[Footnote 93:  Mr Jones, who writes on this subject in one of his Physiological Disquisitions, is not a little displeased with some of the observations made here, which seem to imply that mankind were left destitute of the knowledge of fire, and had to acquire it by mere accidental notice.—­Mr Jones’s zeal, however, appears more conspicuous in this matter than either his judgment or his acquaintance with the remarks of various authors.  President Goguet has shewn his usual industry in this matter.  He refers to a considerable number of authors for proof that the knowledge of fire was by no means very extensive among the early nations, and that even where it existed, it had been often discovered by accident.  A summary of what this excellent writer has said on the subject, with a quotation or two, cannot fail to be interesting to the reader, and will scarcely run any risk of being judged either ill-timed or tedious.  The Chinese, Persians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and several other nations, admit that their ancestors were once without the use of fire.  This is said on the authority of Plato, Diodorus Siculus, Sanchoniathon, authors mentioned by Bannier, as Hesiod, Lucretius, Virgil, &c. &c.  And we learn from Pomponius Mela, Pliny, Plutarch, and others, that in their times there were nations who were either quite ignorant of fire, or had but just learned its nature and effects.  These authorities are strengthened by what has been related of people discovered in modern times.  Thus the inhabitants of the Marian or Ladrone Islands, and also of the Philippine and Canaries, are said to have been without this knowledge, at the time of their discovery.  We are told besides of several nations in America and Africa being in the same state of ignorance.  As to these, however, it is but fair to apprize the reader, that the authorities adduced by the President are not such as can be implicitly relied on—­a remark, perhaps, which some readers will not fail to apply to certain of the writers formerly mentioned.  The Egyptians owed their knowledge of fire to thunder and lightning; the Phoenicians to the effect of the wind on woods and forests; volcanos, burning earth, (as in a province of Persia) and boiling wells (frequent in several countries), gave rise to this knowledge amongst other people.  “We may form very probable conjectures about the methods which men at first used to procure fire, when they had occasion for it, from ancient traditions, and from the present practices of the savages.  They could not be long in discovering, that by striking two flints each against other, there went sparks from them:”  “They remarked, that by rubbing two pieces of hard wood very strongly against each other, they raised sparks; nay, that by rubbing for some time two pieces of wood, they raised flame.”  “The Chinese say that one of their first kings taught them this latter method; and the Greeks had nearly the same tradition.”  This method, we learn from Lawson, was in use amongst the natives