
distillation. Yor this purpose, the vessel in which the
liquor is heated is closely covered with another, called
the head, into which the steam rises, and is condensed.
tt is then drawn off by means of a pipe into another
vessel called the receiver. In this way, all sweet-
scented and aromatic liquors are drawn from fragrant
vegetables, by means of water or spirits. The fragrant
part, bemg very volatiie, rises along with the steam
of the water or spirit, and remains united with it after
it is condensed. Rose-water and spirit of lavender are
liquors ef this kind. |

Pup. Then the water collected on the inside of
the tea-pot lid should have the fragrance of the
tea.

Lut. It should—but unless the tea were fine, you
could scarcely perceive it. |

Pup. L think I have heard of making salt-water
fresh by distilling.

Lut. Yes. That is an old discevery, revived within
these few years. The salt in sea-water, being of a
fixed nature, does not rise with the steam; and there-
fore, on condensing the steam, the water is found to
be fresh. And this, indeed, is the method nature em-
ploys im raising water by exhalation from the ocean.