262

mr. Hooke Reported that he had treated wth. mr. martins
the societys Printer in order to the Getting the Discourse
Lately sent ^ /to/ the society from Sigr: malpighi, well Printed and
that he had desired mr. martin to print 50 coppys extra
ordinary to be sent to the said Person as a present from
the society. /

mr. Pouey moued that a handsome Letter of thanks
might be writ to him from the society and that the
said Letter might be, after it had been Read and app-
proued by the society printed together wth. it -

vpon a Discourse about some sort of the Lesser pretious stones
as Agates, mochuses, onixes &c mr Pouey Related that the He
liotropium was an excellent stone for striking fire insteed
of a flint. marachasites also were mentiond as a sort of stone
which afforded much fire vpon striking. and It was supposed
that the reason was because those stones abound wth. sulphur
But it was further Discoursed that the most conspicuous sparks
that fall fly from the striking of a flint against a steel were
the small parts of the steel cutt off by the flint & vitrifyd by
the violent motion of the stroke. the sulphur of the Iron Readily
taking fire. for a proof of wch. mr. Hooke shewd an Expt.
by throwing the filing of Iron through the flame of a
candle which Immediatly kindled & sparkled like gunpowder.

mr. Bemde Related the way of collecting the Golden sands of the
Riuer Danubius. which was by throwing the sand wth. water
vpon a board Layd a Little aslope and cutt wth. many notches
like the tooth of a saw wth. the teeth turned vpwards and against
the slope; in the following manner [Diagram]
by which meanes all the particles of the
gold would lodge themselues in those teeth
or notches whereas the Lighter sand grauell & dirt will all wash
away. He sayd he had some of the said powder here in England
which he had brought from thence and promised to pro-
duce some of it here the next meeting.
He Related that the common people by this meanes of collecting
and washing sand would earne 6 or 7 shilling a Day though
their Gaine thereby were very inconsiderable in comparison of the
value of the Gold wch. they thus collected, the profitt of which
wholy [app]ertained to the Imperour [. . .]

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_264  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters