more apt to fly away when expos'd to the Air. And that Vitriol may probably rise in the Form of a Vapour without losing it's Qualities is evident in Sublimate which consists of Mercury chang'd by an Addition of Salt and Vitriol for some Vitriolick Parts being carry'd up in the Preparation turn Opacous upon an Affusion of Spirit of Sulphur But further to make it evident that the Particles of Iron may be considerably expanded I dropp'd four Drops of a Vitriolick Liquor made use of in Copperas-works into twelve Ounces and a half of Water and found that it so much impregnated 1500 times it's Proportion of Common Waters as to make it strong enough to turn a Tincture of Galls Purple tho' by Evaporation we found that 3 Parts of 4 of that Liquor were Water 28. What Alterations the Earthy Parts of Mineral Waters undergo by Ignition and whether they may be Vitrify'd per se as also what Colours they impart to Venice Glass if mix'd with the Powder before Fluxion 29. Of what use they are in Baking Brewing Tanning or Dying of Colours c. 30. How many ways they may be made Artificially and with what Proportion of Ingredients CHAP. XI Titles for the Natural History of Mineral-Waters consider'd as a Medicine IT may be worth Observing in order to a more Compleat Natural History of Mineral-Waters what Constitutions they agree with and in what Distempers they are Proper or Dangerous What Sensible Operations they have and whether their Effects be alter'd by Drinking them Hot or Cold at the Well or at a Distance from it Whether Exercise or the Warmth of a Bed promotes their Operation Whether they have any Occult Qualities It may likewise be requisite to observe What good Effects may succeed a due Preparation of the Body that drinks them and what Advantage it may be to drop some Strengthening Stomachick into the First Dose What Quantity is enough for the First Dose and how it must be vary'd How long they may be Drunk and whether constantly or with Intervals whether Purging sometimes may contribute to their good Effects What Regimen in the Six Non-Naturals is to be observ'd whilst they are a-taking Which are the Signs that denote the kindly Operations of them or their future ill Effects What ill Accidents attend the taking of them and how they may be Remedy'd or Prevented Whether it be proper to Purge after the Taking of them What Effects they will have by Mixing other Liquors with them or by Boiling Meat in them Whether a Salt extracted will be of Equal Effect when Diluted in Fresh Water What External Effects they will have and of what use their Sediment is when Externally apply'd What Effects they will have on Dogs if injected into their Veins or if they be kept with such for constant Drink CHAP. XII Of the Natural and Preternatural States of Bodies especially the Air. IT is the General Consent of most Men that the Determinate States of Bodies are not only first fram'd by what they call Nature but that they are likewise preserv'd in those States by the Superintendency of that Power and that whenever they lose that State they are said to be put into a Preternatural One But if we consider that such Changes proceed from Natural Causes and that those New States depend on the like Catholick Agents The Common Distinction betwixt Natural and Preternatural States ill grounded and the Establish'd Laws of Nature it will appear That the Distinction Men usually make betwixt the Natural and Preternatural States of Bodies is but ill-grounded and that Preternatural is only a Relative Term intimating that that Body hath undergone a Change either by the Operation of some unheeded or more noted Agent For Matter being altogether void of Sense and Perception and not affecting one State more than another the Changes it undergoes depend on the Alteration of it's Textures and New Position of it's Parts alter'd afresh by that Agent which such a Body was last expos'd to As a piece of Wax is put into a New Form by the last Impression made by another Body upon it without affecting one Form more than another it self Ice a Natural State in some Places And that the States of some Bodies which are said to be Preternatural as truly depend on Natural Causes and the Establish'd Laws of Nature as others is evident in Ice and Water In which Bodies the Forms of each depend upon the Effects of External Agents for tho' in these Hotter Climates Water is Esteem'd a Natural and Ice a Preternatural State of that Substance yet I am inform'd that in Siberia a Province belonging to a Russian Emperour Water is froze most part of the Year and at a small Depth from the Surface of the Earth the Soil is froze throughout where Ice is look'd upon to be the Natural and the Alterations made by a Thaw and the Influence of the External Temperature of the Air and the Sun Beams are esteem'd Preternatural States of Bodies And further tho' Butter in our Clime be sold in a consistent Form and when it is melted is look'd upon to be in a Preternatural State yet I am inform'd that amongst the Europeans it is fluid and is sold by Measure and not by Weight as here in England And it is further observ'd That several Substances as Rosin of Jalap Gum Lacca and even Aloes it self are considerablely softened in their Consistence by the Temperature of the Air and the Force of External Heat whilst they pass under the Torrid Zone so that I am told that the former of the aforemention'd Drugs was melted into a sort of Balsam whilst it continued in Africa but when it was brought to Spain it put on a Consistent Form again And tho' Aloes was soft whilst carry'd through America and those hotter Climates yet when it approach'd our Climate it presently became hard But to bring further Instances concerning the Natural and Preternatural States of Bodies I shall observe That according the Receiv'd Notion of Natural and Preternatural States it is very difficult to determine the Natural State of the Air for not to insist on the different Temperature of the Air as to Heat and Cold in different Climes It may be demanded Since Heat and Cold rarifie and expand the Air what is to be esteem'd the Natural State of it in Reference to Rarity and Density And it is no less Questionable what Place is most fit to determine it's Natural State since the State of it is not only different in several Countries but in those Places at different Times And that the Changes as to the Density or Rarity of the Air are very frequent appears by the several Degrees of the Atmosphere's Gravity evident in the Torrecellian Experiments hereafter to be deliver'd A forced State the Natural State of the Air. But further Except the States of the Air be said to be Preternatural only in a Relative Sense with respect to the State it was in
it becomes very violent Balbini Hist Bohem. l. 1. c. 9. Demontibus de valle Lauezka p. 29. Chanowsky in vestigio Boh. piae C. ult Montes parte eltera aestatem altera hicmem referentes De montibus ad Bavariam stantibus mira est Alberti Chanowii nostri narratio Post Bergreichensteinam oppidum fodinis hodieque nobile esse montes non tam situ alii enim ad septentrionem alii ad meridiem latus obvertunt quam Coelo temporibus adversantes vallibus latissimis montes illos dirimentibus monstri instar est quod se vidisse Anno 1639. in rem praesentem venisse religiosissimus ille Apostolicus vir asserit in altero monte saepius aestatem in altero apposito hiemem dominari it a ille succus aestivat hic altissimis nivibus obsitus à viatore superari non potest ob eamque causam Messes ipsae variant dum in montibus ad nos obversis demessa sunt omnia Id. Ibid. altera Montium parte seges virescit Mirius illud quod in Biessinentibus Czachroviensibus Agris in tractu Plsnensi contiguis quos unus tantum sulcus dirimit ac dividit deprehenditur Czachrovienses adhuc hibernant cum in Biessinensi Coelum ardeat ibi caput attollit humo frumentum cum Czachrovii adolescit in culmum clemento quoque dispari illud riget hoc tepet ferveâ— eâque ex causâ dum Czachrovienses bene pelliti ingrediuntur Biessinenses pellibus onerari se sentiunt villosque deponunt Aliquid tale Anno 1652. mihi quoque accidisse memini nam cum Glacio Zambergam in Bohemia contenderem Glacio ob nives altissimas certum vehiculi genus quod trahas dicimus sumpsissem superatis montibus qui comitatum Glacensem à Bohemia dividunt subitò alia rerum facies apparuit altero enim montium latere viridia omnia reperimus sic ut Trahae nulli jam rei usui essent currum petere cogeremur nisi in luto natare placuisset at accolae montium illorum quotannis id sibi accidere confirmabant ut unum latus montium profundissimae nives contegerent quando alterum latus lectissimos flores proferret cum ibi omnia ventis verti viderentur apud se è floribus suavissimos odores efflari I was told by a Gentleman who several times went down into the Hungarian Gold Mine at Cremonitz that when he was drawn up the Groove which was bout 100 Foot deep as soon as he ascended half the way he perceiv'd the Air sensibly warmer which continu'd several Feet nearer the Day in which Region he observ'd several Veins of Native Vitriol of different Colours which were soft under Ground and being expos'd to the open Air presently hardened Under the Torrid Zone the Mariners I am told hang up their Bottles of Liquor in a Linnen Cloth that the Wind may blow upon it by which means it would be cool'd enough to make it fit for drinking The Heat of the Sun is so violent in some Parts of Moscovy Norway and especially at Mozambique that it often sets the very Houses on fire which I the less wonder at in the latter place because they build their Houses with a Stone that abounds with Sulphur Viv. When the Sun is in the Zenith the sandy Ground is so hot that they can scarce endure to tread on it Vn Gentilhomme de mes amis plein de merit digne de creance me mande entre plusieures choses extraordinaires qu'il a observées proche de Barege aux Pyrenées qu'il y a des ponts de niege d'un rocher à lautre pardessous les quels passent des torrents Il en a vu un qui embrasse deux torrents qui a vint neuf toises de long autant de large par dessus Il y a par dessous ce pont Neuf toises demi entre les Naissances de la voute les ponts sont tellement forts qu' il estime que du Canon y passeroit il a fait rouler de grosses pieces par dessus Le tremblement de Terre que souffrit la Syrie l'an 750. ne fut gueres moins surprenant puisque la Terre s'estant ouverte de toutes parts plusieurs Villis furent abîmèes d'autres renversées quelques unes qui estoient elevées sur des hauteures transportées dans des plaines eloignées de six mille de leur situation On en peut dire autant du froid extreme qui l'an 753. glaça le Pont-Euxin a la longueur de cent mille toute l'estendue de la mer voisine jusq ' à 30 condées de profondeur quoy qu'on ne fût encore qu'au commencement de l'automne Journal de Scavans III. 1685. It is the Custom at Guinea to cool their Water by burying it all Night under Ground And on the contrary in some Places it is so excessive Cold that in the Woods it would freeze our Eye-lids the outside of the Houses would be half cover'd with Snow and Ice-ickles would hang on the Insides the Cloaths on our Beds would be cover'd with a hoar Frost and Water which stood near the fire would have one side hot and the other froze The Sea would be froze up till the beginning of June and the Ground till the beginning of July Capt. James I was told by one who ascended to the Top of the Pic de Medi a Pyrenean Mountain that tho' the North side was covere'd with Snow yet the Heat of the Sun-shine could scarce be endur'd on the South side this Hill is so high that it may be seen from Montauban 27 Leagues distant An Ingenious Physician told me that tho' Jalap at Tangier might be reduced to Powder yet at Morocco it was so melted by the Heat of the Air as to become incapable of being powdered Nel capo di comorino si termina cosi I' esta come I' inverno dalla parte di la dal capo verso Notte dal'altra parte correspond illi â—â—mpo assai contrario è eiverso di maniera che chi va navigando per quella costae nel mese di Ottobre sino ad Aprile naviga nel esta è non puo in tutto questo tempo passare il capo per Esser iui la stagione del inverno il Puere che resiede nelle Chies ch' appartengono al Capo di Comorino ne Alcune la state il che e cosa di gran Meraviglia essendo cio nel medessimo tempo nella distanza sola mente di due o tre miglia An eminent Virtuoso descended into a Mine in Tirol 1800 Foot deep without taking notice of any hot Region by the way and at the Bottom the Air was so temperate that notwithstanding what is said of Antiperistasis no intense Cold was retreated thither to shun the Heat of the superior Air. One that descended into several Mines in England
Snow TO discover what Liquors Ice would be soonest dissolved in we contrived to freeze Water in a long Cylinder which being loosen'd by applying a warm Hand we divided some into Pieces ¼ of an Inch long and others into Inches and our Experiments being made with these Cylindrical Pieces of Ice In the first Tryal 1. In Oyl of Vitriol a Cylindrical Piece of Ice of an Inch in length lasted 5 Minutes 2. In Spirit of Wine 12 Minutes 3. In Aqua fortis 12 ½ 4. In Water 12 Minutes 5. In Oyl of Turpentine about 44 Minutes 6. In Air 64 Minutes The second Tryal 1. In Oyl of Vitriol an Inch of Cylindrical Ice lasted undissolv'd 3 Minutes 2. In Spirit of Wine 13 Minutes 3. In Water 26 Minutes 4. In Oyl of Turpentine 47 Minutes 5. In Sallet-Oyl 52 Minutes 6. In Air 152 Minutes 2. We likewise thought it worth while to try what difference there would be in the Duration of Pieces of Ice of the same Bulk and Figure but of different Liquors as also whether Attrition would contribute to the Dissolution of Ice which Iobserv'd it did Whence it appears That as the Agents contiguous to Ice are different they dissolve it's Texture sooner or later and if Snow or Ice be kept in a Place where neither the Sun nor the Air hath much Influence upon it it will continue a long time An Appendix to the XVI Title 1. In confirmation of what was said in the Close of this Title I shall add the following Account of the Italian Conservatories sent me by my ingenious Friend Mr. J. Evelyn The Snow-Pits in Italy c. are sunk in the most solitary and cooled Places commonly at the Foot of some Mountain or elevated Ground which may best protect them from the Meridional or Occidental Sun 25 Foot wide at the Orifice and about 50 deep is esteemed a competent Proportion And though this be excavated in a Conical Form yet it is made flat at the Bottom or Point The Sides of the Pit are so joyced that Boards may be nailed upon them very closely jointed About a Yard from the Bottom is fixed a strong Frame or Tresle upon which lyes a wooden Grate the Top or Cover is double thatch'd with Reed or Straw upon a copped Frame or Roof in one of the sides whereof is a narrow Door-case hipped on like the Top of the Dormer and thatched To Conserve Snow They lay clean Straw upon the Grate or Wattle so as to keep the Snow from running through whilst they beat it to a hard Cake of an icy Consistence which is near one Foot thick upon this they make a layer of Straw and then Snow and Straw again and continue S.S.S. 'till the Pit is full and then laying Straw or Reeds upon all they keep the Door locked This Grate is so contrived that the Snow melting by any Accident in laying or extraordinary Season of Weather it may drain away from the Mass and sink without stagnating upon it which would accelerate the Dissolution and therefore the Bottom is but very slightly steened c. 2. And it hath been observ'd by the Dutch-Men in their Voyage to Nova Zembla That in June the Sun was not powerful enough to melt Snow And even in warmer Climates where the Reflection of the Sun-beams is not so considerable Snow continues unthawed all Summer as upon the Top of the Alps and other high Mountains And Capt. James observes that in August Ice that was kept in the Sun-beams continued unmelted 8 Days or more and the same Author observes that the very Ground was frozen in June TITLE XVII Considerations and Experiments concerning the Primum frigidum Of the Primum Frigidum 1. THO several Sects of Philosophers have disputed about a Primum Frigidum some contending for Earth others Water others Air and another Sect for Nitre yet I am apt to believe That there is no such thing as a Primum Frigidum or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which that Quality principally resides and from whence all other Bodies derive theirs no more than that there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Principle subject of Residence for any other Quality For if an intense Degree of Motion amongst the minute Parts of a Body be sufficient to give it the Quality of Heat it may be enough to render a Body cold that that Motion is diminished upon a removal of its Cause so that it may be doubted whether Cold be a positive or a privative Quality The Earth not the Primum Frigidum 2. Indeed Plutarch supposes the Earth to be the Summum Frigidum But we daily see That it is froze by the contiguous Air communicating Cold to it and by the Interposition of another Body may easily be preserved from that So the Salt-Works upon the Marshes of the Island Xaintonge in France are preserved from the Dammage the Frost would do them by letting in Water by Sluces to overflow them Besides were the Earth the Summum Frigidum it might justly be wonder'd why it congeals not the Water contiguous to it sooner than Hail or Snow in the Air Since Terrene Parts of Matter cannot be brought thither without some Cause able to elevate them and perhaps to alter the Qualities of them Not to mention those Vulcano's which argue the Earth to abound with Subterraneal Fires and that in several Places where there are no such Vulcano's as in deep Mines those that work there find it very hot and troublesome And in deep Wells it is observ'd that the Water is so far from being froze that it comes up reaking hot which cannot be supposed to proceed from the Beams of the Sun since it hath been observ'd by Monsieur de Claves Livre 11. Chap. 8. That in the Southern Countries the Heat of the Sun penetrates not above six or seven Foot deep And the subterraneal Parts are so far from being extremely Cold That it is observ'd by Miners That the lower they dig the more Vapours exhalations and Heat they find And Jo. Baptista Morinus witnesses That in Mines in Hungary four hundred fathom deep after the descent of 80 fathom it is always hot but whether these may proceed from Subterraneal Fires or a Mixture of other Bodies I shall not determine since I have seen Bodies actually Cold mix'd together produce Heat And I am told That in some Parts of England they dig up a Mineral which upon a Addition of Water only becomes Hot and for a like reason perhaps those Heats in the Hungarian Mines may be caused For that Mineral Steams ascend is evident since they have been observ'd in a Perpendicular Groave not only to stink◠but by their Corrosive Qualities to corrode the wooden Ladders And Morinus himself tells us That descending into the Golden Mines at Cremnitz the Heat increased extremely as he descended which they attributed to a Mine of Smaragdine Vitriol which lay under it of which kind of Vitriol there is some even in the Cold
Pestilential Steams in the Air for a considerable time before they are dispos'd to affect other Men and that those Constitutions should be so dispos'd to be work'd upon by Effluvia by others not in the least discern'd And that there are such Bodies as well as unheeded Effluvia may be evinc'd by several Instances as one which was remarkable in the Year 1665 in which a certain Man three Months before the beginning of the Plague was taken with a Swelling in his Groin which he had likewise as a Forerunner to several other Plagues And Fabritius Hildanus relates a Story no less remarkable of himself who when in his Youth he had had the Plague could never pass any House infected with it without a sensible Pain in that Part. To which may be added a third Instance from that Curious Physician who observ'd the various Phaenomena of Distempers at the Siege of Breda and says Annotandum hic meritò Naturae Facultatem ad Pestis Praeservationem Momenti esse maximi Observavi in meipso contaminatos invisente statim inguina olere vel axillas afficiebatur aliquando Caput noctu inde Sudor secessus tres quatuorve hoc aliis accidit qui fideliter mihi retulerunt And these Testimonies I am rather inclin'd to depend on because deliver'd by Men of Judgment and Credit Another Suspicion which I am about to relate A Third is That the Laws of Nature which contribute to the producing of several Phaenomena are not only of larger Extent than what we are us'd to imagin but likewise concur to the Production of a greater Variety of Effects For not to spend much time in observing That several Industrious Astrologers and Geographers have instead of Physical given us Mathematical Hypotheses having taken pains to describe the Situations and Motions of the fixed Stars and Planets and likewise that they have been Industrious in discovering the four little Planets which move about Jupiter as also the little Moon which runs about Saturn as well as several Phaenomena relating to Comets without considering the Frame and Constitution of those Bodies which compose our Globe I conceive it not impossible to make it out That there is a Commerce betwixt them and our Globe as well as several Laws or Customs of Nature even in our own Globe not taken notice of by Scholastical and Mathematical Writers The Fourth And I am not without Reason induc'd to suspect That this Globe of ours hath undergone several considerable Changes not only in several Countries but the internal Parts of it That which is call'd the Mariners Compass having been in several Places observ'd to vary considerably in its Declension from the true North Pole as for Instance about London in the Year 1580 it declin'd eleven Degrees in 1612 about six and in the Year 1633 about four Degrees And I have my self at one time observ'd little or no Declension whereas at another I observ'd it to decline near half a Degree And I am inform'd by one who often observ'd the Variation of the Compass at the Cape of good Hope that when he was a young Man he observ'd it to decline two Degrees Westward whereas of late he found the Variation to be six Degrees and about forty eight Minutes so that by his Observation it had vary'd little less than five Degrees in the times he hath sayl'd past that Place From whence we may have Reason to think That there are certain Agents very powerful tho' not to be taken notice of which may work several and very considerable Changes even in the Terrestrial Globe it self which whether regulated by any certain Laws of Nature we know not And besides these there are several other unheeded Phaenomena which we have troubled our selves very little to consider about as the different Weight of our Atmosphere and the Causes of that Difference we having only noted that they proceed from some subterraneal Effluviums mix'd with the Air but what other Effects those Effluviums may have upon other Bodies hath been scarce discover'd Considerable Variations in the Temper of Climates And it is not a little strange what Monsieur de Rochfort relates concerning those Hurricanes observ'd in the American Islands for whereas for a long time they were observ'd to come but once in seven Years yet in a short time they grew so frequent as to return two or three times in the same Year And I have been inform'd by an Ingenious Gentleman that having liv'd in New England he observ'd a considerable Alteration in the Temper of that Climate it being much less cold and more temperate than formerly And Mr. W. Wood in his Prospect of New England takes notice of no inconsiderable Alteration who says That since the English Inhabitants settl'd there the Showers of Rain are much more moderate though more frequent An Observation concerning Manna And the Learned Magnenus observes in his Tract de Manna That about three hundred Years ago there was no Manna to be found in Cenotria and it is not above two Ages since Manna hath been found in Calabria a Country so famous for it And the Ingenious French Writer in his History des Isles Antilles Lib. 4. Cap. 6. says That if the Juice of a Fruit call'd Acajou falls upon a Cloth it presently stains it red which continues till the Tree bears Flowers again which Phaenomenon will be the more to our Purpose if it may be doubted whether it proceeded from the Temper of the Air or Length of Time Another Suspicion But besides these Phaenomena when I observe the exact time that the ebbing and flowing of the Sea keeps and how exactly coincident with the New and Full Moon Spring-Tides happen as also what vast Spring-Tides are constantly observ'd every Equinox together with those various Phaenomena which may be observ'd in Sea-Water which in some Places and upon the blowing of some Winds appears to be luminous whereas other Parts are at the same time neither luminous nor in the least affected so as to become luminous by those Winds at any other time I am very apt to believe That these Phaenomena proceeded from some Cosmical Law of Nature or that the Planetary Vortex was not a little concern'd in producing these Effects Another Suspicion And I am not unapt to believe but that all those Distempers which are either Endemic or Epidemic proceed from a certain Influence which those Globes which move about us may have together with some Terrestrial Effluvia which are different in several Countries But not to engage in so fertile a Discourse as the Phaenomena which every particular Region affords I shall only add two Suspicions more which may be further Instances of the Established Laws and Customs of Nature A very considerable Phaenomenon relating to the Sun And first it is a Question whether those Planets which move about our Globe keep such constant Bounds in their Motion and move in such Lines as Astrologers teach they do And if
The Canary Birds build in the Barrancos of Gills Birds which the Water hath fretted away in the Mountains places very cold They have also Quails and Partridges less than ours great Wood Pigeons Turtles at Spring Crows and sometimes the Falcon appears from the Coast of Barbary They have Goats on the Mountains Beasts c. and also Hogs and Conies but their Camels come from Lancerote Amongst their Fish are the following viz. The Cherna Fish a large well-tasted Fish The Mero Dolphin Shark Lobsters Mussels Periwinkles and the Clacas the best Fish in the World which grow in the Rocks 5 or 6 under a Shell through the Top of which they peep with their Nebs They have likewise a Fish with 7 Tails each of which is a Span long united to a short Body and much resembling our Eel They have besides these Turtles and Cabridos preferable before our Trouts The Island is full of Springs of pure Water like Milk Springs which in Laguna they strain through a Bason made of a Spungy Stone Their Vines are very plentiful Vines Customs of the Inhaâ—…ants Dr. Pugh who had done some charitable Cures amongst the Antient Inhabitants called Guanchios was permitted to visit the Caves where the dead Bodies lie which are sew'd up in Goats Skins very curiously and close with Thongs of the same which are more soft and pliable than our Kid's Skins The Preserving of Bodies thus by Embalming them was a Custom of a Particular Tribe of Men who marri'd only amongst themselves and kept their Art of Embalming to themselves so that upon the Conquest of the Spaniards most of them being destroy'd the Knowledge they retain of the Ingredients is by Tradition which is that Of the Embalming of Bodies They boil in Butter of Goats Milk which for that Purpose is preserv'd in the Skins 1st A sort of Wild Lavender 2ly A Gummy Herb call'd Gara which grows on the Mountains 3ly A kind of Sow-Bread 4ly A Wild Sage of which they make a Balsam and when their Bodies are Embowel'd and several times wash'd in a Lixivium of the Bark of Pine-Trees and dry'd again either in the Sun in Summer or in a Stove in Winter they then several times successively anoint them with the Balsam and dry them again till they grow light and the musculous Parts appear through the shrievel'd Skin and then they sew them up in Goats Skins curiously dress'd but the Poorer sort having their Brains taken out are sew'd up in Skins which have the Hair on They have above 20 whole Families of their Kings and great Persons which they will not discover They are laid in several Postures and some of them being laid along on Beds of Wood so harden'd that Iron will not cut them They also have Earthen Pots so harden'd which they boil their Meat in They make their Knives and Lancets of a kind of Slate call'd Tabona Their Food Their Food is Barly roasted and ground betwixt two Stones which they make into Cakes with Milk and Hony and carry it on their Backs in Goats Skins They drink no Wine nor do they care for Flesh But are Lean Tall very Active and Couragious They will leap from one Rock to another Activity sometimes Ten Fathom deep Having a Lance which they point at the Place which they design to light on and then when they leap they clap their Feet to the Lance which Lance lighting on the Rock first takes off the Violence of their Fall Novices often break their Necks in learning They whistle so loud they may be heard 5 Miles and it so affected the Relator's Ears who was in Company with one of them that he could not hear well of 15 Days after Besides they throw Stones with as much Force as a Bullet goes out of a Gun But to return to Mount Teneriff by one that went to the Top it was observ'd that no Snow was on the South side and tho' it was on the North side yet it was not within two Miles of the lowest part of the Sugar-Loaf He likewise observ'd that tho' the Sack which they drank at the Top was exceeding cold and seem'd to have no Effect on them yet when they came into a thicker Air two of the Company were drunk Having try'd to fire a Birding-Piece upon the Top of the Mountain he could not the Company that gave the former Relation say they did The sulphureous Matter they travell'd over was so hot that it burnt two or three pair of Pumps in pieces in the Journey tho' their Feet were not sensibly more hot than at other times In some Regions of the same Mountains it was very hot and on the other side of the same very cold Queries To what Depth the Water will be frozen in hard Winters To what Depth the Earth will be froze at the same time Whether Muscovian Ice be harder than that in England Whether Liquor cast up will freeze before it comes to the Ground Whether Brandy Sack c. will freeze in Russia Whether Instruments of Iron or Steel be britler there than here Of the cracking of Timber and the Causes of it in Wooden Houses Of the Preservation of Flesh Fish Herbs c. in hard Weather Of the curing of those whose Nose or Cheeks c. are frozen Of the Symptoms of those that are froze to death Of the keeping of dead Bodies TITTLE XX. Of the Air in Reference to Light it 's Perspicuity Opacity Reflections Refractions Colours Light and Lightnings Of the Air in reference to Light ctc. I Am told by a Traveller that on the Coast of Genoua from a high Place he could see Places remote in a Morning tho' not when the Sun was near the Meridian The late King Charles the Second told me that walking upon the Beack on the Strand by Dover he unexpectedly discern'd a Coast which had rising and falling Ground upon the Virge of the Horizon and the same was observ'd by the Courtiers that stood by him but in a little time it disappear'd again as if it had sunk into the Sea which Phaenomenon I attributed to this viz. That that Coast lying but a little too far off to be seen before the Air interpos'd betwixt His Majesty's Eye and the Shoar being fill'd with Vapours and subterraneal Steams was render'd more refractive than before by the help of which new Refraction the French Coast which lay beyond it was as if it were lifted up in reference to the sight and so became visible as long as that new Refraction lasted but when those Steams were dissipated they presently disappear'd In favour of which Conjecture I alledg'd that a piece of Gold being laid in the Bottom of a Cup and the Eye so plac'd that the Object is but just hid from it upon pouring in Water the Object will without removing the Eye become visible The Surface of the Water which is a thicker Medium than the Air refracting the Rays and
except their peculiar Texture would render them more capable of being worked on by the Rays of Light than other Bodies otherwise softer than they But whatever is the Cause why the Beams of Light are very sparingly reflected from Opacous Bodies that that is the Reason of Blackness will be rendred probable if we take notice that if a black Substance be held partly in the Sun-shine and partly out that Part will appear Blackest which is least Shone upon and if the rough Surface of a black Marble be well Polish'd and brought to the Form of a Concave Speculum it will represent the Image of the Sun without dazling the Eyes and will not in a long time set Wood on Fire tho' a less Speculum of Matter of a more reflecting Nature would cause it to Flame in a Trice And to this I shall add that having set a white and a black Marble Mortar in the Sun the Black one collected the Rays of the Sun so as to form a Focus much more conspicuous and hot than the other by which they were more dispers'd and reflected a glaring Light And the Beams of a Candle being cast upon two Pieces of Marble through a round Hole half an Inch Diameter the Circle of Light on the Black one tho much less Luminous was better Defin'd And for a further Confirmation of our Hypothesis I shall add that when the Rays of Light fall on the Holes in linnen Cloth or the Mouth of a Well those Parts are much Darker the Beams of Light being not reflected back upon the Eye And even black Velvet being stroak'd up and down seem'd much Blacker one way than the other the silken Piles when inclin'd reflecting a greater Number of Rays to the Eye than the Tops of them were able to do which make but a small Part of the Superficies And I have observ'd that a Cart-load of Carrots appear'd much more Dark when the Ends of them were towards me than when a greater Number of Rays were reflected to the Eye by the sides of them And in a dark Room it is observ'd that if the Light falls upon a black Cloth the reflection from it is not near so sensible as if a White one be employ'd And I have observ'd that a Piece of Tile being partly colour'd Black and partly White the Red was much hotter than the White tho' not so hot as the Black Part And it hath been observ'd in Italy that black Marbles expos'd to the Sun were much hotter than White ones tho' it is observ'd that the black Marble is much more solid than White And it is further observ'd that Rooms hung with Black are much warmer than others so that a Lady who was of a Tender Constitution was us'd to complain that she was apt to take Cold after she had visited Persons whose Rooms where hung with Black And I am told that in hot Countries Eggs colour'd Black and expos'd to the Sun would be roasted by it And I have observ'd them in England to acquire a considerable Degree of Heat by being expos'd to the Sun in the Summer-time Blacken'd over And not only the blind Dutch-man but as Bartholinus says a blind Earl of Mansfield could distinguish White from Black by the Roughness of the latter And for these Reasons I am the rather inclin'd to believe the Doctrine propos'd leaving it to be determin'd by experience whether the Beams of Light be reflected from opacous Bodies and so differently modified before they reach the Eye or whether from white Bodies they are not mov'd more briskly CHAP. VI. Experiments in Consort concerning Whitness ond Blackness EXPERIMENT I. Several Experiments concerning Whitness Blackness TO shew that the Colours of two diaphanous Liquors may be destroy'd by a Change of Texture Satiate warm Water with Sublimate and having filtered it through Cap-paper to render it clear and limpid if a few drops of Spirit of Urine be drop'd into two Spoonsful of it the mixture will immediately become White yet by an addition of Aqua fortis it will again become Transparent and will become White again with Spirit of Urine and the like hath succeeded in other Experiments as well as of these EXPERIMENT II. IF a Solution of Vitriol be shaken with an Infusion of Galls diluted with Water it will turn it Black but by an addition of a few drops of Oyl of Vitriol it will presently lay down it's dark Colour and become Transparent but upon an addition of Salt of Tartar dissolv'd it will again acquire a Blackness and tho' this Ink be pale yet when Dry it is very Black The like succeeded with common Ink but not so easily the Operation of the Salts being hindred by the Gum. And here I shall take Notice that tho it be generally allow'd that alkalizate Salts will not precipitate Bodies except first dissolv'd in some Acid Menstruum Yet I have try'd that a Lixivium of Pot-ashes being pour'd upon Decoctions of Vegetables would precipitate a curdled Matter which would be left behind in the Filtre And in making the first Ink several Particles of black Matter would be seperated by a Filtre and when the Ink was made Clear again by the Oyl of Vitriol the Salt of Tarter seem'd to precipitate and to unite those Particles of Matter which were dissolv'd by the corrosive Oyl And to shew that Galls are not so requisite to the making of Ink as they are generally suppos'd I added a few Drops of a Solution of Vitriol to a Decoction of Rose Leaves upon which it turn'd black and changed that Colour for a deep Red when Aqua Fortis was added to it which was reduc'd to a Black again by Spirit of Urine And tho' upon a Mixture of Liquors mention'd in the Second Chapter of this History of Colours a black Colour immediately emerges yet both the Infusion of Orpiment and a Solution of Minium were before they were mix'd limpid and Colourses EXPERIMENT III. THE Caput Mortuum of white Harts-horn distill'd in a Retort will be black which that it depends on the change of it's Texture only is evident since the same happens if it be distill'd in Glass Vessels Yet by Calcination in open Vessels it will regain it's pristine Whiteness Ivory burnt yields a curious black and so does the burnt Caput Mortuum of Tartar but if it be throughly calcin'd it will be white So white Woods as Hazel will yield a black Charcoal and whitish Ashes and even Animal Substances grow black by being burnt and white when perfectly calcin'd EXPERIMENT IV. THO' it be held as a Maxim by some Philosophers and most Chymists viz. Adusta nigra sed perusta alba yet I have try'd that Alabaster burnt yields a Yellow and Lead calcin'd forms a red Minium which urg'd further by the fire turns to a Glass darker than Minium So likewise white Calx of Antimony yields a Glass of a red Colour deeper than the Calx of burnt Antimony And tho' common Glass of Antimony adulterated
again when the internal Air was rarified within half an Inch of the top and then the Apex being sealed up it was placed in Snow and Salt yet the Air in the top had it's Spring so weakened by refrigeration that it was not able to depress the Water tho' as soon as the Apex was broke off it subsided several Inches the external Air pressing upon it The Experiment being a third time reiterated with 3 ½ of Air in the Pipe when the Water in the Vial was in some measure froze it was able to expand it self a little But when the Apex was broke off the External Air depressed the Surface of the Water two Inches but being removed into a warm Room it ascended above an Inch higher than the uppermost Level Having put so much Water into a Vessel See Plate 1. Fig. 6. Such as Plate 1. Fig. 6. Delineates as was able to fill almost the whole Tube we caused a Mixture of Snow and Salt to be placed about the Ball of it yet we perceived not the Water in the least to rise but if at all it might well be ascribed to the the Intumescence of some airy Parts lodged in the Pores of the Water But the Apex of the Tube being broke off under Water the External Air forced the Water several Inches up into the Cavity of the Pipe Another Experiment we made with the following Vessel See Plate 1. Fig. 7 the Stem of this being no thicker than a Raven's Quill tho' several Inches long See Plate 1. Fig. 7. and the Ball being about as big as a Nutmeg we dropped a few drops of Water into the Stem which being suspended there betrayed very slight changes in the Rarefaction or Condensation of the internal Air. Watching therefore when the Air within had raised the Bubble up to the top of the Stem we immediately sealed it up and observed That tho' the sealed Glass was placed in a Mixture of Snow and Salt the Bubble did not in the least subside But if the Apex of the Stem was broke off the Bubble of Water would be sometimes depressed so low as to fall into the Ball of the Weather-glass And what was further remarkable was That when the Liquor was descending if the end of the Tube was sealed up the Water would immediately stop at the place it rested at when the Pressure of the Atmosphere was taken off Where it would continue till the Stem was broke open again and then the Water would be further depressed as the weight of the Atmosphere was able to over-power the Resistance made by the internal Air. Having made use of such a Vessel as Fig. 7. Plate 1. represents and conveyed a pretty Quantity of Water into both the Legs See Plate 1. Fig. 7. we sealed up the end of the bent Stem leaving so much Air above it as we thought convenient Which being done we placed the Ball of it in a frame in which the Tube hanging down we could cover the round Ball with Snow and Salt Upon which the Air in the Stem was able to expand it self so far that the Water in the longer Leg was raised the length of a Barly-corn higher than before and depressed as much in the other But when the end of the Stem was broke open the Water was raised 2 ¼ Inches in the longer Leg and depressed so low in the shorter that several Bubbles rose into the Cavity of the Ball. In which Experiment it cannot be supposed That the weight of the Water in the shorter Leg could be able to raise the Water in the other except by Virtue of it's Spring which being but small answerable to the Quantity of of it it cannot be expected that it should have any considerable Effect upon the Air in the other Leg tho' it's Spring were in some measure weakened by Cold. An Explication of the Figures in the first Plate Fig. 1. p. 12. A. The Ball or Egg. B C. The Stem D. The little Aqueous Cylinder Fig. 2. The open Weather-glass mentioned p. 16 22. Fig. 3. The Sealed Weather-glass or Thermoscope mentioned p. 16. Fig. 4. The Barometer or Mercurial Standard placed in a Frame B B. mentioned p. 17. Fig. 5. An Instrument mentioned p. 34. A. The Vial. B C. The Pipe cemented into the neck of the Vial open at C and sealed at B. Fig. 6. p. 35. A. The Bolt-head B. The small Stem B C. The Cylinder of Water enclosed Fig. 7. p. 36. CHAP. V. The Experimental History of Cold begun TITLE I. Experiments concerning Bodies capable of Freezing others BEfore we proceed to the natural History of Cold it perhaps may be necessary to consider what Bodies are capable of retaining such Qualities and what are not but that being a consideration not so necessary to our present purpose which is only to set down what Observations we have made in Bodies subject to be froze I shall only in short take notice That most Bodies except fire are susceptible of actual Cold and it is a Question whether even that be not rather a state of Matter in such a peculiar motion than a distinct and particular species of Natural Bodies since even Gun-powder and Spirit of Wine before they are set on fire by some other Body are actually Cold. But to proceed to what Observations relate to our Title Experiments of Bodies capable of freezing others 1. Bodies cold enough to freeze others are very few here in England Snow and Salt mixed being most remarkable which cool the Liquor contained in those Vessels which are closed up in such mixtures 2. Snow alone would not freeze Water as a Mixture of it and Salt does and tho' Water poured betwixt the Interstices of Snow or Ice freezes yet there is a great disparity betwixt exposing it to the Air and keeping it up in Vessels and tho' it is froze when covered with Snow in a Bottle all night yet that may proceed from the Coldness of the Air as well as the influence of the Snow 3. If Nitre Allum Vitriol Sal-Armoniack or Sugar be mixed in due Proportion with Snow they will enable it to freeze tho' not so intensely as common Salt 4. Spirit of Salt being shaken together with Snow in the Vials they caused a Dew which was gathered on the outside the Glass to be froze tho' the Mixture within was not and Oyl of Vitriol mixed with Snow in a thin Vial had the same Effect only more intensely 5. But not only these Acid Spirits had these Effects on the moisture of the Air condensed on the outside the Glasses but likewise Spirit of Nitre Spirit of Vinegar and Spirit of Sugar the former of these three being very powerfull tho' the latter were not so strongly frigorifick 6. Spirit of Urine mixed with Snow in a Vial froze the External moisture weakly but Spirit of Sal-Armoniack drawn from Quick-lime did it powerfully 7. Spirit of Urine and Oyl of Vitriol poured upon Snow froze moderately 8. Sal Gem with a
sublimate made with common sublimate and Sal-Armoniack nay and with both loaf and Kitchin-Sugar as likewise a strong solution of Pot-ashes mixed with Snow did freeze tho' very faintly And both a Solution of Salt of Tartar and Pot-ashes Agitated with Snow in a small Vial produced Filmes of Ice on the outside the Glass tho' very thin ones 9. A sweet Solution of Minium in Spirit of Vinegar mixed with Snow excited the frigorifick Quality of it yet some of that Solution being enclosed in Snow and Salt would not be froze by them Snow shut up alone thawed much more slowly than that which was mixed with Salts or Spirits No Salts will promote the frigorifick Quality of Snow so far as to enable it to freeze which quicken not it's Dissolution Neither Chrystals of Tartar nor Borax both beaten to powder nor Sublimate would enable Snow to freeze as well as the Powder of each lying undissolved in it 10. Water of Quick-lime being twice tryed would not freeze but only gather a dew on the outside yet the Liquor being kept up 12 Months the Spirits with which those Waters abound flew away 11. Oyl of Turpentine in which Ice dissolves slower than in several other Liquors enables not Snow to freeze Tho' Spirit of Wine shut up with Snow in a Bottle enabled it to freeze powerfully and to Chrystalize even Urine it self which might be taken off in Scales 12. Spirit of Nitre and Snow being mixed together in a just Proportion froze very powerfully and speedily not only Water but Spirit of Vinegar and weak Spirit of Salt the first of which retained it's taste when froze and the latter shot into Chrystals which lay across each other A Solution of Sal-Armoniack partly evaporated would shoot into Chrystals like combs and feathers and Sal-Armoniack distill'd from Quick-lime would shoot into Branches almost like those so nimbly that one's Eye might discern them to spread and increase The like Experiments being tryed with Wine and strong Ale succeeded but very faintly 13. Since Bodies generally help Snow to freeze which hasten it's dissolution we threw into a Vial which contained Snow heated Sand which enabled it to cause a Dew but not to freeze And warm Water poured into another when it had been shaken produced a considerable degree of Cold and gathered Dew but froze it not 14. Tho' it is generally believed That the Hoar-froast on Glass-windows is only exsudations through the Pores of the Glass and froze by the External Cold yet it will easily appear That it is rather on the inside the Glass the Steams which rove up and down the Room being condensed by the External Cold and froze 15. To shew That the Ice which appears on the outside of the Vial in the fore-going Experiments proceeds not from any subtil Parts of the Mixture penetrating the Pores of the Glass and settling on the outside we found that four Ounces and ¼ of the Mixture of Ice and Salt being shut up in a Vial by the access of Dew on the outside the weight of it was increased 12 Grains Another Vial which contained two Ounces six Drams and a half increased in weight 4 Grains the Vial being unsealed under Water it sucked in a good quantity of it Six ounces Snow and Salt being sealed up in a Glass the Hoar-Frost was wiped off but returned again and the Vial being counterpoised in a pair of Scales the Vapours condensed by the coldness of it in the time that the Snow was melting weighed 10 Grains A like quantity of Snow and Spirit of Wine being shut up in a single Vial the outside was presently cover'd with Ice and in all it became 7 Grains heavier than before Another time a mixture of Snow and Salt which weighed 3 ¾ ounces afforded 18 grains of condensed Vapours And a mixture of Snow and Sal-Gem which counterpoised 3 ounces and 70 grains upon an additional weight of condensed Vapours weighed 20 grains more than before TITLE II. Experiments and Observations concerning Bodies disposed to be Frozen Of Bodies disposed to be frozen WIthout any more than barely intimating that there are several Bodies disposed to be froze by one degree of Cold that are not with another I shall observe 1. That in very cold snowy Weather Water Urine Beer Ale Milk Vinegar French and Rhenish Wine were either totally or partly turned into Ice But besides these more obvious Instances we froze a Solution of Sugar and another of Gum Arabick in Water a Solution of Allum Nitre and Vinegar froze without affording any considerable Phaenomena A Solution of Vitriol was in part froze and in part unfroze that which was froze being not much different in colour from Water but the unfroze part was of a very high Vitriol-colour 2. Spirit of Urine and Spirit of Vinegar exposed to an intense Fire both of them froze 3. A drachm of Salt of Pot-ashes being dissolv'd in two ounces of Water presently froze in an intense Cold and Oyl of Tartar per deliquium or at least a Solution of the fixed Salt of Tartar was congeal'd in a mixture of Snow and Salt Appendix to the II. Title Oyl becomes much more hard in Muscovy than here in England in the most excessive Cold but will in neither be turn'd into perfect Ice And Captain James speaking of an Island where he and his Men were forced to Winter Pag. 58 says All our Sack Vinegar Oyl and every Thing else that was liquid was now frozen as hard as a piece of Wood and we must cut it with a Hatchet And Olaus Magnus Gent. Sept. Hist l. 11. c. 24 says speaking of the Fights wont to be made on the Ice in the Northern Regions Glacialis congressus fit in Laneis calcibus non pellibus aut coriis unctis Vis enim frigoris quodcunque fit unctuosum convertit in Lubricitatem glacialem There being a great similitude betwixt Spirit of Wine and Oyl in respect of their inflammability and being dispos'd to mix with oily Bodies and as great an aptitude in the Spirit of Wine to mix with other Liquors I enquir'd of the Russian Emperor's Physician what alterations he had observ'd to be produc'd by Cold in Muscovy To which he answer'd That Aniseed and other weak Spirits would be turned into an imperfect kind of Ice and that strong ones would turn Ice into a kind of Substance like Oyl Particulars referrable to the II. Title 1 In a very hard Frost in December a Solution of Minium near the Fire seem'd to be froze tho' it was made with Spirit of Vinegar and so strong that part of it was shot into Saccharum Saturni Some at the top which was yellow did not freeze tho' poured out 2. A Solution of Gold made with Salts was likewise froze As also a Pint-vial full of the Tincture of Lignum Nephriticum which being froze the Ice had no such colour as the Tincture 3. It is reported That in Russia Brandy will freeze but the Ice of it is
not so hard as common Ice And I am inform'd that in Moscow the Spirit of Wine would freeze leaving some dissolv'd in the middle which was much stronger than ordinary Brandy And I am told that in Russia it is usual to have Wine froze French Brandy being exposed to the Air in Russia froze and Sallet-oyl become as hard as Tallow but Water at the same time did not freeze TITLE III. Experiments touching Bodies indisposed to be frozen Bodies not disposed to freeze 1. THE subtil parts of several Bodies being brought over by distillation would not freeze by such an application of Snow and Salt as froze other Bodies Of this sort were Aqua-fortis Spirit of Nitre of Salt Oyl of Turpentine and almost all the Chymical Oyls we had then in possession Spirit of Wine and of other fermented Liquors and Sack if good would scarce freeze but the inflammable Part being spent by burning it would easily freeze 2. Two drachms of Salt of Pot-ashes being dissolv'd in an ounce of Water the mixture would not freeze tho' the outside of the Vessel was cover'd with Ice At another time a strong Solution of Salt of Tartar would not freeze tho' at the same time Salt of Pot-ashes being dissolv'd did 3. That common expressed Oyls of Vegetables will freeze after their manner and curdle in cold Weather is commonly observed yet Train-oyl which is usually made of the Fat of Whales by the help of Fire continued fluid in Weather that was very sharp but in an excessive cold night it lost its fluidity which seems to disfavour what Olaus Magnus writes who says That in the Northern Regions it is usual to cast Train-oyl upon the Water in their Ditches to keep the Water from freezing and thereby unpassable the Oyl as he says not being subject to congele with Cold but it may be worth while to enquire Whether the Train-Oyl he speaks of be the same as is used by the Swedes Laplanders and Muscovites and whether they have a different way in keeping of it or not 4. Tho' a Solution of Sugar would freeze yet a strong Solution of Sugar of Lead would not in a mixture of Snow and Salt which is remarkable since the Spirit of Vinegar it self would freeze Besides there must needs be some Water in the Solution and the Sugar being but a Vitriol of Lead it is not a little strange that it should not freeze as well as common Vitriol tho' in this latter concrete Metal be corroded by a Spirit which if we may judge by the Liquor afforded in Distillation is very much sharper and stronger than Spirit of Vinegar 5. Quick-silver would not freeze in the sharpest Air tho' expos'd to it in very thin Glasses and in such a manner that a little quantity of it made a large Surface 6. A very sharp Frost was not able to freeze a strong Brine tho' at the same time other saline Solutions were congeal'd But a Solution consisting of twenty Parts of Water and one of Salt was froze in a very sharp Night the Ice swimming at the top in Figures almost like Broom spreading from the surface of the Water downwards The Salt dissolv'd in this Water is double the proportion of that which is usually in Sea-water I thawed Ice of Salt-water to try whether the dissolved Ice would be fresh or not but it retain'd a little brackishness which I suppose it receiv'd from the contiguous Brine tho' I am inform'd That in Amsterdam they make use of thaw'd Ice instead of common fresh Water in Brewing And Bartholinus de usu Nivis Cap. 6. p. 42. says De Glacie ex marina aqua certum est si resolvatur salsum saporem deposuisse quod etiam non ità pridem expertus est Cl. Jacobus Fincbius Academiae Nostrae Senior Physices Professor benemeritus in Glaciei frustis è portu nostro allatis Particulars referrable to the III Title 1. Spirit of Sal-Armoniack made with Quick-lime volatile Oyl of Amber a small quantity of Oyl of Vitriol being exposed two Nights and a Day froze not A Solution of Silver in Aqua fortis was and Spr. Sanguinis Humani being froze swelled so much as to force out the Cork 2. Unrectify'd Oyl of Turpentine exposed to the Cold in a Bottle would not freeze but another Portion being contain'd in an earthen Porringer did 3. I am inform'd That there is a Lake of Water in Scotland out of which a small River runs the Water of both which is never froze but dissolves Snow or Ice if cast into it 4. Sallet-oyl being made use of to keep the Locks of Guns from freezing hinder'd them from being discharg'd but Oyl of Hemp or Train-oyl kept them from freezing TITLE IV. Experiments and Observations concerning the degrees of Cold in several Bodies Of the degrees of Cold in several Bodies TO discover the different degrees of Cold we have proposed several Thermometers in the preceeding Chapters concerning which we shall add this Advertisement viz. That tho' those which are to be immersed in Liquors have the Ball end round yet when we are to try the degrees of Cold of consistent Powders it is better to make use of such as have flat Bottoms that they may be able to stand on their own Basis For so it will be pleasant to see the suspended Bubble in one of our Thermometers rise and fall as it is removed from one Body to another 2. Freezing hath been so generally esteemed the utmost Effect of Cold That most have been content without examining strictly the several degrees of it Nor indeed is it very easily done since if we do it with common Weather-glasses it will be a hard thing to distinguish whether the Cold of one Day exceeds that of another since there intervening so much time betwixt the Observations the Alterations may be caused by an increase in the weight of the Atmosphere And should we make an estimate by the Testimony of our Senses we should easily be mistaken since it is believed That the different sensations of Cold which we perceive depend on the various Dispositions of our Bodies But allowing that vulgar Thermometers might give us a true Information of the degrees of Cold which Nature affords yet they acquaint us not whether Art may not produce greater much less will they help us to make an estimate of this Disparity And though we may make some guess by the Operation of Cold on Liquors exposed to it yet some as Aqueous Liquors freeze too soon and vinous Liquors here in England will not freeze at all except French Wine which happens seldom and leaves too great an Interval betwixt the degrees necessary to congeal Wine and sufficient to freeze Water besides the uncertainty proceeding from the several strengths of Wines Wherefore to discover the Intensity of Cold produced by Art above the highest degree that Nature affords See Plate 1. Fig. 1. we furnished a sealed Weather-glass Such as Plate 1. Fig. 1. Delineates with
not freeze near so hard near the 79th degree as in the 73d And tho' Nova Zembla lies near 4 5 and 6 degrees more Southerly from the Pole than Greenland yet the latter hath Grass and Trees and such Beasts as feed upon them whereas in Nova Zembla there is no Grass and only such Beasts as feed on Flesh To which I shall add That Josephus Acosta tells us That under the Line when the Sun was in the Zenith and just entred into Aries in March he felt himself very Cold and he likewise tells us That under the Burning Zone in Quitto and the Plains of Peru the Air is temperate at Potofi very Cold and in Aethiopia Brasile and the Moluccoes very Hot. And he observes further That Snow lyes on the tops of the Hills and that it is extremely Cold when the Sun is for their Zenith under the Line Mr. Hudson in his Voyage hath observed That one Day they were much disturbed with Ice and that the next Day it was very Hot And we are further informed by Acosta That tho' the Seas of Mozambigus and Ormus in the East and Panama in the West are very Hot yet that of Peru of the same height is very Cold. And Capt. James's Observes That tho' Charlton-Island is Colder than Nova Zembla yet is it of the same Latitude with Cambridge To which I shall subjoyn That an English Navigator tells us That tho' Pustozera in Russia is 68 ½ degrees yet it is well inhabited and a Town of great Trade And in Hudson's Voyage it was observed that beyond 80 degrees they found it moderately warm 2. The next Observation is That the degree both of Heat and Cold in the Air may be much greater in the same Climate and the same Place at several seasons of the year or even at several times of the same Day than most Men would believe In Proof of this Proposition we shall produce the following Testimonies of Travellers and of Navigators And 1. That there is a great variety Weather in Russia Dr. Fletcher witnesses who observes that tho' all Winter the Ground is covered with Snow and the Fields frozen up yet the Fields in the Summer are covered with flowers and filled with the delightful noise of Birds and then the Weather is as much too Hot as it was before Cold June July and August being warmer than the Summer in England And the like is confirmed by the Observations of others amongst whom Olearius tells us that at Moscow he saw Melons of 40 Pound weight better than those in Italy And at Pequin the Royal City of China tho' it is but 42 degrees Latitude yet in the Winter Martinius the Jesuit tells us it is a hard frost for four Months together so that all the Rivers are froze up And Prosper Alpinus tells us that Grand Cairo which is only 6 degrees from the Tropick of Cancer tho' the Summers are insupportably Hot yet the Winters are considerably Cold And one thing he there takes notice of is That in that Place they are seldom or never troubled with Distillations or Rheums And Purchase tells us That in Greenland one Day will be extremely Cold and the next as violent Hot so that at Mid-night Tobacco may be lighted at the Sun-beams by the help of a Glass To which Relations I shall add That Capt. James tells us That in Charlton-Island tho' the Winter was excessive Cold yet in June it was so Hot with Thunder and Lightning That the Men were forced to go a shore to cool themselves in the Water Alpinus tells us likewise that in Aegypt the Air is some part of the Day extremely Hot and at other times very temperate and cool And Olearius tells us That travelling over Mount Taurus in Persia tho' it was too Hot in the Day for them to proceed in their Journey yet at Night they were so benummed with the Cold That they were scarce able to light off their Horses and the same Traveller observ'd at Fallu in Persia both Lightning and Thunder Winds Snow Rain and Ice in one Night And in Charlton-Island tho' the Heat of the Sun in June be insupportable in the Day yet at Night the Cold is strong enough to freeze Water in Vessels an Inch thick 3. The third Observation is That in many Places the Temperature of the Air as to Cold and Heat seems not to depend so much on the Elevation of the Pole as upon the Nature and Circumstances of the Winds that Blow there It is commonly known That in this Part of the World Northerly and North-easterly Winds are accompained with Cold and in Winter with Frost But I once observ'd here in England a South-Wind when it froze hard and Capt. James in his Voyage hath observ'd the like And Prosper Alpinus observes in Aegypt That the North-Winds are extraordinary cooling and that upon the Blowing of the Aetesian Winds the Plague ceases at Grand Cairo That this cooling Quality depends on the changes it receives from the Places it passes over is highly probable as well as that it acquires other Qualities the like way Acosta Lib. 3. Cap. 9. Takes notice of Winds That in some Parts of the Indies so corrode Iron-gates That they will crumble away in one's Fingers And the same Author tells us That tho' in Spain an Easterly-wind is Hot and troubles one yet in Murria it is Cold and healthful but in Carthagena not far from the former Place it is troublesome and unhealthful The Meridional which they of the Ocean call South and those of the Mediterranean Sea Mezzo Giorno is commonly Rainy and Boysterous and in the same City I speak of it is wholesome and pleasant And in Peru he says the South and South-west-winds are very pleasing How the Winds come by these Qualities I shall not now dispute but to give some light into the matter I shall propose the following Experiment Setting a Weather-Glass with a flat Basis upon a Board and Blowing several times upon it with a large pair of Bellows tho' the Air seemed Cold to my Hand yet the Pendulous drop ascended a little the Air being a little heated in the Bellows But if the Clack of the Bellows was so fastned That the Air must wholly enter in at the Nose of it the stream of Air which was by that means drawn toward the Weather-Glass from the Window being cooler would cause the Bubble to subside But having provided such a Tile as they lay on the ridges of Houses and filled the hollow side with a Mixture of Snow and Salt and Part of that Mixture being placed about the Bellows I found That the Air blown upon my Hand was by that means highly refrigerated And this Air being blown upon the Ball of a common Weather-Glass the Water manifestly ascended but subsided again when we left off blowing But to prosecute the Tryal we drew back the Nose of the Bellows and upon that the Wind blowing along that Cavity upon the Weather-Glass manifested a higher
degree of Coldness But tho' it from hence appears That frigorifick Atoms may refrigerate the Air yet I believe not that all Winds must necessarily be cooled so since the Cold Air near the Poles swimming upon that which fills the lower Part of the Atmosphere may for want of a Reflection of the Sun-Beams be so Cold as to cool the Air suddenly when by the falling of Rain it is beat down upon us For Acosta hath observ'd upon Mountains higher than the Alps That the Air was extremely Cold. And the Hollanders who failed within 17 degrees of the Pole observ'd That their Cold Winds were chiefly Northerly and North-easterly But To conclude this Title I shall add an instance or two to shew That Cold Winds receive not so much their Qualities from the Quarters from whence they Blow as from the Regions over which they pass For Mr. Wood tells us That tho' in England the most troublesome and unwholesome Winds came from the Sea yet in New-England those are the most wholesome Because the North-east-wind coming from the Sea thaws the Ice and melts the Snow but the North-west-wind coming over the Land causes Cold. And Capt. James observ'd the like in Charlton-Island viz. That the South-wind was Coldest which came over a frozen Tract of Land Particulars referrable to the XVIII Title 1. The little sealed Weather-Glass being immersed in Water contained in a Glass-Vial greased in the inside when the Water was froze and the Ball of the Weather-Glass was incrustated being taken out the Ice was broke off Upon which the Tinged Liquor immediately rose in the shank of the Weather-Glass but presently subsided again below the former Mark from whence it appears That the Air may communicate a greater degree of Cold than Ice it self 2. Having placed a Weather-Glass made by the Standard at Gresham-College in a Cellar where Beer continued unfroze in a very sharp Winter last Night and this Morning the Tinged Liquor stood 2 Divisions and ⅛ above the freezing Mark but being removed into the Garden it subsided to the freezing Mark But tho' the Cellar was warmer than the Air yet it was not so warm as my Chamber the Weather-Glass there standing two Inches above the freezing Mark in the Morning before the fire was made and in the Summer the Tinged Spirit ascended to the 8th 9th and sometimes almost to the tenth Mark. 3. The last Night being rendered very Cold by Snow Frost and Wind this Morning the Weather-Glass being removed into the Garden the Tinged Spirit subsided two Divisions below the freezing Mark Yet the Cellar did not become so much Hotter by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that Oyl of Aniseeds continued undissolv'd in it till the next Morning tho' the moderate warmth of Spring or Autumn is sufficient to keep it fluid 4. A Weather-Glass being held in the Stream of Water as it came reaking Hot out of the Pump the Liquor subsided considerably and being carried to my Chamber the Air there being Colder than the Water it was depressed lower 5. Having held a Weather-Glass in the reaking stream of Pump-Water the Spirit rose about 5 Inches higher than it did at a Well in Oxford and being in some measure immersed in a Spring that usually smoaks in the Winter it was raised a little higher And the Weather-Glass being placed on the North side of the House about Noon I found that the temper of the Air then was much the same with the temper of the smoaking Spring 6. Feb. 19. The Frost having continued 3 Days the Spirit was raised as high by the warmth of the Spring as it used to be The next Day the Spring beginning to smoak the warmth of the Water raised the Spirit near a quarter of an Inch higher than it used to rise at the Spring-head some Months ago And the Water was then much warmer than the Air for the Spirit when brought to my Chamber subsided the Ground without being covered with a little Snow 7. A Gentleman told me That he had observ'd the Tinged Spirit sometimes higher when it was frosty than when it was not And he further told me That the Weather-Glass being left in Water till it was froze when it was cleared of the Ice and exposed to the Air the Spirit manifesty subsided The size of the Ball of this Weather-Glass was as big as that of a large Crab and the Stem was about 2 foot and ½ long And the distance betwixt the station which the Spirit rested at in the Water and the Air was above three Inches A Relation given me by an Ingenious Gentleman lately returned out of Poland 1. In frosty clear Weather he observ'd the Sun and two Parhelions one Eastward and the other Westward betwixt ten and twelve a Clock and when the Sun-shine appeared it was full of glittering Particles of Ice 2. A Dutch and a Scotch Ship having sailed beyond Greenland within one degree of the Pole they observed That tho' there were vast Regions of Ice near the shores yet near the Pole the Sea was open and free enough From the North-East they observ'd That there came a great rolling Sea not unlike the Spanish Seas And that the Cold was no violenter than that in Greenland And further they observ'd That sailing from Greenland the Compass first varied a Point and then two and when they came near the Pole the Compass varied 4 Points and that towards the East The Captain likewise told me That they are troubled at Sea sometimes with thick Fogs some of which last half a Day others a Day and others a whole Day And he likewise told me That lying at Anchor near Bellsound on the coast of Greenland near a very high Rock he and some others got to the top of it which they judged to be half a Mile high And when they came there they found the Weather clear and the Sky serene and so Hot that they were forced to strip themselves But below they could discern a thick fogg which when they came down they found was very Cold and Dark A Passage taken out of the Czars-Doctor's Letter 1. At Vologda in the North-East from Moscow we found the Cold Weather in December not to last 3 Days but the Rain was unusual and dangerous And for 30 years past the Winters have been so moderate That People are not froze on the Roads in several Postures but sometimes they lose their Noses and have their Faces froze 2. The Warmer the Room is in the Day the thicker the Hoar is at Night upon the Glass being sometimes an Inch thick And if it be a small Frost The Nails of the Windows and Doors will be tipped with Frost The Falconers say That the Birds creep under the Snow at Nights Bears make themselves Caves against Winter and I remember I kept one two Days without meat or drink he in the mean time making a Lather with his Tongue and sucking his Paws 3. A Wind from the Sea causes a Thaw as well as at