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Iuly. 13. 1664. The expt. of Determining the velocity of the vibrations of a bras
wire to afford a certain sound was prosecuted and agreed wth what was made the last
Day, order was giuen that a monochord should be prepared against the next meeting
to know the Diuersity of notes by. The expt of the velocity of a sound being pro
pagated was also repeated & presented by Lengthning the wire to 272 foot and
it was found as formerly. The Expt. of measuring the celerity of falling bodys was tryed
But the wind disordering the string whereon the Ball hung it was referred to next Day
order being giuen to prepare a boord for the Balls to fall vpon wthout a string, as also
to try besides Balls of Lead other bodys of the same magnitude & Figure. -
Sr. Robert moray made some Report of the obseruations of the needles variation vizt that
much vncertainty was found in it. the needle standing ^ /sometime/ between 1o. 0'. & 1o. 30' westward
another time about 1o. 30' eastward but at Last directly north and south orderd to
Repeat the obseruations as often as conueniently may be. Mr. Hooke to bring
in writing all the apparatus and all the circumstances of the obseruations
(query whether seuerall stones giue differing variation. -
(Mr. Hooke mentiond that he had seen a Little Loadstone Lift vp 150 times it weight
The Expt. of firing Gunpowder in a steel case was tryed againe. but noe Report
was heard nor anything broken in the vessell. Mr. Hook suggested that the expt
might be tryd wth. fulminating. orderd that these expts. be made next Day.
orderd also that it be tryd whether Aurum fulminans & puluis fulminans giue a flame
when fired. (Dugdale of Draining the fenes produced. Relates that that fenny tract
called the Island of Axholm lying in part in Lincolnshire and part in yorkshire Ex=
tending as far as Hatfield chase, has anciently been a woody Country, witnesse the Abun
dance of Oak firr and other trees, of late frequently found in the moor whereof
some Oaks are 5 yards in Compasse and 16 yards Long others smaller and Longer wth good
quantity of Acrons neer them lying somewhat aboue 3 foot in Depth, and neer the Roots
which doe still stand as the grew vizt in firm earth below the moor the firrs lye a
foot or 18 inches deeper, more in number and many of them 30 yards long, one
of them being not many years since taken vp of 36 yards Long besides the topp.
Lying also neer the root which stood likewise as it Grew hauing been burnt and
not cutt down, as the oak had been also, the number of those trees is Reported by
this author soe great that the Inhabitants haue for Diuers years last past
taken vp 2000. cartloads in a year. of the first time of the ouerflowing of this
woody Leuell the author can giue noe account only that It hath been soe for
diuers hundreds of years. he sayth the Depth of the moor Euinceth, which not in a
few ages grow to that thickness it is of. Of the cause thereof he concludeth that
to haue been the muddinesse of the Constant tides which flowing vp humber into
Trent Left in time soe much filth to Obstruct the currents of Idell, Done and
other Riuers which thence flowed back & ouerflowed that flatt countrey
Iuly the 20. 1664. (Boyle Iron ore) The Expt. of Diuiding the Brasse wire to giue
musicall notes wth. a monochord, was made as followeth. two Brasse wires were
extended vpon a long square box of 4 foot long. 1. wth. a weight the other with a pin
till they became vnisons then the one being stopped in the middle wth. a movable
bridge, the two halfs on either side were vnisons to one another, and one of them
an eighth higher than the other wch. was /not/ stopped. the same was againe diuided
wth a Bridge & Soe that the part on each side to that of the other was as One to
2 and the shorter was an eighth higher then the Longer, and the Longer higher
a fifth, then the whole string. Then the same was againe soe stopped
that the part on the one side to that of the other was as 1. to 4. And the
second was a Double eighth higher which is a 1/15. orderd that the Expt
be prosecuted the next day by adding weights to shew what proportion weights
haue to Sound (mr. Ball produced Loadstones wth 4 poles - - - -

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_032  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters