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The curator promised for the next meeting some Expts. of weighing bodys to shew the porousnesse of them and a way of making
them more compact then they were before by hammering. --
Nouemb. 25. 1669 (Barringto & mercator admitted). The curator brought in the Instrument for taking angles vpon the earth in
order to measure a Degree exactly, the Instrument is soe contriued that in the use of it noe notice is taken of any inequali
ty of /the/ Ground. the wire therein imployed, being always aequally extended by an aequall weight. [eyewater. charos vipers &c -
Nou: 30. Election of Councell & officers. Dec 2. Hiern admitted) The Curator produced a picture after the Expedite way of Dr
wrens, who hauing couered a very thin brasse plate with etching varnice Lets it be etched upon by a hand carefull not to close any
Letter in which work the aqua fortis must be strong as to corrode the plate quite through. which done the plate is to be turned and layd
vpon an other thick plate couerd all ouer with printers inke to be passed after the usuall manner through the rolling presse. He
was desired to prosecute this and perfect this Inuention of Dr Wrens. The same brought in the Instrument he formerly prepared of
Diuiding a degree into as many small parts as may be desired not by a screw, not a Sliding Ruler but by proportioning a short
line to a Long one in order to measure the Distances of Starrs, & the Diameters of the planets. this which was now produced
was to be applyed to a 12 foot telescope, and represents a degree in two inches and magnifys 30 times. Obserue euen to
seconds. It is now to be employed in the Experiment of measuring the quantity of a degree vpon the earth, by obserue
-ing therewith how far a starr passeth from the Zenith. which is to be Done by making two obseruations the one
northward and the other Southward, and taking notice by the advantage of this contrvance of the Distance, &
thence concluding the quantity of a degree or of part of a degree. ---- Sr R Moray produced a Latin paper sent
from Paris, by one Robertus des Gabitz and conteining seuerall inventions, as 1. of finding the Parallax the by a
better way then the authour thinks to haue bin used hitherto in order to find the physicall truth of the Copernica System
2 of a perpetuall motion by meanes of the Cartesian Materia Striata by which magnetick needles are converted to
the poles. 3 framing ships after a new manner to goe vnder water without danger of shipwrack 4 of a hori
zontall windmill. 5 of a new fashiond musicall instrument going beyond a theorbo lute harp, basse violl &c 6 of a
pocket pendul watch, which seems to be the same with that of Mr. Hooke, the producer hauing perused it was
of opinion, that the seuerall contriuances conteined in this paper, were either already better done here, or were not
like to perform what they pretended to. in the mean time this paper was ordered to be filed vp [quere this paper]
(Pascall & Glanvill abt Correspond) Collins abt. forders papers in Coll. Ouertons hands) & Harriots in the Hands of Ld Cherburys son) Expt. appointed. -
Dec. 9. The Curator produced another peice of staining with yellow, red, Green, blew & purple colours, which he said would Indure
washing with Warm water and Sope. Dr Iim Clark mentiond that one of Deptford had shewn him a piece of staining vpon -
Indian sattin done here, which would Endure Scouring. He was desired to procure a sight of it for the Society.) The Curator being
called vpon for the expts appointed for this day, excused himself for not bringing them in he hauing had some avocations of a Publique
nature, that had hindred him from taking care of those expts. He was orderd to prepare them for the next meeting. --
Dec. 16. The curator brought in another Specimen of Dr Wrens new & compendious way of Printing formerly mentiond, in
which was Pictures also may be done. [mr Euelyns Sylua. Dr Goddard of Muscles) Here the Curator Suggested that it were worth
the considering, what it is that by its influx make the muscul act by contraction, and then how again the muscles are again
relaxed, by natures discharging that liquor or spirit which contracted them. To illustrate this he mentiond that spirit of Wine
(for example) powred vpo gut strings contracts & shortens them, and being thence evaporated Relaxes & Lengthens them again
so that sayd he there must be a very subtill volatill Spirit, that enters into the muscles, and the same must very nimbly be
discharged again, to cause the contraction & expansion of the Muscle He intimated also that If he could comunicate the
force of Gunpowder to a Spring, he might then comande as much strength as he would. -- occasion being here giuen to
speak of Rectifyed Spt. of Wine, the Curator said that it might be yet more refined after that all would burne away. it
being possible that though it Burne all away, yet there may be still one flegme in it, which may be caried vp -
with the Volatill Spirit. He added that the best proof of it per Rectification perfect was if it would fire Gunpowder
Smith of Redding about uncurling wooll Stretching & making it finer Stronger & longer. &c. about fulling husks dressing pressing oyle -
The Society ordered that the Curator should further Discourse with this person of all the particulars & set down in writing the
ways vsed by him in executing what he affirmes as also to indeauour to get a specimen of what he sayth to haue been
already performed in his new way, and withall to offer him his assistance in the contriuance of Diverse tooles he may
Stand in need of. Particular notice being taken of what this person had affirmed, that he could make a hair as fine
as silk the Curator say that if this could be done he could tell how to giue them all the glossy colours that could be desird
the soc. adiourned to Ian. 13. next in the mean time the Curator was desired to make the Expt. of measuring a Degree. [Vz at Xmas)
vpon the eath to get his new clock finisht that is to goe 14 monthes. to prosecute his way of Staining & new way of Printing.
Ian. 13. 1669/70. the curator brough in 2 peices of staining better than those he produced formerly, he was encouragd to proceed to more
perfection. the same intimated that an acquaintance of his being Lately gone to Malabar, had promised him to indeauour to
gett the art of staining vsed by that people, which that person had sayd, was by them performed chiefly with a root, He added
that the preparing the cloth or stuff to be stained was a main thing in this work. to hinder the colours from spreading too farr
& from running all along the threed. [cartedge wormes.) Mr. Hooke mentiond that he had been informed of 2 springs in Northampto
shire, which neither of them single would Petrify but meeting together did, he was desired to learn more particulars of it. [collins's
Problem. & mr townlys abt. measuing distances) Flamsteds first almanack sent to L Brounker Wallis mechanica. pa. prima. -
Ian. 20. the Curator produced for Examination 2 ways to make a Vniversall Measure. one by purged quicksiluer dropt
on a plain exactly horizontall, and hauing a dry surface, vntill the Horizontall diameter of it, be double to the perpen
dicular of the same which being obteined by exactly comparing the said 2 lines together the longer of them to all
serue for the measure. e.g. of an inch. the other way by dropping distilld water from the point of a very fine needle -
and counting soe many drops for a measure of such a denomination. Many exceptions were made by diuers of the
Company to both these ways. to the former that euen distilld Mercury would be different, and that the air of seuerall places
would alter the Dimensions and that twas very difficult to measure exactly the horizontall & perpendicular Diameters -
to the Later that tis very difficult to haue euery where needles aequally pointed, and the same bignesse of Drops. for these and the
like difficultys both these ways were Layd asyde. [Hugens Letter of his clocks. of D Wr. glas engin. Dr Barrows opticks boyles rest &c
whereas Mr. Hooke was of opinion that Dr. Wrens Engine for Grinding hyperbolicall glases would not be practicable he not
seeing how rings could be auoyded in that way, but conceiud with all that his own Engine, formerly produced before the Society for working
glasses both an Ellipticall & hyperbolicall figure might be reduced to vsefull practise. he was exhorted by the Company to cause such
an engine to be made with all Speed. to which he answered there was one a making. --
Ian. 27. Oldenburg read the paper of Cassinj's pretended new way geometricall & direct for finding the Apoges and excentricitys
of the motions of the planets, which done he suggested that it might be inquired into, whether the like way had not been already
found out in England. Wherevpon Mr Mercator having considerd this matter in priuate, produced a paper of his, which shewd
that this very thing was grounded vpon what the Bp. of Sarum Dr Seth Ward had demonstrated in his Astronomia Geometrica published
in 1653. This paper was Read and being found to be the demonstration of this alledged inuention of Cassinj, printed as such in the french
Iournall de Scauans of Sep. 2. 1669. it was thought fitt that in the philosophicall transactions, the narratiue of the truth of this
matter should be made publique together with the ground. which mr mercator affirmed to haue been giuen long agoe by Herigon
in his theoria planetarum. not omitting to make mention of the occasion that was giuen to the said Bishop of Sarum for finding
out that Demonstration viz by Mo. Bullialdus, who had acknowledged that that was wanting in Astronomy [Languedock . .
Febr. 3. The Curator produced a contriuance of his to try whether a mechanicall muscle could be made by art performing without labour
the same office which a naturall Muscle doth in animalls. It was soe contriued as that by the applycation of heate to a body filld with air
for Dilation, and by the application of Cold to the same body for contraction, there might follow a muscular motion. It was obiected that
it did not appear, how this agent that was to produce heat and Cold could be applyed for vse soe as to cease this motion Immediately and -

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