277

There was Like wise a Discourse about making salt water fresh by filtrati
on the /opinion/ effect of wch. was that noe filtration through sand earth or
the like would make salt water fresh.
Sr. Iohn Louther mentiond that at the nyches they saued the dreyning
of the salt and found that that would very much contribute to the
making of more salt by putting it to the brine that was to be
boyled, but on the other side those wch. made salt out of seawater
vsually threw it away as supposing it hindred the producing salt
in the next boyling. Mr. Hooke obserued that the dreyning of
salt from sea water was vsually very bitter & Red, and was for the
most part thrown away only some of it was vsed for the washing
the sores of sheep & cattell as being a great dryer, and he further
conceiued that it was /made/ by a Dissolution made of the iron Boyler
and therfore might be of an other nature. -
Mr. Pouey obserued that Sr. Robert Howard had acquainted him that
in his part of a salt work there was a subterraneous salt
Riuer.

mr. Hooke shewd his Experiments which was the setting
a chaffing dish of coles into the Box and suffering it to stay
there till it went out & ceased to shine - then by a hole at
the top Letting Down into the air of the box a wax candle
the same would presently be exp extinguished as if it were
Dippd into water. and that soe soon as euer the air came
to touch the flame of the candle - But that air being changd
and fresh air admitted into the box the coles began to shine
a fresh & the candle let down into the box continued to -
burne & shine as in the open air. -

He also shewd his second experiment wch. was by putting
in the a box ^ /filled wth. lighted coles burning cleer/ when the air had been satiated as aforesaid
by the coles which had been set into it. The which coles
Did presently cease to burn and looked as if they had been -
quite extinct - which very coles soe soon as euer the fresh
air was admitted presently began againe to shine & burne
as before.

The Expts. for the next day were further to prosecute
this theory of mr. Hooke that air was a menstruum that
Dissolued all sulphureous bodys by burning. and that wthout air
noe such Dissolution would follow though the heat applyed were as great

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_279  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters