Chapter XII

Sir Humphry Davy suggests a chemical method for unrolling
the ancient Papyri.--He is encouraged by the Government to
proceed to Naples for that purpose.--He embarks at Dover.--His
experiments on the Rhine, the Danube, the Raab, the Save, the
Ironzo, the Po, and the Tiber, in order to explain the formation of
mists on rivers and lakes.--His arrival and reception at Naples.--He
visits the excavations at Herculaneum.--He concludes that it
was overwhelmed by sand and ashes, but had never been exposed
to burning matter.--He commences his attempt of unrolling the
Papyri.--His failure.--He complains of the persons at the head of
the department in the Museum.--He analyses the waters of the
Baths of Lucca.--His return to England.--Death of Sir Joseph
Banks.--He is elected President of the Royal Society.--Some
remarks on that event.--He visits Penzance.--Is honoured by a
public dinner.--Electro-magnetic discoveries of Oersted extended
by Davy.--He examines Electrical Phenomena in vacuo.--The
results of his experiments questioned.--He enquires into the state
of the water, and aëriform matter in the cavities of crystals.--The
interesting results of his enquiry confirm the views of the
Plutonists 160