339

Iune th 5th. 1679

mr. Henshaw the vicept. tooke the chair
mr. Hooke Related that he had seen a Letter of mr. Hally to Sr. Ionas more
written from Dantzick Giuing him an account of his safe arriuall there
of his Deliuering his Letters to the Lord Heuelsky and of very kind accep
tance and entertainment of him, Of his great esteem & Respect for
the Royall Society. that he had seen his Obseruatory & Instrument &
found them very extraordinary but all wth. common sights that he
that he had seen them make obseruations wth them of the Distance of
two fixt starrs and that they were able to make them to half a minute
but that he was not able to come neerer then to a minute, that his
Contriuance for setting his Instruments to the Plaine of the starrs
was very good. that He had Published the second part of machi
na colestis conteining his obseruations of the fixt starrs. and tht
he had sent some exemplars of them for England -

Two Letters . . . of the secretary were read the one to the -
Abbot La Roch the other to monr. Iustell in order to begin a cor
respondence wth them of Philosophicall matters which were approued
by the vice Pt.

The minutes of may the 29th. were reade which gaue occasion
to Discourse farther about the softening of the bones in flesh boyld
And mor. Pappin being present was asked whether he vsed water
in that operation, which he Denyed, Affirming that he put noe
water to it in the Boyling.
mr. Hooke proposed it as a very vsefull mechanicall operation
for making of Inlayd works wth. bones or Iuory to Staine them
wth colours whilst soft to see if they would hold those colours when
Dry & hardned againe, And affirmed that he knew a way of
Dying Iuory as black as Iett & to sink it in to a considerable
depth soe as to be very Lasting wthout softening it but could not
Doe the same thing wth other colours.

Herevpon some Discourse was occasiond about china Ink some sup
posing it to be made of burnt Bones, others of very fine Lamp black
though others thought It might be an inspissated juice -
mr. colwall Related a way of making a very good Ink casting a little
vpon a purple, wch. was wth. Deep colourd claret wth. Galls & coperas
wthout Gum
Sr. Iohn Hoskins suggesting that mor. Pappins way of softning bones would
be of good vse for cooking of bony fish which were troublesom in eating
he added that he had tryed that effect and found he could soften fish bones
as well as others -

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_341  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters