not only more frequent Springs there but Clouds and Rains too Now if this Account of the Origine of Springs in the Earth be as rational as it is ingenious and handsome and there is not much can be said against it but only that then all Fountains should be Salt as the Water is from whence they come then we easily understand how the Earth might be overflow'd in the Vniversal Deluge for then the Fountains of the Deep were broken up or there was an Vniversal opening of the Veins of the Earth whereby all the Water contained in them would presently run upon the Surface of the Earth and must needs according to its proportion advance it self to a considerable height But because the salving the difference of the Water in Springs from what it is in the Sea is so considerable a Phaenomenon in our present case I therefore rather take this following as the most rational Account of the Origine of Fountains viz. That there are great Cavities in the Earth which are capable of receiving a considerable Quantity of Water which continually runs into them from the Sea which as it continually receives fresh Supplies from the Rivers which empty themselves into it so it dispatcheth away a like quantity thorow those Spongy parts of the Eâ—rth under the Ocean which are most apt to suck in and convey away the Surplusage of Water so that by this means the Sea never swells by the Water conveyed into it by the Rivers there being as continual a Circulation in the Body of the Earth of the Water which passeth out of the Ocean into the Subterraneous Caverns and from thence to the Mountains and thence into the Sea again as there is a Circulation of Blood in Man's Body from the Heart by the Arteries into the Exteriour Parts and returning back again by the Veins into the Heart According to which we may imagine such a place in the Heart of the Earth like Plato's Barathrum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Plato in his Phaedrus describes it out of Homer a long and deep Subterraneous Cavity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into which Cavity all the Rivers at last flow and from which they again disperse themselves abroad Now this Cavity of the Earth thus fill'd with Water supplies the place of the Heart in the Body oâ— the Earth from which all those several Aquaeducts which are in the Earth have their continual supply But that which makes those passages of Water which we call Springs and Fountains properly I suppose is thus generated from those Cavities fill'd with Water in the Earth by Reason of the hot Steams which are in the Body of the Earth there are continually rising some Vapours or little Particles of Water which are dis-joyned from each other by the Heat by Reason of which they attain a greater Celerity of Motion and so pass through the inner Pores of the Earth till they come near the Superficies of it Which when they have approach'd to they are beat back again by the Cold which environs the Surface of the Earth or at least are so arrested by the Cold and condens'd by it that they lose the form of Vapours and become perfect Water again Which Water being now more gross than while it was a meer Vapour cannot descend again through the same Pores through which it ascended before because these are not now capable of receiving it And therefore it seeks out some wider passages near the Surface of the Earth by which means it moves in an Oblique manner and is ready to embrace any other Vapours which are arrested in the same manner now when these are grown to a Considerable Body in the Surface of a Mountain or a Plain and find a Vent fit for them there appears a proper FOUNTAIN whose Streams are still maintained by the same Condensation of Vapours which when they are once come abroad are in continual Motion whereby Rivers are made which are still finding a passage through the declivity of the Surface of the Earth whereby they may return to the Ocean again Now according to this Account that grand Phâ—â—nomenâ—n of the freshness of fountain-Fountain-Water when the Water of the Sea is Salt whence it Originally comes is sufficiently resolved For meer Transcolation may by degrees take away that which the Chymists call the Fixed Salt and for the Volatile Salt of it which being a more Spirituous thing is not removable by Distillation and so neither can it be by Transcolation yet such an Evaporation as that mentioned may serve to do it because it is evident that Fresh Water will fall from the Clouds which hath risen from those Vapours which have come out of the Sea and besides these Vapours or small Particles of Water in their passage throw the Earth especially when they come near the Surface of it do Incorporate with other Sweet Vapours as those which come from Rain and others by which means they insensibly lose their former Acidity and Sharpness But those FOUNTAINS which do retain their former Saltness as there are many such in the World may very probably be supposed not to have come from these Vapours condensed but to be a kind of a breaking of a Vein in which the Salt-Water was convey'd up and down the Body of the Earth STILLINGFLEET's Orig. Sacr. lib. 3. Cap. 4. Sect. 6. The Opinion of Mr. Edmund Halley in the Philos. Transact Numb 192. That Springs and Riveâ—s owe their Original to Vapours condensed on the sides of Mountains rather than unto Rains I acknowledg to be very Ingenious grounded upon good Observations and worthy of its Author and I will not deny it to be in part true in those hot Countrys in the Torid Zone and near it where by reason of the great heats the Vapours are more copiously exhaled out of the Earth and its likely carryed up high in the form of Vapours But in Europe and the more Temperate Countries I believe the Vapours condensed in the manner as Mr. Halley describes have but little Interest in the producing of their Springs IOHN RAY's Miscell Disc. of the Dissolut of the World Pag. 82. and 85. Dr. Tankred Robinson's Letter to Mr. John Ray. YOV may peradventure meet with some opposition against your Hypothesis of FOUNTAINS tho' indeed I am more and more confirm'd in your Opinion of them and the use of the Mountains Father TECHART in his second Voyage to Siam says when he went up to the top of the Table Mountain at the Cape of Good Hope the Rocks and Shrubs were perpetually dropping and feeding the Springs and Rills below there being generally Clouds hanging on the sides near the top The same Observation hath been frequently made by our English Merchants in the Madera and Canary Islands especially in their journeys up to the Pike of Teneriff in which at such and such heights they were always wet to the Skin by the droppings of the great Stones yet no Rain over head The same I have felt in passing over
Banks in the Sea but the greatest of them when they fell either one upon another or in such a posture as to prop up one another their Heads and higher parts would stand out of the Water and make ISLANDS Thus I conceive the ISLANDS of the Sea were at first produc'd we cannot wonder therefore that they should be so numerous or faâ— more numerous than the Continents These are the Parents and those are the Children Nor can we wonder to see along the sides of the Continents several ISLANDS or Sets of ISLANDS sown as it were by handfuls or laid in Trains for the manner of their Generation would lead us to think they would be so plac'd So the American ISLANDS lie scatter'd upon the Coast of that Continent the Maldivian and Philippine upon the East-Indian Shoar and the Hesperides upon the Aâ—rick and there seldom happen to be any towards the middle of the Ocean though by an Accident that also might come to pass BVRNET's Theory of the Earth pag. 137 138 139. Athanasius Kircher amongst many considerable Remarks in his China Illustrata tells us that in China there were several Isles to the Number of 99. all turned into one under the same Extent of space they had when they were divided by Water As concerning the Situation of ISLANDS whether Comodious or not this saith Peter Heâ—lin is my judgement I find in Machiavel that for a City whose People covet no Empire but their own Towns a Barren place is better than a Fruitful because in such Seats they are compell'd to Work and Labour whereby they are freed from Idleness and by Consequence from Luxury But for a City whose Inhabitants desire to enlarge their Confines a fertile place was rather to be chosen than a Barren as being more able to nourish Multitudes of People The like Pet. Heylin says of ISLANDS If a Prince desire rather to keep than augment his Dominions no place fitter for his Abode than an ISLAND as being by it self and Nature sufficiently desensible But if a King be minded to add continually to his Empire an ISLAND is no fit Seat for him because partly by the uncertainty of Winds and Seas partly by the length and tediousness of the ways he is not so well able to supply and keep such Forces as he hath on the Continent An Example hereof is England which hath even to admiration repelled the most puissant Monarch of Europe but for the Causes above mentioned cannot shew any of her Conquests on the firm Land though she hath attempted and atchieved as many glorious Exploits as any Countrey in the World PET. HEYL. Cosmogr The Ingenious Dr. Sprat now Bishop of Rochester observes that the chief Design of the Antient English was the glory of spreading their Victories on the Continent But this says he was a Magnanimous mistake For by their very Conquests if they had maintain'd them this ISLAND had been ruin'd and had only become a Province to a greater Empire But now it is rightly understood that the English Greatness will never be supported or increas'd in this Age by any other Wars but those at Sea SPRAT's Hist. of the R. S. Pag. 404. ISLANDERS are for the most part longer liv'd than those that dwell in Continents For they live not so long in Russia as in the Orcades nor so long in Africa though under the same Parallel as in the Canaries and Tercera's And the Iaponians are longer liv'd than the Chineses though the Chineses are mad upon long life And this is no wonder seeing the Air of the Sea doth heat and cherish in cooler Regions and cool in hotter BACON's Hist. of Life and Death Of the Origine of Fâ—VNTAINS THat there is a Mass of Waters in the Body of the Earth is evident from the Origine of Fountains for the Opinion of Aristotle imputing them to the Condensation of Air in the Caverns of the Earth and that of other Philosophers ascribing them to the fall of Rain-Water received into such Cisterns in the Earth which are capable of receiving it are both equally unsatisfactory unless we suppose a Mass of Waters in the Bowels of the Earth which may be as the Common-Stock to supply those Fountains with For it is very hard conceiving how meer Air should be so far Condensed as to cause not only such a Number of Fountains but so great a quantity of Water as runs into the Sea by those Rivers which come from them as the River Volga is supposed to empty so much Water in a Years time into the Caspian Sea as might suffice to cover the whole Earth by which likewise it is most evident that there must be some Subterranean Passages in the Sea or else of necessity by that abundance of Water which continually runs into it from the Rivers it would overflow and drown the World And from this Multitude of Waters which comes from Fountains it is likewise evident that the Origine of â—ountains cannot be meerly 〈…〉 Water which 〈…〉 which would 〈…〉 maintaiâ— so full 〈…〉 many 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 that Rain-Water doth never moisten the Earth above Ten Foot deep for of far greater profundity many Fountains are And besides the Rain-Water runs most upon the Surface of the Earth and so doth rather swell the Rivers which thereby run with greater force in their Passage to the Ocean and doth not lodge it self presently in the Earth especially if it descends in a greater Quantity which alone is able to fill such Cisterns supposed to be in the Earth especially in Mountains which may keep a Stream continually running Although therefore we may acknowledge that the fall of Rain may much conduce to the Overflowing and Continuance of Fountains as is evident by the greater force of Springs afâ—er continued Rains and by the dâ—câ—y of many of them in hot and dry Weather which yet I had rather impute to the Suns exhaling by his continued heat those moist Legs because it is equally dispers'd into all the parts from the Center of it so in the Body of the Earth it is as natural for the Water to ascend into the Tops of Mountains as it is to fall down into the Center of the Earth And that it is no more wonder to see Springs issue out of Mountains than it is to see a Man Bleed in the Veins of his Forehead when he is let Blood there So in all places of the Earth the parts of it are not dispos'd for Apertion for some of them are so hard and compact that there seems to be no passage through them which is the most probable Reason why there is no Rain neither in those places because there is no such Exsâ—dation of those moist Vapours through the Surface of the Earth which may yield matter for Rain as it is in many of the Sandy places of Africa but usually Mountainous Countries have more large and as it were Temple-Veins through whiâ—h the moist Vapours have a free and open passage and thence there are
Bull liquid Storax and Honey Observations concerning AMBER GReat variety of Opinions hath there been concerning AMBER Some think it to be a Gum that distils from Trees Others tell us it is made of Whales Dung or else of their Sperm or Seed as others will have it which being consolidate and harden'd by the Sea is cast upon the Shore But Peter Heylin affirms That AMBER is the Juice of a Stone which grows like a Coral in Poland in a Mountain of the North Sea clean cover'd with Water and that in the Months especially of September and December this Liquor is by violence of the Sea rent from the Rock and cast into the Havens of Poland and the Neighbouring Countries He likewise affirms that being taken out of the Water it hardens like to Coral And that besides its Beauty and the Quality it hath of burning like Pitch and attracting Straws and Iron like the Adamant it is good for stopping the Blood all kind of Agues Falling Sickness Dropsies Stone Colick Weakness of Stomach Head-Ach and the Yellow Jaundise PET. HEYL. Cosmog Tavernier says that AMBER is nothing but a certain Congelation made in the Sea like a certain Gum And that Yellow AMBER is only found upon the Coast of Prussia in the Baltick Sea where the Sea throws it upon the Sand when such and such Winds blow He affirms that the Elector of Brandenburgh who is Soveraign of that Coast Farms it out for Twenty Thousand Crowns a Year and sometimes Two and Twenty Thousand And that the Farmers keep Guards on both sides of the Shoar in regard the Sea casts it up sometimes upon one side and sometimes upon the other to prevent the stealing of it TAVERN Travels in India Pag. 152. In China when any great Lord makes a Feast it is for his Grandeur and Magnificence to cause three or four several sorts of Perfuming-Pots to be set upon the Table and to throw into every one of them a vast quantity of AMBER for the more it burns and the bigger the pieces are the more magnificent is the Entertainment accounted The reason of this Custom is because they adore the Fire and besides that the AMBER casts sorth a scent pleasing to the Chineses there is a kind of Oyl in it that flames after a more unusual manner than other materials of Fire This waste of AMBER makes it the best Commodity that could be imported into China if the Trade were free for Strangers At present the Hollanders have engross'd all this Trade to themselves and the Chineses Authors affirm it to be a kind of Bitumen issuing from Fountains or Springs in the bottom of the Sea and that by floating upon the Water it becomes hard c. Iustus Klobius in his Hâ—storia Ambraâ— reckons up no less than Eighteen several Opinions concerning this Noble Drug But that which he embraces is That it is the Dung of a Bird of the bigness of a Goose found in Madagascar the Maldives and other parts of the East-Indies and that these Birds flocking together in great Numbers as Cranes and frequenting high Cliffs near the Sea-side do there void their Excrement from whence the Sea washes it if it fall not of it self into it There is another Opinion also among the Eighteen to which Klobius seems well inclin'd but yet dares not wholly stick to it viz. That it is the Excrement of a particular sort of Whale But that which makes him not rely upon this this Opinion is because he observes there is none of this Drug to be had in those other places where there is good store of such Whales The Honourable Robert Boyle Esquire in a Letter to Mr. Oldenburgh Dated September 13. 1673. after he had declar'd how little satisfi'd he was with the common receiv'd Opinions of AMBER-GRISE at last affixes to the said Letter an Extract out of a Dutch Iournal belonging to the Dutch East-India Company which is in these words AMBER-GRISE is not the Scum or Excrement of the Whale c. but issues out of the Root of a Tree which Tree how far soever it stands on the Land always shoots forth its Roots towards the Sea seeking the warmth of it thereby to deliver the fattest Gum that comes out of it Which Tree otherwise by its copious fatness might be burnt and destroy'd Where-ever that fat Gum is shot into the Sea it is so tough that it is not easily broken from the Root unless its own weight and the working of the warm Sea doth it and so it floats on the Sea PHILOSOPH TRANSACT Numb 97. Tavernier in his Travels in India says There is no Person in the World that knows either what AMBER-GRISE is or where or how it is produc'd But the fairest probability is that it must be only in the Eastern-Sea Though some Parcels have been found upon the Coast of England and in some other parts of Europe He says that the greatest quantity is found upon the Coast of Melinda but more especially in the Mouth of a River call'd Rio de Sena That the Governour of Mozambique gets in the three Years of his Government above Three Hundred Thousand Pardo's of AMBER-GRISE every Pardo containing 27 Sous of French Money That sometimes they meet with very large and very considerable pieces viz. Of Thirty or Forty Pounds Weight TAVERN Trav. in India pag. 152. Sir Philiberto Vernatti late Resident in Iava Major says That the best AMBER-GRISE in the World comes from the Island Mauritius in the East-Indies and is commonly found after a Storm That the Hogs can smell it at a great distance who run like mad to it and devour it commonly before the People come to it That it is held to be a Zeequal Viscosity which being dried by the Sun turns to such a Consistence as is daily seen He mentions one Isaac Vigny a Frenchman who had been a great Traveller in his time who told him that he had sailed once in his Youth through so many of these Zeequalen as would have loaded Ten Thousand Ships the like having been never seen and that his Curiosity drove him to take up some of those which being dried in the Sun were perceiv'd to be the best AMBER-GRISE in the World Sir Philiberto says He has seen one piece which the Frenchman kept for a Memento and another piece he sold for Thirteen Hundred Pounds Sterling This being discover'd They set Sail to the same place where these Zeequalen appear'd and Cruised there to and fro for the space of six Weeks but could not perceive any more Where this place is seituated Sir Philiberto says He knows not but Monsieur Gentillot a French Captain in Holland does SPRAT's Hist. of the R. S. pag. 168. There is AMBER-GRISE of four several Colours White Gray Red and Black which comes according to the variety of Places or Regions where it is found the Gray is preferr'd before all the other and is known to be good if when pricking it with a Pin it sends out a
moisture like Oyl The Black or White AMBER-GRISE is adulterated with a little mixture of Musk and Civet with Storax Laudanum and Lignum-Aloes but may easily be known by the scent Observations concerning CORAL THere are several sorts of CORAL but the two Principal are the White and the Red but the Red is the best It grows like a Tree in the bottom of the Sea green when under the Water and bearing a White Berry and when out it turns Red. There is also a Black and Yellow kind of CORAL Nay Linschot in his Description of the East-Indies says That at the Cape of Bon-Esperance there are Rocks on which CORAL grows of all Colours CORAL but little valued in Europe is highly esteem'd in all the three other parts of the World There are three places where they Fish for it upon the Coast of Sardigna That of Arguerrel is the fairest of all The second place is called Boza and the third is near the Island of St. Peter There are two other places upon the Coast of France the one near the Bastion of France the other at Tabarque There is also another Fishery upon the Coast of Sicily near Trepano but the CORAL is small and ill-colour'd There is another upon the Coast of Catalogna near Cape de Quiers where the CORAL is large and of an excellent Colour but the Branches are short There is a Ninth Fishery in the Island of Majorque much like that near the Island of Corsica And these are all the places in the Mediterranean Sea where they Fish for CORAL for there is none at all in the Ocean TAVERN Trav. in India They Fish for CORAL from the beginning of April to the End of Iuly to which purpose there are employ'd above two Hundred Vessels some Years more and some Years less They are built all along the River of Genoa being very swift Their Sails are very large for more swiftness so that there are no Gallies can reach them There are seven Men and a Boy to every Barque They never Fish above forty Miles from the Land where they think there are Rocks for fear of the Pyrats whom they easily escape through the nimbleness of their Vessels Ibidem Monsieur Chapuzeau in his History of the Riches of the East and West-Indies says That the manner of Fishing for CORAL is with two big Beams of Wood laid cross-wise with a good piece of Lead on the middle to make it sink casting about it course Hemp carelessly twisted and tying this Wood to two Ropes whereof one hangs at the Stern and the other at the fore-part of the Boat and so letting this contrivance fall into the Current along the Rocks where the Hemp being turned about and engaged in the CORAL there is occasion sometimes for a great many Boats to draw away the Instrument The common Opinion That CORAL is soft under Water but waxeth hard in the Air hath been sufficiently reâ—uted by several Iohannes Begvinus in his Chapt. of the Tincture of CORAL undertakes to clear the World of this Error from the very Experiment of Iohn Baptista de Nicole who was Over-seer of the Gathering of CORAL in the Kingdom of Thunis This Gentleman saith he desirous to find out the Nature of CORAL and to be resolved how it grows at the bottom of the Sea caused a Man to go down no less than a Hundred Fathom on purpose to take notice whether it were hard or soft in the place where it grows Who returning brought in each Hand a Branch of CORAL affirming it was as hard at the bottom as in the Air where he deliver'd it The same was also confirm'd by a Tryal of his own handling it a Fathom under Water before it felt the Air. Boetius in his accurate Tract de Gemmis is of the same Opinion not ascribing its Concretion unto the Air but to the coagulating Spirits of Salt and the petrifying Juice of the Sea which entring the Parts of that Plant overcomes its Vegetability and converts it into a Stony substance And this says he doth happen when the Plant is ready to decay for all CORAL is not hard and in many Concreted parts some parts remain unpetrified that is the livelier parts remain as Wood and were never yet converted BROWN's Vulg. Errors The Lord Bacon in his Natural History tells us there are very few Creatures that participate of the Nature of Plants and Metals both but that CORAL is one of the nearest of both Kinds But the Ingenious Monsieur Guisony seems to be of another Opinion for he utterly denies CORAL to be a Plant affirming that it is a meer Mineral composed of much Salt and a little Earth and that it is formed into that substance by a precipitation of divers Salts thaâ— ensues upon the Encounter of the Earth with those Salts PHILOSOPH TRANSACT Numb 99. pag. 6159. Of the Nature and Generation of CORAL it is affirmed by the Honourable Mr. Boyle That whilst it grows it is often found Soft and Succulent and propagates its Species And by Georg. de Sepibus That of those who had been us'd for many Years to dive for CORAL in the Red-Sea Kircher learned thus much That it would sometimes let fall a Spermatick Juice which lighting upon any Steady body would thereupon produce another CORAL And further by Wormius and Tavernier from the Relations of others That this Juice is White or Milky Which may seem the more Credible when we consider that the like Milky substance is found in divers Mines Sometimes inclosed as is observed in the Philos Transact Numb 100. by Mr. George Planton in great Hollows of the Metallick Rock And that Mr. Beamont Philos. Transact Numb 129. Pag. 730. hath found in the Hollows of some Stones call'd Entrochi and Rock-Plants or a-kin to them an evident Concretion of such Milky Juice GREW's Mus. Regal Societ Paracelsus makes an Amulet of CORAL against Fears Fright Melancholly Epilepsie Inchantment and Witch-Craft The Learned Dr. Brown in his Vulgar Errors seems to suspect That the Custome of Childrens wearing CORAL was at first superstitiously founded and that possibly in former times it might be lookt upon as an Amulet or Defensative against Witch-Craft Observations concerning BEZOAR THe Deer-Goat is a Creature bred both in the East and West-Indies That from Persia and the East-Indies yields the Oriental BEZOAR being partly like a Deer partly like a Goat That of Peru is like the former but without Horns yielding the Occidental BEZOAR The BEZOAR Stone is of an Oval Form or round hollow within the Oriental having Chaff Hair Sticks Grains Filth or the like in its Capacity the Occidental Not shining and smooth without having a Coat â—olded like an Onion of a various Colour but generally of a Blackishâ— Green Pale Ashâ—Colour or Hony-Colour without scent and much about the bigness of a Walnut The Occidental is rough without Whitish Ash-Colour'd Black or Blackish Green and generally bigger than the former BEZOAR says Tavernier comes from a
within the Land That they have no great Root so that a Man would think it impossible for them to have any fast hold within the Earth and yet they stand so fast and grow so high that it makes one afraid to see a Man climb up to the top of them The Question â—eing put to Sir Philiberto Vernatti late Resident in Iava Major whether there be a Tree in Mexico that yields Water Wine Vinegar Oyl Milk Honey Wax Thread and Needles His Answer was The COCO-Tree yields all this and more The Nut while it is Green hath very good Water in it the Flower being cut drops out great Quantity of Liquor called Sury or Taywack which drank fresh hath the force and almost the taste of Wine grown four is very good Vinegar and distill'd makes very good Brandy or Areck The Nut grated and mingled with Water tasteth like Milk pressed yields very good Oyl Bees swarm in these Trees as well as in others Thread and Needles are made of the Leaves and tough Twigs SPRAT's Hist. of the ROYAL SOCIETY Pag. 170. The COCO is one of the most useful Trees in the World Of the Husk or outmost fibrous cover of the Nut all manner of Ropes and Cables are made throughout India Of the Shells the Indians make Ladles Wine-Bottles and many forts of Vessels The inmost Cover next the Kernel while it contains only Liquor they eat with Salt as a very pleasant Food The said Liquor is commonly us'd as a clear sweet and cool Drink Sometimes they cut away the Blossom of the young Nut and binding a convenient Vessel to the place thereby obtain a sweet and pleasant Liquor which they call Sura This standing an hour in the Sun becomes good Vinegar used throughout India The same Distill'd I suppose after Fermentation yieldeth a pretty strong Brandy called Fulo and is the first running The second is called Vraca the only Wine of India Of the same Sura being boil'd and set in the Sun they also make a fort of Brown Sugar which they call Iagra From the Kernel it self when fresh and well stamped they press out a Milk which they always mix and eat with their Rice-Meats Of the Kernel dried called Copra and stamped they make Oyl both to eat and to burn Of the Leaves of the Tree called Olas they make the Sails of their Ships As also Covers for their Houses and Tents and Summer-Hats Of the Wood they make Ships without Nails sewing the several parts together with the Cords made of the Huk of the Nut. GREW's Musaeum REG. SOCIET Pag. 199 200. Observations concerning the CACAO-Tree and its NVT of which CHOCOLATE is made OF these Trees there are several sorts which grow to a reasonable height The Bodies of the largest do usually arrive in bulk although not in tallness to the largeness of our English Plum-Trees They are in every part smooth and the Boughs and Branches thereof extend themselves on every side to the proportion of a well-spread Tree much resembling our HeartCherry-Tree but at its full growth 't is dilated to a greater breadth in compass and is something loftier there is little difference in the Leaves these being pointed but smoother on the Eâ—â—â—s and of a white kind of Pulp that 's agreeable to the Palate By the turning and Sweating their little Strings are broken and the Pulp is imbibed and mingled with the substance of the Nut. After this they are put to dry 3 or 4 Weeks in the Sun and then they become of a Reddish dark Colour as you see and so are Cured What is remarkable in this Fruit is that the Codds grow only out of the Body or great Limbs and Boughs and that at the same time and in the same place there are Blossoms Young and Ripe Fruit. This Tree requires to be shelter'd from the Sun while 't is Young and always from the North-East Winds and to have a fat moist low Soil which makes them to be Planted commonly by Rivers and between Mountains So that 't is ill living where there are good CACAO-Walks In a Years time the Plant comes to be 4 Foot high and hath a Leaf six times as big as an Old Tree which as the Plant grows bigger falls off and lesser come in their place which is another extraordinary Quality of this Tree The Trees are commonly Planted at 12 Foot distance and at 3 years old where the Ground is good and the Plant prosperous it begins to bear a little and then they cut down all or some of the Shade and so the Fruit increases till the 10 th or 12 th Year and then the Tree is supposed to be in its prime How long it may continue so none with us in Iamaica can guess but it 's certain the Root generally shoots out Suckers that supply the place of the old Stock when dead or cut down unless when any ill Quality of the Ground or Air kill both See this Accurate Account of the CACAO Tree given by a very Intelligent Person residing in Jamaica which you may find in the PHILOS TRANS ACT. Numb 93. These Kernels being well pounded as Almonds in a Mortar and mixed with a certain proportion of Sugar and Spices according as the Trader thinks or finds it best for Sale are commonly made up in Cakes or Rowles which are brought over hither from Spain and other parts But those that would have a good Quantity for their own private use had much better procure the NUTS themselves as fresh and new as may be and so prepare and Compound them to their own Constitution and Taste And for those that drink it without any Medicinal respect at Coffee-Houses there is no doubt but that of Almonds finely beaten and mixed with a due proportion of Sugar and Spices may be made as pleasant a Drink as the best CHAWCALATE GREW's Mus. REG. SOC Pag. 205. Dr. Stubbes in the last part of his Observations relating to Iamaica see the Philos. Transact Numb 37. takes notice of the Censure of Simon Paula in his Herbal Pag. 383. against CHOCOLATA and says He cannot forgive him for it being of Opinion that that Liquor if it were well made and taken in a right way is the best Diet for Hypochondriacs and Chronical Distempers for the Scurvy Gout and Stone and Women Lying-in and Children New-Born to prevent Convulsions and purge the Meconium out and many other Distempers that infest Europe but that 't is now rather used for Luxury than Physick and so compounded as to destroy the Stomach and to increase Hypochondriacal Diseases and that we now so Cook it as if it were to be transform'd into a Caudle or Custard The Native Indians seldom or never use any Compounds desiring rather to preserve their Healths than to gratifie and please their Palars until the Spaniards coming amongst them made several Mixtures and Compounds which instead of making CHOCOLATE better as they supposed have made it much worse And many of the English especially those that
have wrought the same effect and thâ—t â—f thâ—y would keep the Stone-Horse with that Drink he would in a short time be as tame and quiet as the King her Husband OLEARIVS in the Ambassadors Travels pag. 240. There goes a Story how true I know not that the Vertue of COFFEE was at first discover'd by a Prior of a Convent who observing that the Goats which fed in that part of Arabiâ— where these Trees grow us'd to live with little or no Sleep and that 〈◊〉 the day time they â—eâ—e mighty bâ—isk and frisking â—he said â—rior did from thence conclâ—â—e that this must necessarily proceed from the Goats licking up the Berries that fell from these Trees Whereupon to satisfy his Curiosity He try'd the Experiment upon another sort of Beast viz. a Sleepy Heavy-Headed Monk whom the Prior did often ply with this sort of Drink on whom as the Story goes it had in a short time such a wonderful effect that it quite alter'd his Constitution and that he afterwards became more quick brisk and airy than generally that sort of Cattle are The Goodness of COFFEE chiefly consists in an exact way of Parching and managing the Berries for if these are parch'd to a higher or lower degree than they ought the COFFEE is stark naught and good for nothing Dr. Bernier affirms that there were but two Men in the whole City of Cairo that rightly understood the Art and Mystery of Parching and ordering these Berries IOH. RAII Hist. Plant. Vol. 2. pag. 1692. That Learned Boâ—anist Mr. Ray in the place last quoted tells us that the Arabians are very industrious in destroying the Vegetative Force of the Seed that so thereby they might prevent its growing in any other Countrey Nor indeed are they to be blam'd for so doing since from this one Commodity of COFFEE there accrues to their Country such an immense Treasure from almost all the other parts of the World in which respect as the Learned Ray wittily observes Arabia may bâ— said to be not only Felix but â—â—licissimâ— Observations concerning OPIVM OPIUM is a Tear which flows from the wounded Heads of the Poppy being ripe Some do promiscâ—â—usly use it with MECONIUM but very improperly for OPIUM is a Drop or Tear MECONIUM the gross expressed Juice from the whole Plant however they are both of one Quality OPIUM is the finer Gum and the stronger MECONIUM is the courser and weaker yet the more malign OPIUM is of three sorts 1. Black and hard from Syria and Aden 2. Yellower and softer from Cambaia 3. Whiter from Cairo or Thebes which last commonly called Thebian-OPIUM is the best being heavy thick strong scented like Poppy bitter and sharp inflamable almost of the Colour of Aloes and easy to dissolve in Water The Counterâ—eit when washed colours the Water like Saffron The OPIUM which is spent in Europe comes from Aden or Cairo but that which is sold in the Indies comes out of the Province of Gualor in Indostan and is nothing but the Juice which is got out of POPPY by an Incision made therein when it begins to grow ripe All the Eastern Nations are great Lovers of it insomuch that the young People who are not permitted the use of it and the meauer sort who are not able to buy it will boil the POPPY it self and eat of the Broth which is made thereof And whereas the POPPY among them is called Pust they thence call those Pusty who make use of that Broath instead of OPIUM The Persians affirm that they were the first who made use of it and that all other Nations did it in Imitation of their Grandees who took it at first to provoke Sleep They take every Day a small Pill of it about the bigness of a Pea not so much in order to Sleeping as that it should work the same effect as Wine does which infuses Courage and great Hopes into those who otherwise would not discover much of either The Caffees or Messengers who travel into the Country take of it to hearten themselves but the Indians make use of it for the most part that they may be the better fitted for the Enjoyments of Wâ—men No doubt but it is a Poyson which kills if a Man do not accustom himself thereto by little and little and when he hath so accâ—â—â—omâ—d â—imself he must continue the frequent use of it or he dies on the other side It so weakens their Bâ—ains who take it continually that they run â—he hazard of losing the use of their Reason anâ—â—he principal Functions of their Understanding and become in a manner stupid if they recover not themselves by the same Remedy MANDELSLO's Trav. into the Indies pag. 67. OPIUM is commonly used among the Persians they make Pills of it of the bigness of a Pea and take two or three of them at a time Those who are accustomed thereto will take about an Ounce at a time There are some who take of it only once in two or three Days which makes them Sleepy and a little disturbs their Brains so as that they are as if they were a little entred in Drink There is abundance of it made in Persia especially at Ispahan and it is thus ordered The POPPY being yet green they cleave the Head of it out of which there comes a white Liquor which being expos'd to the Air grows blâ—ck and their Apothecaries and Dâ—uggiâ—â—s trade very much in it All 〈…〉 East they use this Dâ—ug the 〈◊〉 and Indians as wâ—ll as the 〈◊〉 insomuch that Bellen sâ—y◠〈…〉 Observations that if a Turk 〈◊〉 but a Pâ—nny he will spend a Farthing oâ— it in OPIUM that he saw above â—itty Camels loaden with it going from Natolia into Turky Persia and the Indies and that a Ianizary who had taken a whole Ounce of OPIUM one Day took the next Day two and was never the worse for it save that it wrought the same effect in him as Wine does in such as take too much of it and that he stagger'd a little It hath also this Quality common with Wine that it does infuse Courage into those who have not much And therefore the Turks never fail to take of it before they enter upon any great Design The Women do not ordinarily take any but those who are not able to bâ—ar with their untoward and imperious Husbands and prefer Death bâ—fore the Slavery they live in do sometimes make use of OPIUM whereof they take a good Qâ—antity and drinking cold Water upon it they by a gentle and insensiâ—lâ— Dâ—ath depart this World OLEAâ—â—â—S's Trav. of the Ambassâ—dors c. pâ—â— 2â—9 Dr. Bernier in his History of the late Revolution of the Empire of Mogol says that the Ragipous or the Souldiers of that Kingdom are great takers of OPIUM that he has oftentimes wonder'd to see them take such great Quaâ—tity that they accustom themselâ—es to it from their Youth that on the Day of Bâ—ttel they double the Dose this Drug animating or rather inebriating them
have any Stone in them But so abundant in SUGAR-Canes and well stored with SUGARS that forty Ships are thence loaded Yearly with that one Commodity For the making of which they have there Seventy Ingenios or SUGAR-Houses and in each of them Two Hundred Slaveâ— in some Three Hundred which belong to the Works Six says He that Concrete consists of a very sharp and Corrosive Salt though mitigated with a Sulphur as it plainly appears from its Chymical Analysis For SUGAR distill'd by it self yields a Liquor scarce inferior to Aqua Stygia And if you distil it in a Vesica with a great deal of Fountain-Water pour'd to it though the fixt-Salt will not so ascend nevertheless a Liquor will come from it like the hottest Aqua Vitae burning and very pungent when therefore says the Dr. SUGAR mixt almost with any sorts of Food is taken by us in so great a plenty how probable is it that the Blood and Humours are rendred Salt and sharp and consequently Scorbutical by its daily use A certain Famous Author viz. Simon Pauli has laid the cause of the English Consumption on the immoderate use of SUGAR amongst our Country-Men I know not says the Dr. whether the cause of the increase of the Scurvy may not also be rather hence deriv'd WILLIS's London-Practice Pag. 372. 'T is observ'd of Those who work much in the SUGAR-Houses that they are very subject to the Scurvy and that in Portugal where there is a mighty Quantity of SUGAR Yearly spent their chief Distemper is a Consumption The manner of Ordering the CANES and How the SUGAR is made WHen the CANES come to Maturity which the Planters know by several Signs as well as we know when our Harvest is ready they cut them down at or above the first Joynt from the Ground for there is little moisture in them close to the Ground with a strong Instrument for the same purpose laying them even in â—eaps as we usually lay our Corn here in Harvest-time Then they shread off all the Branches and â—ind the Stalks in Bundles ready â—or their Servants to carry away or else they lay them together here and there till they can carry them away with their Horses to the Mill Machine or Ingenio where they squeeze them Which must be as fast as they can after they are cut for if they lye long after they are cut before they use them then they come by much damage so that whilst they are cutting in the Plantations the Mill is usually going and the Coppers are boyling They carry them on their Horses being loose or bound up in bundles after this wise They have a kind of Pad made as some of our Horses have that carry Burthens and on each side of that are two Crooks standing up even or higher than the Horse's back into which Crooks the CANES are laid on each side of the Horse and then they carry them up to the SUGAR-Mill which is made after this manner following They have an open House built on some pretty high Ground oâ— Hill whereby they may have as much Air as they can square or at least pretty wide in the middle of which they set up two great Posts of very hard and solid Timber made exactly round and straight with Irons at each end â—itted for them to turn the lower end of which turneth in Brasses fast fixt in a great and solid piece of Wood Now in one of these Cylinders or Rowlers which are to turn upright is a set of Coggs set round about which taketh always hold of the other Rowler and causeth it to turn so that both of them turn together There being fastned to one of the Cylinders a piece of Wood or rather a Frame of Wood whereunto is fastned a Horse or two to go round and draw it about in such a manner as most Brewers in England Grind their Mault Now the Mill being prepared and the CANES laid by it and all things ready to set them to work there is one that doth always put the CANES between these Rowlers as they turn which draw them through by turning very nigh one against another so that it squeezes all the Juice or Moisture out of them And then there is another always to take the Crusht CANES away unless one sometimes make shift to do both which commonly is too hard a Task Now under these Rowlers is set a Receiver as a Trough Cistern or the like convenient thing to receive the Juice or Liquor that is squeez'd out of the CANES And from this Trough or Cistern is a Spout to convey this Juice into the Furnaces or Coppers where it is to be boyl'd to SUGAR whereas in some SUGAR-Houses there are five or six Coppers for that purpose which are commonly set in a House built only for the same use at a distance from the Mill and also somewhat lower than the Mill because the Liquor is always running down into the Coppers All which Passages and Vessels must be kept very clean for otherwise they are by reason of the great heat apt to Sower and so spoil the Juice Neither must the Juice be long kept after it is pressed out for if it once grow Sower it is not then sit to make SUGAR These Coppers are set all one by another a-thwart the end of the SUGAR-House or Caring-House as they term it so that the upper edges of each Copper do almost touch one another being fast fixed in Brick-work and cemented round the Edges that no Fire can get up or be seen in the SUGAR-House But the mouth of the Furnaces where the Fire is put is so contriv'd â—hat they are made and appear on â—he outside the House where before â—hem is always ready cut great store â—f Wood to cast in to maintain â—he Fire so long as they boil Now if there be six Câ—ppers the â—â—st two are thinnest anâ— biggest 〈◊〉 which the Juice is first 〈◊〉 but not by a very strong Fire for that will make the Scum to rise by casting in Temper as they call it the first of which that ariseth is little worth but afterwards what is scumm'd off they make a very good drink of called Locus-Ale much used by the Servants in Iamaica or else they convey it into a Copper-Still as they do all their other Setlings and Dregs of SUGAR to be distill'd and make a sort of strong-strâ—ng-Water which they call Rum or Rumbullion stronger than Spirit of Wine and not very pleasant until a Man be us'd to it This strong Liquor is ordinarily drank amongst the Planters as well alone as made into Punch Furthermore when this Juice hath so boil'd into the two first Coppers then is it strained into the third and fourth Furnaces which are less and thicker and there it is boil'd by somewhat greater Fire and as it begins to grow pretty thick theâ— is it put into the fifth and sixth Coppers and there boil'd by a greater and very strong Firâ— to a just consistence These
but a Cross-Grain Our European Jewellers when they split one they take a very small Iron Wyre and having daubed it with Oil and Powder of DIAMONDS draw it upon the DIAMOND by a Tool to and fro like a Saw so long as is needful for that purpose GREW ibidem As foâ— the Water of DIAMONDS it is remarkable that whereas in Europe we make use of Day-light to examine the rough Stones and to judge of their Water and the Specks that are found therein the Indians do all that in the Night-time setting up a Lamp with a large Wiek in a hole which they make in the Wall about a Foot square by the Light whereof they judge of the Water and clearness of the Stone which they hold between their Fingers The Water which they call Celestial is the worst of all and it is impossible to discern it so long as the Stone is rough The most infallible way to find out that Water is to carry the Stone under a Tree thick of â—oughs for by the verdure of that shade you may easily discern whether the Water be blewish or no. TAVERN TRAV in India Part II. Book II. Chap. xii To know the value of DIAMONDS if they be every way perfect Tavernier gives this Rule That if a good DIAMOND weigh one Carat viz. four Grains 't is worth 150 French Livres and then to know how much a good Stone weighing 12 Carats is worth you are to multiply 12 by 12 which makes 144 which Product is to be multiplyed by 150 the price of a Stone of one Carat which will make 21600 Livres the price of a DIAMOND of 12 Carats But if the DIAMOND be not perfect then you are to allow but 80 Livers for a Carat and if such a kind of DIAMOND should weight 15 Câ—rats then multiply 15 by 15 which is 225 and this into 80 makes 18000 Livres the value of that DIAMOND According to which Rule the DIAMOND of the Great Mogol wâ—ighiâ—g 279 and 9 16 th Carats being oâ— a perâ—ect gâ—â—d Water and of a good shape wâ—tâ— only a little flaw in the â—dg of the cutting below which gâ—es â—ound aâ—â—ut the Stone will an â—unt to 11723278 Livres Were it not for that little flaw which is mention'd the first Carat of this DIAMOND wâ—re worth 160 Livres but Tavâ—rnier allowing for that flaw he values the first Carat but at 150 Livres and so he has made his Computation He says that the Great Duke of Tuscany's DIAMOND weighs 139 Carats clean and well-shap'd cut in Facets every way but that in regard the Water inclines somewhat toward the Colour of Citron He does not value the first Carat above 135 Livres so that by the Rule the DIAMOND ought to be worth 2608335 Livres TAVERN ibid. Chap. 15. Observations concerning PEARL IN the first place there is a Fishery for PEARLS in the Persian Gulf round about the Island of Bakren Every one that fishes pays to the King of Persia five Abassi's every Abassi is worth about 18 Sols French Money whether he get any thing or no. The Merchant also pays the King some small matter for every thousand Oysters The second Fishery for PEARLS is right against Bakren upon the Coast of Arabia Felix near the City of Catifa which together with all the Country about it is under the Jurisdiction of an Arabian Prince The PEARLS that are fish'd in these Places are sold to the Indians who as Tavernier informs us are not so nice as we for they give a good price for all as well the uneven as the round ones There is another Fishery for PEARLS in the Sea that beats against the Walls of a great Town call'd Manar in the Island of Ceylan For their roundness and their Water they are the fairest that are found in any other Fishery but they rarely weigh above three or four Carats There are excellent PEARLS and of a very good Water and large which are found upon the Coast of Iapan but there are few fish'd for in regard Iewels are of no esteem among the Natives There are other Fisheries in the West-Indies in the first place all along the Island of Cubagna three Leagues in compass lying ten Degrees and a half of Northern Latitude a hundred and sixty Leagues from Santo Domingo The PEARLS are small seldom weighing above five Carats The second Fishery is in the Island of Margarita or the Island of PEARLS a League from Cubagna but much bigger This Fishery is not the most plentiful but it is the most esteem'd of all those in the West-Indies by reason the PEARLS are of a most excellent Water and very large Tavernier says He sold one Pear-fashion'd to Sha-est-Kan the Great Mogul's Uncle that weighed fifty five Carats The third Fishery is at Camogete near the Continent The fourth at Rio de la Hâ—cha all along the same Coast. The fifth and last at St. Martha's sixty Leagues from Rio de la Hacha All these three Fisheries produce very weighty PEARLS but they are generally ill shap'd and of a Water enclining to the Colour of Lead As for Scotch PEARL and those that are found in the Rivers of Bavaria though a Neck-lace of them may be worth a thousand Crowns yet they are not to be câ—mpar'd with the Eâ—stern and West-Indian PEARLS Some Years since there was a Fâ—shâ—ry discover'd in a certain place upon the Coast of Iapan Tavernier says He has seen some which the Hollanders have brought thence They are of a very good Water and large but very uneven TAVERN Trav. in India Part II. Book II. Chap. xvii Over all Asia they chuse the yellow Water inclining to white for they say those PEARLS that incline somewhat to a Gold Colour are more brisk and never change Colour but that the white ones will change in Thirty Years time through the very heat of the Weather and the Sweat of the Person that wears them turning them scandalously yellow Take this Observation along with you touching the difference of their Waters some being very White others inclining to Yellow others to Black others to a Leaden Colour As for the last there are no such but only in America which proceeds from the Nature of the Earth at the bottom of the Water which is generally more Ouzy than in the East I once met with Six PEARLS in the return of a Cargo from the West-Indies that were perfectly round but black like Iet which weigh'd one with another Twelve Carats I carried them into the East-Indies to put them off but could meet with no Chapman to buy them As for those that incline to Yellow it proceeds from hence that the Fishermen selling the Oysters to the Merchants in heaps while they stay Fourteen or Fifteen Days till the Oysters lose their Water the Oysters wast and begin to smell for which reason the PEARL grows Yellow by Infection which appears to be a Truth in regard that where the Oysters preserve their Liquor the PEARLS are White Now the Reason
why they stay till the Oysters open of themselves is because that if they should force them open they might perhaps injure and cut the PEARL In short the Eastern People are much of our Humour in matter of Whiteness for they love the whitest PEARLS and the blackest Diamonds the whitest Bread and the fairest Women TAVERN Ibid. Some Ancient Writers have commonly Reported that PEARLS are produc'd by the Dew of Heaven and that there is but one in an Oyster but Experience teaches the contrary For the Oyster never stirs from the bottom of the Sea where the Dew can never come which is many times Twelve Fathoms deep besides that it is as often observ'd that there are Six or Seven PEARLS in one Oyster and I have had in my hands an Oyster wherein there were above Ten beginning to breed 'T is very true that they are not always of the same bigness for they grow in an Oyster after the same manner as Eggs in the Belly of a Pâ—llet But I cannot say there are PEARLS in all for you may open many Oysters and find none TAVERN Ibid. Chapt. XVIII They Fish in the Eastern Seas twice a Year the First time in March and April the Second time in August and September and they keep their Fairs in Iune and November However they do not Fish every Year For they that Fish will know beforehand whether it will turn to account or no. Now to the end they may noâ— be deceiv'd they send to the places where they are wont to Fish seven or eight Barks who bring back each of them about a Thousand Oysters which they open and if they find not in every Thousand Oysters to the value of Five Fano's of PEARLS which amounts to half a Crown French Money 't is a sign that the Fishing will not turn to account in regard the poor People would not be able to deâ—ray their Charge For partly for a Stock to set out and partly for Victuals while they are abroad they are forc'd to borrow Money at three or four in the Hundred a Month. So that unless a Thousand Oysters yield them five Fano's of PEARLS they do not Fish that Year As for the Merchants they must buy their Oysters at hap-hazard and be content with what they find in them If they meet with great PEARLS they account themselves happy which they seldom do at the Fishery of Manar those Pearls being sit for little else but to be sold by the Ounce to Powder Sometimes a Thousand Oysters amounts to seven Fano's and the whole Fishery to a Hundred Thousand Piasters every Piaster being worth four Shillings Sterling The Hollanders take of every Diver 8 Piasters in regard they always attend the Fishery with two or three small Men of War to defend them from the Malavares Pyrats The more Rain falls in the Year the more profitable the Fishery happens to be They Fish in Twelve Fathom Water Five or Six Leagues off at Sea sometimes Two Hundred and Fifty Barks together among which there is not above one or two Divers at most Ibidem Monsieur Thevenot says that the Two Fisheries at Manar and Tutucorim which is over against the Isle of Manar have sometimes been spoilt by throwing into the bottom of the Sea a certain Drug that chas'd away the Fish that breed them and hinder'd them for many Years from coming back again and that they who did it knowing whither they went fish'd them there and grew rich before it was known that there was good Fishing in that Place THEV. Trav. into the Indies Pag. 109. There goes a Common Tradition that PEARL which hath lost its Colour may be recover'd by being buried in the Earth which if true would as the Lord Bacon Observes be a thing of great advantage But that Noble Lord tells us that upon a Six Weeks Trial he could find no such Effect But for a further Satisfaction he says it were good to try it in a Deep Well or in a Conservatory of Snow where the Cold may be more Constringent and so make the Body more United and thereby more Resplendent BAC Nat. Hist. Experim 380. Of the Way and Manner of DIVING for PEARL THere is a Cord ty'd under the Arms of them that DIVE one end whereof is held by them that are in the Bark There is also a great Stone of 18 or 20 Pound ty'd to the great Toe of him that DIVES the end of the Rope that fastens it being also held by them in the Vessel The DIVER has beside a Sack made like a Net the Mouth whereof is kept open with a Hoop Thus provided he plunges into the Sea the Weight of the Stone presently sinking him When he is at the bottom he slips off the Stone and the Bark puts off Then the DIVER goes to filling his Sack as long as he can keep his breath which when he can do no longer he gives the Rope a twitch and is presently hal'd up again After the DIVER is drawn up he stays half a quarter of an hour to take breath and then dives again at this rate for ten or twelve hours together Those â—â— Manar are better Fishers and sâ—ay longer in the Water than those of Bakren and Catifa for they neither put Pincers upon their Noses nor Cotton in their Ears as they do in the Persian Gulf. The PEARL-DIVERS are fed with dry and roasted Meat on purpose to enable them to hold their Breath the longer Sir Philiberto Vernatti late President in Iava Major says that the longest the PEARL-DIVERS in those Parts can continue under Water is about a quarter of an hour and this they can do by no other means but Custome For PEARL-DIVING as he observes lasteth not above six Weeks and the DIVERS stay a great while longer under Water at the end of the Season than at the beginning PHILOSOPH TRANSACT Numb 43. Pag. 863. The same Person also affirms that the PEARL Fishing is accounted so very dangerous that the DIVERS do commonly make their Will and take leave of their Friends before they tread the Stone to go down SPRAT's Hist. of the ROYAL-SOCIETY Pag 169. The PEARL-Oysters are so very hard and tough and of such an Unpleasant Tast that they always throw them away To Conclude the Discourse of PEARLS you are to take notice that in Europe they sell them by the Carat Weight which is four Grains In Persia they sell them by the Abas and one Abas is an Eighteenth less than our Carat In the Domions of the Mogul the Kings of Visapour and Golconda Weigh them by the Ratis and one Ratis is also an Eighteenth less than our Carat Observations concerning several PRECIOUS STONES THE AGATE is so called from the River ACHATES in Sicily near which it was first found Almost of the Colour of Clear-Horn The hardest of Semi-perspicuous Gems They grow in India Germany and Bohemia Naturally Adorn'd with much Variety of waved and other figur'd Veins Spots the representation of Vegetable and
Reasons of all which Phoenomena seem to be That this PETRIFIED Wood having lain in some place where it was well soak'd with PETRIFYING Water that is such a Water as is well impregnated with Stony and Earthy Particles did by degrees separate either by Straining and Filtration or perhaps by Praecipitation Cohoesion or Coagulation abundance of Stony Particles from that permeating Water Which Stony Particles having by means of the fluid Vehicle convey'd themselves not only into the Microscopical Pores and so perfectly stop'd them up but also into the Pores which may perhaps be even in that part of the Wood which through the Microscope appears most solid do thereby so augment the Weight of the Wood as to make it above three times heavier than Water and perhaps six times as heavy as it was when Wood Next they hereby so lock up and fetter the parts of the Wood that the Fire cannot easily make them fly away but the Action of the Fire upon them is only able to Char those parts as it were like as a piece of Wood if it be clos'd very fast up in Clay and kept a good while Red-hot in the Fire will by the heat of the Fire be Charr'd and not Consum'd which may perhaps be the Reason why the PETRIFIED Substance appear'd of a blackish Brown Colour after it had been burnt By this intrusion of the Petrified Particles it also becomes hard and friable for the smaller Pores of the Wood being perfectly stuffed up with these Stony Particles the Particles of the Wood have few or no Pores in which they can reside and consequently no Flexion or yielding can be caus'd in such a Substance The remaining Particles likewise of the Wood among the Stony Particles may keep them from cracking and flying as they are very apt to do in a Flint HOOK's Microg Observ. XVII Among the several Kinds of the PETRESCENT Liquors I have observed a sort that is of so fine a Substance and yet of so PETRIFYING a Vertue that it will Penetrate and PETRIFY Bodies of very different Kinds and yet scarce if at all visibly increase their bulk or change their Shape or Colour To which purpose I Remember that I have seen divers Animal and Vegetable Substances so PETRIFIED as scarce at all to be taken notice of by their appearance to have been alter'd by the Operation of the PETRESCENT Liquor I have with Pleasure seen a thin Cream-Cheese turn'd into Stone where the Size Shape and Colour even of the Wrinckles and the blueish Mold which it seems it began to have when the Liquor Invaded it were so well preserv'd that an Hungry Man would not have scrupl'd to have fallen upon it as a good Bit. And as for the Hardness that this PETRESCENT Juice can give to the Body that it Penetrates I shall only tell you that I have had and I think yet have a pretty quantity of Wood PETRIFIED in England which retaining its former Figure and Grain and scarce at all visibly increas'd in Bulk was so very hard that I could make Impressions with it upon Iron and Glass it self and make it strike Fire like an Excellent Flint To which I shall here add that the Stone parts did not suffer the Wood which they had Penetrated to be reduc'd in the Fire either to Ashes or Charcole And I have by me a Lump of Mineral Substances wherein a PETRESCENT Liquor that fills the large Intervals between them is Transparent enough and harder than most Stones as far as we could guess by some tryal of it made by a skilful Ingraver of Gems And to these Instances might be added many others if it did not by these few sufficiently appear that PETRIFICK Agents may insinuate themselves into the Pores of Various Bodies and turn them into Stone without otherwise destroying their Pristine Nature or so much as their Former Figure BOYLE of Gems Pag. 124 125. Where there are PETRESCENT Liquors mingled with common Water there may by divers accidents and particularly an hot Summer a sufficient Discharge be made of the superflous Moisture to make the more disposed parts of the PETRESCENT Liquor to Coagulate and afterwards the Coagulation may be suspended either by the supervening of a Colder Season as Winter or even in Summer it self by a plentiful Rain or the effect of it a Land-Flood which might check the progress of Coalitions by over much diluting the Liquor that might else have turn'd into Stone BOILE ibidem pag. 143. For ought we know in those very Places where now there is nothing to be seen but loose Stones and perhaps Beds of Stone themselves in those very Places I say there may in times past have been PETRESCENT Liquors whether Stagnant or Running For I have in another place shew'd that Earthquakes Inundations of Seas and Rivers Sinkings of Ground Incroachments of the Land on the Water Fiery Eruptions and other such Accidents some related by Authentick Authors and others happening in our own times in places some of which I had the curiosity to see have among other odd Effects been able to dry or choak up Pools and Lakes and to stop and quite divert the course not only of Springs but of Rivers so as to leave no Footsteps of them where they plentifully flow'd before IDEM Ibid. pag. 157. Observations concerning SALT Sâ—veral sorts thereof COmmon SALT is the Coagulum of sea-Sea-Water or of Salt fountain-Fountain-Water but that of the Sea is the chief It is purified by Solution Filtration and Coagulation or Crystallization It is to be noted that the artificial SALT of Vegetables and Animals are subject to the same Preparations which common SALT is subject to If the Solution and Crystallization be often repeated this common SALT will at last be sweet The SAL ARMONIAC of the Ancients was a Native SALT which grew in the Lybic Sea unknown to us Ours is a Compound Artificial Volatile SALT boiled from the Ashes of Minerals Vegetables and Animals Salt of Soot common SALT and Sal Gemme The best comes from Venice and Antwerp being very white and pure Among all the SALTS that Nature alone produceth the scarcest but of greatest Vertue is the SALT-AMMONIAC they call it vulgarly ARMONIAC and from that Name conclude that it comes from Armenia but that is not the true name of it but AMMONIAC which in Greek signifies SALT of the Sand and underneath the Sand of the Sea-shore I suppose it is found congeal'd in little pieces by its internal Heat and the continual burning of the Sun baked so much that it is made the bitterest to tast of all kind of SALT Goldsmiths use it more than the Physicians It is one of those they call The four Spirits because the Fire will convert them into Smoak and so they fly away The other three are Quick Silver Sulphur and Salt Peter It hath a particular Property to cleanse and colour Gold and is put into the Composition of that Aqua fortis that dissolves it ALBARO ALONSO BARBA of
number of Pieces is to be deliver'd to them at the rate of eight such Florins the Piece The great Pieces lie at Cracow about the Streets before the doors of the Citizens as also in the Countrey in the small Towns and Villages and before the â—orts and Houses of the Nobility where the Cattle passing to and fro lick of those SALT Stones which afterwards by Mills and other Engines are ground and beaten small for use These SALT-Works belong to the King of Poland who appoints and maintains the Officers of them and 't is one of his best ROYAL REVENUES amounting to a very considerable Sum. There are no less than a thousand Men that are constantly employ'd in these Mines and he saith There was then a Provision of SALT valued at two Millions He farther says There are in these Works three Horses that stay always below having their Stable and other Necessaries there the Horses after they have been a while under Ground grow blind from the sharpness of the SALT and that all the Three which then Labour'd there were quite blind PHILOS TRANSACT Numb 61. pag. 1099 c. In Iamaica they have a very pretty and easie way for the producing of good SALT which is thus Near the Sea-side they dig a low place as it were a Lough or Pond and pave it very even and with a Sluce let in some of the Sea-water an Inch two Inches or three Inches deep or more and there letting it remain the Sun in a short time turneth it into SALT And if they have occasion to use it quickly they let in the less but if they have a good Stock that they can stay longer then they let in the more for the more is let in the longer will it be e're it become SALT which being done they sweep it up and keep it for use and so let in more And thus are they well provided with SALT to Powder their Beef Pork c. which will not keep sweet otherwiâ—e many hours after it is kill'd HVGHES's American Physitian pag. 35. According to the Quality of the Earth or Ground of the Marish the SALT is made more or less white The Reddish Earth maketh the SALT more Gray the Blueish more white Besides if you let run in a little more Water than you ought the SALT becomes thence more White but then it yields not so much Generally all the Marishes require a fat Earth neither Spungy nor Sandy Unless it rain much the Rain-water does little hurt to the Marish and although it rain a day or a night they do not let the Water which is in the Marish run out the heat of the Sun sufficiently exhaling such rain-Rain-Water Only if it have rain'd very plentifully that day no SALT is drawn for the three or four next following days But if it rain five or six days the People are then necessitated to empty all the Water of the Beds by a peculiar Channel conveighing it into the Sea which Channel cannot be opened but when 't is low Water But 't is very seldom that it rains so long as to constrain them to empty those Beds 'T is Obvious that the hottest Years make the most SALT where yet it is to be noted that besides the heat of the Sun the Winds contribute much to it in regard that less SALT is made in calm than in Windy Weather The West and North-West Winds are the best for this Purpose In the Beds of the Marish where the SALT is made the Water must not be above an Inch and an half deep Each of these Beds is fifteen Foot long and fourteen Foot broad Chiefly care is to be taken that the Earth at the bottom of the Beds mingle not with the SALT This Account was communicated to Mr. Oldenburg by a French Dr. of Physick residing in the Isle of Rhe where Salt is made in a great Quantity As you may finâ— in the PHILOS TRANSACT Numb 51. pag. 1025. SALT is that which gives Ligature Weight and Constitution to things and is the most manifest Substance in all Artificial Composts 'T is SALT which Fertilizes and Renders Egypt so Luxuriously Fruitful after the Inundations of Nile and the Nitrous Grounds of Iamaica and other places which cause so stupendious a growth of Plants and Trees In a Word SALT may be said to have a Dominion almost Monarchical in the great Work of Vegetation being so absolute an Ingredient in all our Dungs and Composts To Conclude you know who have Dignified SALT with the Prerogative of being Nam'd Element-Earth the Vigour and Close of all Things yea the first and last of Elementated Bodies What shall I say Quid Divinum the Original of all Fecundity nor can I say less since there was nor Sacrifice nor Discourse acceptable without it EVELâ—N's Discourse of Earth in several places Pag. 312 313 314. Fol. See an Account of the SALT Springs at Nantwich in Châ—shire by Dr. William Iackson in the PHILOS TRANSACT Numb 53. And of the SALT Waters of Droytwich in Worcester-shire by Dr. Tho. Rastell in the PHILOS TRANSACT Numb 142. And of the SALT Springs in Staffordshire by Dr. Rob. Plot in his Description of that County Observations concerning GOLD THE most perfect of all Inanimate Bodies and the most esteem'd of all Mettals is GOLD universally known and covered by all People It is made of the same Matter aâ—d in the sâ—me Manner as other Mettals are but of parts so pure and perfect and so well compacted together by Decoction that its substance is as it were incorruptible being out of the Power of any of the Elements to be Corrupted or Destroy'd The Fire that consumes all other Mettals only makes GOLD more pure The Air and Water diminish not its Lustre nor can Earth make it Rust or Waste By the Nobleness of its Substance it hath most deservedly obtain'd that Estimation which the World gives it and the Natural Virtue which flows from the admirable Equality of its Composition is the best Medicine against Melancholly and the greatest Cordial to the Hearts of Men which perpetually run after this Avaritious Mettal as the Needle doth after the Loadstone The Virtue ascrib'd to Aurum Potabile to preserve a Body perpetually in Youthfulness without Infirmity together with the Receit of making thereof depends upon the Credit of those Authors who have written concerning the same ALBARO ALONSO BARBA of Mettals Translat by the Earl of Sandwich Chap. 26. GOLD hath the least Variety of Regular Figure in the Ore of any Mettal Because more solid and therefore less wanton than the rest 'T is a rare Specimen mention'd by Georgius de Sepibus which he calls Aurum Ramescens The Ductility of GOLD is admirable One Grain in Leaves is extended to above Fifty Inches Square And one Ounce employ'd in Guilding small Hair-Wyre will be extended to almost an Hundred Miles in lenght as Mr. Boyle hath observ'd The Uses of GOLD for Vessels Coins Armour Garments c. are infinite
are striving in the Womb of Nature when her Throes are coming upon her And that these Caverns where the Vapours lie are very large and capocious we are taught sometimes by sad Experience for whole Cities and Countries have been swallow'd up into them as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Region of Pentapolis and several Cities in Greece and in Asia and other parts Whole Islands also have been thus absorpt in an EARTHQUAKE the pillars and props they stood upon being broken they have sunk and saln in as an House blown up I am also of Opinion that those Islands that are made by divulsion from a Continent as Sicily was broken off from Italy and great Britain as some think from France have been made the same way that is the Isthmus or Necks of Land that joyn'd these Islands with their Continents before have been hollow and being either worn by the Water or shak'd by an EARTHQUAKE have sunk down and so made way for the Sea to overflow them and of a Promontory to make an Island For it is not at all likely that the Neck of Land continu'd standing and the Sea overflow'd it and so made an Island for then all those Passages between such Islands and their respective Continents would be extreamly shallow and unnavigable which we do not find them to be Nor is it any more wonder if such a Neck of Land should fall than that a Mountain should sink or any other Tract of Land and a Lake rise in its place which hath often happen'd Plato supposeth his Atlantis to have been greater than Asia and Africa together and yet to have sunk all into the Sea whether that be true or no I do not think it impossible that some Arms of the Sea or Sinus's might have had such an Original as that and I am very apt to think that for some Years after the Deluge till the Fragments were well settled and adjusted great alterations wou'd happen as to the Face of the Sea and the Land many of the Fragments would change their posture and many would sink into the Water that stood out before the props failing that bore them up or the Joynts and Corners whereby they lean'd upon one another and thereupon a new Face of Things would arise and a new Deluge for that part of the Earth Such removes and interchanges I believe would often happen in the first Ages after the Flood as we see in all other Ruines there happen lesser and Secondary Ruines after the first till the parts be so well pois'd and settled that without some violence they scarce change their posture any more But to return to our EARTHQUAKES and to give an instance or two of their Extent and Violence Pliny mentions one in the Reign of Tiberius Caesar that struck down Twelve Cities of Asia in one Night And Fournier gives us an Account of one in Peru that reach'd Three Hundred Leagues along the Sea-Shore and Seventy Leagues Inland and levell'd the Mountains all along as it went threw down the Cities turn'd the Rivers out of their Channels and made an Universal havock and Confusion And all this â—e saith was done within the space of Seven or Eight Minutes There must be dreadful Vaults and Mines under that Continent that gave passage to the Vapours and liberty to play for Nine Hundred Miles in length and above Two Hundred in breadth Asia also hath been very subject to these Desolations by EARTH-QUAKES and many parts in Europe as Greece Italy and others The Truth is our Cities are built upon Ruines and our Fields and Countries stand upon broken Arches and Vaults and so does the greatest part of the outward Frame of the Earth and therefore it is no wonder if it be often shaken there being quantities of Exhalations within these Mines or Cavernous passages that are capable of rarifaction and inflâ—mation and upon such Occasions requiring more room they shake or break the Ground that covers them THO. BVRNET's Theory of the Earth Pag. 119 120 121. Many have written of the Causes of these dreadful Effects of Nature of these Tremblings and Shiverings of the Earth or rather Aguish shaking Fits whereunto we find her Body is as subject as the Body of Men or Lions who are observ'd to have their Montâ— Paroxisines The Babilonian Philosophers think the Cause of these impetuous Motions happeneth by the force of some Planet meeting with the Sun in the Region of the Earth Others hold it to be a Vapour a long time engendring in some Concavities of the Earth and restrain'd from Sallying forth into the Air Others affirm that it is a Wind penn'd up in the Entrails of the Earth Pliny says that the Earth never quaketh but when the Sea is very Calm and the Air so still and clear as the Birds can hardly bear themselves up and that the Winds are then shut up in the Bowels of the Earth their improper Sâ—ation He addeth further that an EARTHQUAKE is nothing else but as Thunder in the Air or an overture and Crevice in the Earth or as Lightning breaking forth violently and making irruptions from the midst of the Clouds the Wind inclos'd therein and struggling to come forth by force The Stoicks speak of divers Sorts of EARTHQUAKES that cause the gapings of the Earth the swellings of the Water and bolling of the same a horrid confus'd Sound commonly proceedeth and accompanieth this Quaking sometimes like to the roaring of a Bull sometimes to the lamentable Cry of some Humane Creature or like the Clattering of Armour according to the quality of the Matter which is inclos'd or according to the Form of the Cave and Hole or SPELUNCA through which it passeth which resounds in Vaulty and hollow places It waxeth hot in sharp and dry places and causeth defluxions in those that are moist and humid Now amongst all EARTHQUAKES the Agitation of the Waters is most dangerous for Lightning is not so hurtful nor the shaking of Buildings or when the Earth is pusâ—'d up or falleth down by an interchangeable Motion because the one keepeth back the other The safest Buildings are those upon Vaults the Corners of Walls and on Bridges leaning one against another beside Brick Buildings are less dangerous in such Accidents Your skilful Navigators can foretel these EARTHQUAKES at such time as they pâ—rceive the Waves to swell on a sudden without a Wind and likewise those on Land may also foretel them when they behold Birds in a maze to stay their flight or when Waters in Wells are troubled more than ordinary having a bad unsavoury smell All these are Presages of such hidious Motions Pherecydes the Syrian drawing Water out of a Well â—oretold an EARTHQUAKE and so did Anaximander Milesius And the truest Signs are either when the Wind blows not Or when the Sea and Region of the Air are Calm for an EARTHQUAKE never happeneth when the Wind blows or the Sea swells IAMES HOWELL's Hist. of Venice Pag. 75 76. If we may Credit
degree of N. Latitude there happen'd no less than three HURRICANES in one Year The Manner of them is as foâ—lâ—â—â—th Ordinarily the Sea becomes Calm on a sudden and smooth as Glass Then presently aâ—ter the Air is Darkned and fill'd with thick and gloomy Clouds after which it 's all as it were on Fire and opens on every side with dreadful Lightnings that last a considerable time After which follow wonderful Claps of Thunder that seem as iâ— the Heaven was reâ—t asunder The Earth trembles in many places and the Wind blows with so great Imperuosity that it Rooâ—s up the tallest and greatest Trees which grow in the Woods beats down almost all the Houses and tears up the Vegetables destroying every thing that grows upon the Earth and very often compels Men whilst this dreadful Tempest lasts to catch hold of the Trunks of Trees to secure themselves from being carried away by the Winds some lye in the Caves of the Rocks or retire into the Huts of the Negroes and Caribbians which are built exceeding low on purpose to elude the Shocks of these Tempests But that which is most dangerous of all and which causes the greatest Mischief is that in Four and Twenty Hours and sometimes in less space it makes the whole Circle of the Compass leaving neither Road nor Haven secure from its raging force so that all the Ships that are at that time on the Coast do perish most Miserably At the Island of St. Christophers several Ships in the Harbour being laden with Tobacco were all cast away by an HURRICAN and afterwards the Tobacco poyson'd most of the Fish on their Coasts When these Storms are over a Man may behold the saddest Spectacles that can be imagin'd There may be seen Pieces of Mountains shaken by the Earthquakes and Forrests overturn'd Houses beaten down by the Violence of the Winds abundance of poor Families undone by the loss of their Goods and the Merchandize in their Cottages of which they can save but very little There one may see the poor Sea-Men drown'd and rowling in the Waves with many brave Ships broken in pieces and batter'd against the Rocks 'T is a thing so Woful and Deplerable that should this Disorder happen often I know not who could have the Heart or Confidence to go to the Indies A Letter from a Sea-Captain to Mr. R. BOHVN SIR IN Answer to your Request concerning the HURRICANE I can say little of its Effects more than what concerns our particular dammage and terrour It happen'd upon the 18 th of August last 1670 Sixteen Hours after the New-Moon in the 14 th Degree of North Latitude about Ninety Leagues from Barbadoes It succeeded a Storm of 48 Hours continuance at North-East an unusual way of its appearing for it commonly follows a Calm Its presage being a shifting of the Wind about the Compass with the Appearance of a troubled Sky the only advantage we have to prepare for its reception The Fury of it begâ—n about 10 at Night and continu'd till 12 the next Day I'ts observ'd that the HURRICANES of the New-Moon begin at Night and those at the Full in the Day as was noted two Fears since when the Lord Willoughby perisht with Eight Ships and near a Thousand Persons During its 14 Hours Fury with us it shifted 14 Points from the N. E. to the S. S. West keeping a Method of Changing One Pâ—int an Hour and then shifted backward and in its retreat still abated until it returned to the Original Point where it wholly ceas'd In the height of it we had some Hâ—â—l the Stones whereof were very great which seem'd to be thrown upon us for the space of the twentieth part of a Minute and then an intermission of Five or Six Minutes before any more came The Sea in the Night seem'd as a real Fire and I believe we might have distinctly perceiv'd any Object at a great distance In the day time we seem'd rather to Sâ—il in the Air than Water the Wind forcing the Sea so high that we could scarce make a distinction of either Element The Terrour of it was such that I thought it the Emblem of Hell and the last Dâ—ssolution of all things especially the first two Hours which were attended with so much Thunder and Lightning so asâ—onishing as if we had been wrapt up into the Clouds or the whole Air set on Fire The strength of the Wind was so great that it blew a Boat of 18 Foot long fastned to four Ring-â—olts and each bolt through a Ring of the Ship clear off the Deck Iâ— blew away a piece of Timber of great Substance and Weight called the Cross-Piece of the Bits to which we fasten our Cables It tore off the Sails from the Yards though fast furled the Yards from the Masts and the upper Masts from the lower It blew away four Men of Fâ—ve who were upon the Fore-Yard three of which by a Strange Providence were thrown in again upon the Deck by the Sea and saved The last remain of its Fury was a Weighty Grinding Stone which it left fastned between two Timber Heads but it blew away the Trough from under it I had several Accounts from Particular Friends how terrible it was in other places but to me it seem'd beyond all Expression These HURRICANES are most frequent between the AeQUINOCTIAL and the Tropique of CANCER They more rarely happen between the LINE and the Tropique of CAPRICORN But that which to me is the greatest Wonder is that they should be so terrible among the Caribbe-Islands that in some of them they have neither lâ—ft House Tree nor Plant in the Ground beginning at St. JOHN De Porto Rico and so running Eastward but the ISLANDS of HISPANIOLA CUBA and JAMAICA are never troubled with them though within few Leagues of the Rest. There are some Old INDIANS that have given notice of them three or four Days before their Coming By what Râ—les I was never curious to understand It being enough for us to study how to defend our selves and Ships from them rather than by any nice Enquiries to sâ—arch into their Causes Only thus much I observ'd that they have an influence upon the SEA as well as the MOON both upon them and it for I found by Observation of the SUN and STARS that there was a Current tending so violently Northward that in 24 Hours it would force us as many Leagues from our Easterly Course which did so confound us having neither Card nor Compass left to Steer by which with several other Goods were swept away in a Breach which the SEA made into our Ship that I think it was as great a difficulty for me to find out BARBADOS this place being nearest for our relief as COLUMBUS who first discover'd those Countries Sir I have been as modest as I could in giving you this Relation because I know many who are acquainted with the violence of these Tempests will be incredulous But I should be sorry that all who
but between the 4 and 8 Degree it is most inclin'd to Calms and thick Foggs and the Rains come not in such dangerous Showers I have not only consulted the most Experienc'd of our Sea-Men from whom I had information in these Particulars but I find that many others both English and Forreigners have in their Travels given uâ— Descriptions of the TORNADOS which would be Superfluous to recite I shall only add a Relation out of Sir Thomas Roe in his East-India Voâ—age to confirm the precedent Discourses These TORNADO Blasts were so variable that sometimes within the space of an hour all the several Winds of the Compass will blow so that â—f there be many Ships in Company you shall have them Sail so many several ways and every one of them seem to go directly before the Wind. These strange Gusts came with much Thunder and Lightning and extreme Rain so noisome that it made their Cloaths who stirr'd much in it to stink upon their Backs and the Water of these Hot and Unwholsome Showers would presently bring forth Worms and other offensive Animals The TORNADOS met with us when we were about Twelve Degrees of N. Latitude and kept us Company till Two Degrees Southward of the Aequinoctial This ECNEPHIAS not only visits the Coasts of Malaguta and Guiny producing vehement Gusts of Wind and Rain but reaches as far as Terra de Natal lying to the East-North-East towards St. Lawrence and at Cape Gardafui near the entrance of the Arabian Gulf it infests those parts in May as was collected by Varenius from the Dutch Iournals In the Sea towards the Kingdom of Loango and that part of the Aethiopique Ocean the TORNADOS are most frequent in Ianuary February and March On the Shores of Guiny when no other Winds blow in those Climats and within Five Six or Seven Degrees of the Aequinoctial they reign in April May and Iune which is the time of their Rains and in other parts of Africk they observe other Months For they have not only Etesian Winds but Anniversary Tempests in some Seas Yet to be fuller satisfied in the History of this Ecnephias I address'd my self to Mr. George Cock of Greenwich a Gentleman of a Generous and Communicative Temper who being interested in the Royal Company is well vers'd in all Occurrences of the African Trade and at my request procur'd me this following Account of the TORNADOS on the Coast of Guiny from a Person long employ'd in their Service The place of the TORNADOS rising is E. N.E to the N.N.E. they frequently give 2 or 3 hours notice of then coming by a thick black Cloud gather'd in the Horison with much Thunder and Lightning Sometimes the Wind comes first very â—orceable and then a great quantity of Rain otherwhile the Rain begins and is follow'd by a Tempestuous Wind. At this Season the Blacks count it good Planting Corn or Roots They make the Air very clear â—o that a Man may see 5 times further than before I my self lying at Anchor in the River have seen the Isle of Princes at least Six Leagues up when before I could not see the Isle of Fernando do Poâ— During the TORNADOS it's exceeding Cold insomuch that the Natives and other Inhabiâ—â—nts are very sensible of it for the time Their Continuance is about an Hour or two Hours at most I lately made enquiries of several Ships that during the Winter Months never met with any TORNADOS all the way from Brasile They being most violent when the Sun is near their Zenith and in the time of their Rains when the Air is Moist and affords greater Quantities of Flatulent Vapours R. BOHVN of the Origine and Properties of Wind Pag. 235. c. Observations concerning ISLANDS WE must in the first place distinguish between Original Islands and Factitious Islands Those I call Factitious that are not of the same Date and Antiquity with the Sea but have been made some at one time some at another by accidental Causes as the Aggestion of Sands and Sandbeds or the Sea leaving the tops of some shallow places that lie high and yet flowing about the lower Skirts of them These make sandy and plain ISLANDS that have no high Land in them and are but mock-ISLANDS in Effect Others are made by divulsion from some Continent when an Isthmus or the Neck of a Promontory running into the Sea sinks or falls in by an Earthquake or otherwise and the Sea entring in at the gap passeth through and makes that Promontory or Country become an ISLAND Thus the ISLAND Sicily is suppos'd to have been made and all Africa might be an ISLAND if the Isthmus between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea should sink down And these ISLANDS may have Rocks and Mountains in them if the Land had so before Lastly there are ISLANDS that have been said to rise from the bottom of the Sea History mentions such in both the Archipelago's Aegean and Indian and this seems to argue that there are great Fragments or Tracts of Earth that he loose at the bottom of the Sea or that are not incorporated with the Ground But besides these ISLANDS and the several Sorts of them there are others which I call Original because they could not be produc'd in any of the forementioned ways but are of the same Origin and Antiquity with the Channel of the Sea and such are the generality of our ISLANDS They were not made of heaps of Sands nor torn from any Continent but are as Ancient as the Continents themselves Namely ever since the Deluge the common Parent of them both Nor is there any difficulty to understand how ISLANDS were made at the Dissolution of the Earth any more than how CONTINENTS were made for ISLANDS are but lesser CONTINENTS or CONTINENTS greater ISLANDS and according as CONTINENTS were made of greater Masses of Earth or greater Fragments standing above the Water so ISLANDS were made of less but so big always and in such a posture as to bear their tops above the Water Yet though they agree thus far there is a particular difference to be taken notice of as to their Origin â—or the CONTINENTS were made of those three or four primary Masses into which the falling Orb of the Earth was divided but the ISLANDS were made of the Fractures of these and broken off by the fall from the Skirts and Extremities of the CONTINENTS we noted before that when those great Masses and primary Fragments came to dash upon the Abysse in their fall the sudden stop of the Motion and the weighty Bulk of the descending Fragment broke off all the Edges and Extremities of it which Edges and Extremities broken off made the ISLANDS And accordingly we see that they generally lie scatter'd along the sides of the Continents and are but Splinters as it were of those greater Bodies 'T is true besides these there were an infinite Number of other pieces brake off that do not appear some making Rocks under Water some shalâ—ows and