Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Part 14

Munday, _Januar._ 8. 1665/6.

The Contents.

_An Account of the Tryals, made in _Italy_ of _Campani's_ new Optick Gla.s.ses. A further relation of the Whale-fishing about the _Bermudas_, and upon the Coast of _New England_, and _New Netherland_. Of a remarkable Spring of _Paderborn_ in _Germany_. Of some other uncommon Springs at _Basel_ and in _Alsatia_. Of the richest Salt-springs in _Germany_. Some Observations of Strange Swarms of _Insects_, and the mischiefs done by them: as also of the Brooding of Snakes and Vipers.

Observations of odd Const.i.tutions of humane Bodies. Of a way, used in _Italy_, of preserving Ice and Snow by _Chaffe_. Directions for Sea-men bound for far Voyages, drawn up by Master _Rook_, late _Geometry_ Professour of _Gresham Colledge_. Some Observations of _Jupiter_; Eclipsed by one of his _Satellites_: and of his Conversion about his _Axis_. Of some Philosophical and Curious Books, that are shortly to come abroad._

_An Account of the Tryalls, made in _Italy_ of _Campani's_ new _Optick Gla.s.ses_._

An Inquisitive _Parisian_ writes to his Correspondent in _London_, as follows;

We received lately news from _Rome_, from a very Curious Person of our acquaintance, importing, that _Campani_ hath had the advantage of _Divini_.

The Great Duke of _Toskany_, and Prince _Leopold_, his Brother, upon Tryal, made of both their Gla.s.ses, have found those of _Campani_ excel the other, and with them they have been able, easily to distinguish people {132} at 4 Leagues distance: Of which I intend you more particulars hereafter.

Among them are expected the _Length_ of these _Telescopes_, and the Largeness of the _Aperture_ of their _Object-gla.s.ses_. In the mean time, the _Parabolical-gla.s.ses_, formerly mentioned to be in hand here at _London_, are finishing with all possible care and industry.

_A Further Relation of the _Whale-fishing_ about the _Bermudas_, and on the Coast of _New-England_ and _New-Netherland_._

The same Person, that communicated the particulars about the new Whale-fishing near the _Bermudas_, mentioned in the first of these _Tracts_, gives this further Information; That there have been since taken by order of the _Bermudas_ Company, sixteen of those Whales, the Oyle whereof, to the quant.i.ty of 50 or 60 Tuns arrived in _Ireland_ at _Limrick_, some few months agoe.

He adds, that about two years since, there stranded upon the Coast of _New-England_ a dead Whale, of that sort, which they call _Trumpo_, having Teeth resembling those of a Mill, and its mouth at a good distance from, and under the Nose or Trunk, and several boxes or part.i.tions in the Nose, like those of the Tailes in Lobsters; and that that being open'd there run out of it a thin oily substance, which would candy in time; after which, the remainder, being a thick fatty substance, was taken out of the same part, with a scoope. And this substance he affirmed to be the _Sperma Ceti_; adding further, that the _Blubber_, as they call it, it self, of the same sort of Whales, when stewed, yields on the top a creamy substance, which taken off, and thrown upon white wine, lets fall a dirty heterogeneous sediment, but what remains aloft, affords a _Sperma-Ceti_-like matter. {133}

He concluded his relation with observing, that these whales were to be met with, between the Coast of _New-England_, and _New-Netherland_, where they might be caught eight or nine months in the year, whereas those about the _Bermudas_ are to be found there only in the Months of _February_, _March_ and _April_.

Concerning the death of the Whale, which hath been related to have stranded upon _New-England_, it is not very improbable, but, (that Fish having also more than one Enemy, whereof a small Fish called the _Thresher_ is one, who, by Mr. _Terry's_ Relation in his _East-Indian_ Voyage, with his nimbleness vexes him as much, as a Bee does a great Beast on the land; and a certain h.o.r.n.y Fish another, who runs its horn into the Whal's belly) it may have been kill'd by the latter of these two; which kind of Fish is known, sometimes to run its horn into Ships (perhaps taking them for Whales) and there snapping it asunder; as hapned not long since to an English Vessel in the _West-Indian_ Seas; the broken piece of that Horn being by the Master of that ship presented to the King, and now kept in His Majesties Repository: the like whereof befel a _French_ Vessel, sailing towards the _East-Indies_, according to the Relation, made by Monsieur _Thevenot_ in his second _Tome_ of _Curious Voyages_.

_Of a remarkable Spring, about _Paderborn_ in _Germany_._

An inquiring Gentleman of those parts writes to his Friend in _London_, as follows;

In this Diocess of _Paderborn_, about 2 leagues from that Town, is a treble Spring call'd _Metborn_, which has three streams, two wherof are not above one foot and a half distant from one another, and yet of so differing qualities, that whereas one of them is limpid, blewish, lukewarm, bubling, and holding Sal-armoniack, Ochra, Iron, Vitriol, {134} Allum, Sulphur, Niter, Orpiment, used against Epilepsie, bad Spleens, and the Wormes; the other is Ice-cold, turbid and whitish, much stronger in tast, and heavier than the former, holding much Orpiment, Salt, Iron, Niter, and some Sal-Armoniack, Allum and Vitriol; Of this all Birds, observed to drink of it, doe dye; which I have also privately experimented by taking some of it home, and giving it to Hens, after I had given them Oates, Barly and Bread-crums; For, soon after they had drunk of it, they became giddy, reeled, and tumbled upon their backs, with convulsion-fitts, and so dyed with a great extention of their leggs. Giving them common-salt immediatly after they had drunk; they dyed not so soon; giving them vineger, they dyed not at all, but seven or eight days after were troubled with the _Pipp_.

Those that dyed, being open'd, their Lungs were found quite shrivelled together. Yet some men, that are troubled with Worms, taking a litle quant.i.ty of it, and diluting it in common water, have been observed by this means to kill the Worms in their bellies, so that a great number of worms come from them; whereupon though they are sick, yet they dye not. As to the third stream, that lyes lower than the other two, about 20 paces distant from them, it is of a greenish colour, very clear, and of a sowre sweet tast, pleasing enough. It hath about a middle weight between the other two; whence wee guess, that it is mixed of them both, meeting there together: to confirm which, we have mixed equal quant.i.ties, of those two, with an addition of a litle common well-water, and have found that they, being stirred together and permitted to setle, made just a water of the same colour and tast of this third stream.

_Of some other not-common Springs at _Basel_ and in _Alsatia_._

A Curious Person writes from those Places in manner following; {135}

At _Basel_ the Spring, running in the _Gerberga.s.se_ (or _Tanners-street_) from St. _Leonard's_ Hill, is of a Blewish colour, and somewhat troubled, holding Copper, Bitumen, and Antimony, about 3 parts of the first, one of the second, and two of the last, as has been examined by skilful Persons.

Our Tanners do water their Skins in it; and being a well-tasted and wholesome Water, it is both much drunk, and used to Bath in. It mingles with another Spring water, call'd the _Birsick_, and with it, between the _Salt-tower_ and the _Rhine-gate_ runs into the _Rhine_.

In the same Town (which abounds with Spring-waters) there are two, among the rest, called _Bandulph's-well_, and _Brun Zum Brunnen_, that are more observable then the other; the former of them having a _Camphory_ and drying Quality, and used against Hydropical Distempers; the latter containing some Sulphur, Saltpeter and Gold, and being an excellent Water to drink, much used in the princ.i.p.al Tavern of the City, where the chief of the Town do resort, and near which it runs.

In _Alsatia_ in the Valley, called _Leberthal_, near _Geesbach_ (an ancient Mine-work) there runs out of a _Cavern_ a foul, fattish, oily Liquor, which, though the Country-men of that place employ to the vile use of greasing their Wheels, instead of ordinary Wheel-grease; yet doth it afford an excellent Balsom, by taking a quant.i.ty of it, and putting it in an Earthen Pot well luted, that no steam may exhale; and then with a gentle Fire at first, but a stronger afterwards, boyling it for three hours together; in which s.p.a.ce it will boyl in a fourth part, and an Earthen Matter, like Pitch, will settle it self at the bottom: but on the top thereof, when cold, there will swim a fatty Substance, like Lyne-Oyl, limped and somewhat yellowish, which is to be decanted from the thick Sediment, and then gently distilled in an Alembick in _Arena_, by which means, there will come over two differing Liquors, one Phlegmatick, the other Oily, {136} which latter swimming on the Phlegm, is to be severed from it. The Phlegm is used as an excellent Resister and Curer of all the Putrefactions of the Lungs and Liver, and it heals all foul Wounds and Ulcers. The Oily part, being diluted with double its quant.i.ty of distilled Vineger, and brought three times over the Helm, yields a rare Balsom, against all inward and outward Corruptions, stinking Ulcers, hereditary Scurfs and Scabs: 'Tis also much used against Apoplexies, Palsies, Consumptions, Giddinesses, and Head-aches. Inwardly they take it with Succory-water against all corruptions of the Lungs. It is a kind of _Petroleum_, and contains no other Mineral Juice, but that of _Sulphur_, which seems to be thus distilled by _Nature_ under ground; the distillation of an Oyl out of _Sulphur_ by Art, being not so easie to perform.

_Of the richest _Salt-Springs_ in _Germany_._

An Account having been desired of those two chief _Salt-Springs_ in _Germany_, at _Hall_ and _Lunenburg_, it was lately transmitted thus:

The _Salt-Springs_ at _Hall_ in _Saxony_ are four, called _Gutiaar_, the _Dutch-Spring_, the _Mettritz_, and the _Hackel-dorn_; whereof the three first hold near the same proportion of Salt; the last hold less, but yields the purest Salt. The three first hold about seven parts of Salt, three of Marcasit, and fourteen of water: They are, besides their Oeconomical use, employed Medicinally to Bath in, and to draw a Spirit out of it, exhibited with good success against Venom, and the putrefaction of the Lungs, Liver, Reins, and the Spleen.

The _Salt Water_ at _Lunenburgh_, being more greenish then white, and not very transparent, is about the same nature and hold with that of _Hall_. It hath a mixture of Lead with it, whence also it will not be sod in Leaden Pans, and if it held no Lead at all, it would not be so good, that Metal being judged to _purifie_ the Water: whence also the Salt of {137} _Lunenburg_ is preferred before all others, that are made of Salt Springs.

_Some Observations of swarms of strange Insects, and the Mischiefs done by them._

A great Observer, who hath lived long in _New England_, did upon occasion, relate to a Friend of his in _London_, where he lately was, That some few Years since there was such a swarm of a certain sort of Insects in that _English_ Colony, that for the s.p.a.ce of of 200 Miles they poyson'd and destroyed all the Trees of that Country; there being found innumerable little holes in the ground, out of which those Insects broke forth in the form of _Maggots_, which turned into _Flyes_ that had a kind of taile or sting, which they struck into the Tree, and thereby envenomed and killed it.

The like Plague is said to happen frequently in the Country of the _Cosacks_ or _Ukrani_, where in dry Summers they are infested with such swarms of _Locusts_, driven thither by an _East_, or _South-East_ Wind, that they darken the Air in the fairest weather, and devour all the Corn of that Country; laying their Eggs in _Autumn_, and then dying; but the Eggs, of which every one layeth two or three hundred, hatching the next Spring, produce again such a number of Locusts, that then they do far more mischief than afore, unless Rains do fall, which kill both Eggs and the Insects themselves, or unless a strong _North_ or _North-West_ Wind arise, which drives them into the _Euxin_ Sea: The Hogs of that Country loving these Eggs, devour also great quant.i.ties of them, and thereby help to purge the Land of them; which is often so molested by this Vermine, that they enter into their Houses and Beds, fall upon their Tables and into their Meat, insomuch that they can hardly eat without taking down some of them; in the Night when they repose themselves upon the ground, they cover it three, or four Inches thick, and if a Wheel pa.s.s {138} over them, they emit a stench hardly to be endured: All which, and much more may be fully seen in the _French_ Description of the Countries of _Poland_, made by _Monsieur de Beauplan_, and by _Monsieur Thevenot_, in his Relation of the _Cosacks_, contained in the First part of his _Curious Voyages_.

_An Observation touching the Bodies of Snakes and Vipers._

Several have taken notice, that there is a difference between the brooding of Snakes and Vipers, those laying their Eggs in Dung-hills, by whose warmth they are hatched; but these (Vipers) brooding their Eggs within their Bellies, and bringing forth live Vipers. To which may be added, That some affirm to have seen Snakes lye upon their Eggs, as Hens sit upon theirs.

_Some Observations of odde Const.i.tutions of Bodies._

A very curious Person, studying Physick at _Leyden_, to whom had been imparted those Relations about a Milky Substance in Veins, heretofore alledged in _Numb._ 6. returns, by way of grat.i.tude, the following Observations.

There was (saith he) not many Years since, in this Country a Student, who being much addicted to the study of _Astronomy_, and spending very many Nights in Star-gazing, had, by the Nocturnal wet and cold temper of the Air, in such a manner obstructed the pores of his skin, that little or nothing exhaled from his Body; which appeared hence, because that the shirt, he had worn five or six weeks, was then as white as if he had worn it but one day. In the mean while he gathered a subcutaneous Water, of which yet he was afterwards well cured.

We have also (_saith the same_) seen here a young Maid, of about thirteen Years of age, which from the time that she was but six Years old, and began to be about her Mother in {139} the Kitchin, would, as often as she was bid to bring her Salt, or could else come at it, fill her Pockets therewith, and eat it, as other children doe Sugar: whence she was so dried up, and grown so stiff, that she could not stirre her limbs, and was thereby starved to death.

That Learned and Observing Doctor _John Beal_, upon the perusal of the forementioned _Numb._ 6. was pleased to communicate this Note:

To your Observation, of Milk in Veines, I can add a _Phaenomenon_ of some resemblance to it, which I received above 20 years agoe from _Thomas Day_, an Apothecary in _Cambridg_; _vid._ That himself let a man bloud in the arme, by order of Doctor _Eade_, a Physitian there. The mans bloud was white as Milk, as it run out of his arme, it had a little dilute redness, but immediately, as it fell into the Vessel, it was presently white; and it continued like drops of Milk on the pavement, where ever it fell. The conjecture which the said Physitian had of the cause of this appearance, was, that the Patient had much fed on Fish; affirming withall, that he had soon been a Leper, if not prevented by Physick.

_A way of preserving Ice and Snow by Chaffe._

The Ingenious Mr. _William Ball_ did communicate the relation hereof, as he had received it from his Brother, now residing at _Livorne_, as follows;

The Snow, or Ice-houses are here commonly built on the side of a steep hill, being only a deep hole in the ground, by which meanes, they easily make a pa.s.sage out from the bottom of it, to carry away all the water, which, if it should remain stagnating therein, would melt the Ice and Snow: but they thatch it with straw, in the shape of a Saucepan-cover, that the rain may not come at it. The sides (supposing it dry) they line not with any thing, as is done in St. _Jeames_'s Park, by reason of the moistness of the ground. This Pit they fill {140} full of Snow or Ice (taking care that the Ice be made of the purest water, because they put it into their wine) over-spreading first the bottom very well with _Chaffe_; by which I mean not any part of the straw, but what remains upon the winnowing of the Corn; and I think, they here use Barley-chaffe. This done, they further, as they put in the Ice, or the Snow, (which latter they ram down,) line it thick by the sides with such Chaffe, and afterwards cover it well with the same; and in half a years lying so, 'tis found not to want above an eight part of what it weighed, when first put in. When ever they take it out into the Aire, they wrap it in this Chaffe, and it keeps to admiration. The use of it in _England_ would not be so much for cooling of drinks, as 'tis here generally used; but for cooling of fruits, sweetmeats &c. _So far this Author._