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Ian 16. 1666./ (2 Coccothranstus's.) Dr. Crones chariot). (Blunts chariot) The curator shewed a metall
which he sayd was a preparation of Mercury fitt to take off any Impression of a scale or medall &
to greaten or Lessen the same keeping its proportion and then to grow hard againe after 2 or 3 howres
time, he try'd it before the company wth some successe by softning the hard metall wth. the pressure
and working of a knife and by taking off Impressions he was desired to perfect the Experiments
(crone 2 letters from Steno. 1 of the muscles. 2 expts. of in a cane. an Expt of freezing wth ice & brandy
mr. Balls magnetick apparatus Receiud.) about It was mentiond by the secretary that the councell had thought
fitt that the expts. for the making out the Theory of the Laws of motion formerly begun by Dr Wren D
crone & mr Hooke as also those about the magnet heretofore begun by mr Bale & mr Hooke should
be prosecuted the Society Desired Dr wren to giue in those expts of motion diuised by himself but he
alledging that they were at Oxford Dr Crone & mr Hooke were desired to bring in theirs as also that mr
Hooke should aduance the expts of the Loadstone. Dr. Wren & mr Hooke were againe desired to bring
in their ways of taking the Diameter of the planets to seconds. Dr. wren was putt in mind of the telesco
picall moon formerly promised by him. Account of Heuelius book calld for. Expt. for next day. 1 to haue
perfected the circular pendule lately brought in 2 the engine for bending springs by gunpowder. 3 bucket for
fetching vp things from the bottom of the sea perfected -
Ian 23. 1666. The expt. of bending a spring by the force of powder was tryed 3 times wthout success & the 4th it
succeeded. to be repeated next meeting. & tht a weight should be wound vp by a shot of gunpowder to see what
force would wind vp a 100 pound weight was obserued the stroke of powder was soe brisk & suddain that it
would break any thing & tht therefore Little powder should be vsed. (Blunts chariot) a liue grey gull.)
Charlton 2 gr of nux vomica killd a linet) also /a/ Gray Gull) wallis Letter about Heuelius of 2d comet & mantssa
Orderd that mr Hook bring in something written touching the controuersy between mr Heuelius & mor Auzout
which may import that vpon the Examination of Obseruations made here & Compared wth those made
in other parts the Society is inclined to beleiue that Heuelius hath been mistaken. The Curator affirmd
that the altitude of the sun or other starrs might be taken wth a single 6 foot telescope put perpendi
cular wthout any refraction or Parallax and that in the space of 2 or 3 minutes orderd that it should
be tryed & the sucesse & way of doing it Registred the same affirmed that the circumference of the earth
might be measured to seconds by a 60 foot glasse put perpendicular a place being giuen where
the Distance may be conueniently measurd, such a one as mayu be smooth and a mile long
lying north & south or at Least N E & S West. Orderd that the curator doe make this experiment
as soon as a place can be found conuenient for it. the . . . (about globe of the moon) The
Instrument for bringing vp things from the bottom of the sea now being againe mentiond the
curator tooke notice that this as it is now hauing been tryed would bring vp things
only from a small depth but that he would try other ways for greater depth. The Cur
tor affirmd that venus had lately appeard to him in a 12 foot glasse as big againe as the
moon to the naked eye adding he neuer saw her soe sharp & that shee was very neer
the sun wth. whom shee would be in coniunction in a few day -
Ian: 30. 1666. noe meeting a fast. Feb: 6. 1666. the curator produced a new kind of Lamp
seruing to supply the oyle in due quantity soe tht as it wasts there may not rise too much
or too Little. by a weight that shall always counterpoyse the oyle the figure being an
half cylinder. the Discription & demonstration was orderd to be brought in by the
curator as soon as conueniently he could. orderd likewise that this vessell should be soe pre
pared for the next meeting, that it might actually serue for a Lamp as it was designed
The expt. for raysing a weight by the force of gunpowder was tryed. But the weight was
thrown off instead of being Raised. It was order that the curator shall think of a way
to make it succeed as also that he should prosecute the
expts. of winding vp a spring by the same weigh way. Sr R Moray. about ordering that
the spring might not be broke by the powder. mr Boyle to try powder to make it raise
water. the strengh of gunpowder tryed by the weight of water it will expelled out of
the Instrument a vessell by wch. the strength of differing powder might be expelled
examined. Dr. Wren suggested that this Expt. might be tryed by laying wth in a pair of bellows
wth a weight vpon it a Serpentine Line of powder to make it /fire/ only by wth such a
degree of velocity that It shall break nothing adding that if the concussion be made
too quick for the Vibration of parts the body tryed must break. the same affir
=med that if he might know how much gunpowder expands he would tell what
weight it Raised. (powder expansion to be expansion by examined it was orderd
that the Curator should consider of & draw vp such expts as might be proper
to examine the said Expansion (Letter from Ld Sandwich. wth Obseruations about
celestiall body. President to answer it) Letter from Ferd Albert Duke of Bunswick about correspondence)
(Wallis Letter about Heuelius his prodamus and mantessa) committe for the same purpose to meet) Wallis more about tides -
Feb: 14. 1666. Society mett vpon Thursday. Dr Cottons Loadstone of 60 pounds mouing a needle at 9 foot Distance &
sub 7 foot without its peice. (Sr R moray. of a Loadstone lifting 80 times its own weight). burning & sticking stone of Dead Sea

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