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the Secretary Renewing the Late motion of Dr. Wallis for Deciding by a iust Expt. the controuersy between Sr. Borellj & P Fabrj
vizt whether a body horizontally Proiected will in the same time come to the ground, as if it had of it self fallen right downe
the Curator was ordered to prepare for an Expt. to be made the next Day in this very meeting Room, by having two Balls, &
proiecting the one horizontally from the window ouer the Door, and Letting the other fall down perpendicularly from
the same height ----- The Curator was also put in minde of his Last new pendulum Watch.
Dec. 15-70. The Curator Represented the Mechanicall way of making an arch of such a figure as shall sustein any
weight giuen. Being asked whether he had ready the Demonstration of it, he answerd he had giuen it to the Presidt
now absent. Dec. 22. & 29 & Ianuary the 5. noe meetings.
Ian. 12. 1670/1 The Curator brought in a curiosity sent for the Society by the Arch BP. of Canterbury. and supposed to be
seuerall pieces of an hippopotamus diggd vp at Chatham [Chartham] according to a printed paper accompanying
the same. Orderd that his Grace be thanked for this fauour. & the bones put into the Repository. ---- Sr R Moray men
tiond that the King had layd a wager of 50ll. to 5ll. for the compressing of Air by Water, and that it was acknowledged
he had won the wager. He desired that the Expts. formerly made for Evincing this thing might be made before the
Society, and afterwards before the King. which he sayd might be done by a cane contrived in such a manner, that it
shall take in more & more water, according as it shall be sunk deeper & deeper into it. the same Desired also that the
Expt. of supporting any heauy body at a certain depth vnder water, by keeping it from being Depressed by an imcumb
ent water. -- It was ordered that the apparatus for the first of these Expts. should be made Ready by the Curator
for the Next Day, And that Mr Oldenburg should Desire Mr. Boyle in the name of the Society, to lend them the Apparatus
for the other Expt. --- The Curator produced his Engine formerly promised, for grinding Glasses of a true both
Ellipticall & Hyperbolicall figures; wherby he pretends that all the motions made by this contriuance touch
Every point in an ellipsis. -- It was orderd that this Engine should be put in a frame, and a tryall made of its Per
formance. Some doubted that that Engine would wear and the Sand Remain vneuen, which would make the figure
of the glasse imperfect. -- The Curator was of opinion that by this Engine the sand would be prepared aequally
fine, and soe spread euery where. -- The same proposed to the company, a way of making a vessell for
Extracting the air, soe Big that a man might sitt in it, and soe contriued as to Rarify the air to a certain degree
and to supply the person sitting in it by fresh air he was desired to get such a vessell made. -- french sham. --
The Demonstration of Mr. Hooke concerning the Line of an arch for supporting any weight assigned being
called for: The Secretary mentiond that Dr. Wren had also a Demonstration for it. It was Desired by the Com
pany that they might be both Deliuerd & opened together by the President -- 5. Expts for next Day. --
Ian. 19. the Expt. for keeping a heauy Body suspended at a certain Depth vnderwater was made & succeeded very Well accor
ding to the way Deliuerd by Mr Boyle in his hydrostaticall paradoxes. pro. 11. The Secretory was desired to returne
mr Boyle the Societys thanks for furnishing them with the Apparatus for making this expt.
The Curator was called vpon to make ready the apparatus to show necessary to to shew the King the Compressing of air by water
which he promised to doe. --- The Curator promised also, that the next Day he would bring in the new air vessell
as also if possibly he could the new glasse grinding engine. --- Mr. Surveyor Deliuerd to the President
his Demonstration of what Line it is which an arch fitt to susteine any assigned weight maketh. -
the President was Desired to examine it, and to giue an account of it to the Society in conuenient time
Mr. Hooke being also called vpon for his Demonstration of the same subiect, answered that he had already
Declared the substance of it to the president. who yet Desired him to giue it also in writing that soe it
might be with more Leisure and conueniency Examined. -- Mr Townlys myrtus Brabantica. Ray of spt. of
Pismires. Letter 33 spiders.
Ian. 26. there was made the Expt. of compressing air by water which was done in a Large tube of 6 foot Long filld
with water & by Letting into a syringe open at one end in which the air was at the Depth of two foot & a half
comprest about one inch and at the Depth of 5 foot neer two inches. -- There was also made the Expt to finde
whether a Ball horizontally proiected and another falling down perpendicularly, would come to the ground at
the same time from the same height. This was done by blowing a small Leaden bullet through a hollowd
wooden cane at the orifice of which there was a contrivance made for another Leaden bullet of the same figure
and size to fall down streight. which being tryed seuerall times, the Balls were judged by the Eares of seuerall
Some of the company to come to ground at the same time by others not. wherefore it was thought necessary
to make more tryalls the next Day -- the first Volume of the naturae curiosorum . & Pad Lanas Book.
Febr. 2. the Expt. of the Horizontall & perpendicular fall of two bullets was tryed againe seuerall times & found by
most of the Company that they came to the ground both together orderd that it be yet further prosecuted -
The curator was put in minde of his new glasse grinding Engine, and the air vessell that is to hold a man, of which Later he
promised to giue the Society an account the next Day.
Feb. 9. The former expt. of the Horizontall Projection and perpendicular fall of two Bullets was tryed againe.
another way and it seemd that in most tryalls they came both together to the Ground. orderd that some things be minded
in the Instrument employd in this Expt. and that the next Day more tryalls be made and that from a higher place
The Curator being demanded whether the air vessell for a man to sit in was not yet Ready, answered that it was
that he now intended to make some Expts. in it, and to Report of them at the next meeting. He added that the
cheif end of this vessell was to finde what change the Rarefacation of air would produce in Man as to respi-
ration, heat &c being asked how it was contriued, he said that it did consist of two tunns one included in the other the one to hold a man the other filld with water to couer the former therby to keep it stanch, with tops to put on
with cement or to take off one of them having a Gage to see to what degree the air is Rarifyed, as also a Cock
to be turned by the person that sitts in the vessell according as occasion shall require &c. --
It was Resolued that a report being made by the Curator of the Successe of the Expts. he shall haue made
in it this week, a Day be there vpon appointed for as many of the Society as please to meet in Gresham Colledge
to see the vessell & some Expts. to be made therein. -- Listers Letter of an Insect. and about bleeding Sycamores
--- this Gaue occasion of much discourse concerning the motion of Sap in trees, and of the texture of them. Mr Hooke.
said that he had obserud there were Seuerall Sorts of Pores in trees, some of them went from the middle to the Bark
shaped like little Disks or [^ /letter/ Boxes. others were like pipes going from the top to the bottom of the tree; others were
exceeding Small pores, not seen but by a microscope, which he therefore called microscopicall pores.
Sr R Moray suggested that it might be worth the while, to enquire whether all the nourishment of a tree comes by the
Root, or whether some be furnisht by the Ambient air. Others moved that it may be farther inquired into
whether there be a circulation of the Sap in trees. Dr. Goddard sayd that a streight Ligature hauing bin made
about a Vine tree, there had been obseru'd of turges cence as well aboue as beneath the Ligature. Mr. Hook proposed
a contriuance to finde with Some certainty whether there be a circulation in trees, which contriuance he was
orderd to get made against the next meeting, which he promised to Doe. vpon occasion mr Euelyn related that an
Aloes being waterd in Winter, soon rots & dies at the Root. Let it alone it will doe well. - also that the semper viue being Exposd to the air will in
2 or 3 howres fill it self & be fresh. Soe also the Amomu Plinij. It being queryd whether any tree will liue barked round. Dr Holder alledged tht the Aldor
(Alnus) would thriue through soe disbarked. The Curator being put in mind of his Glass e grinding Engine said he would get the whole
apparatus ready as soon as he could. It being Obserued tht Many things were begun at the Soc: but few of them prosecuted. The Secretary offerd to bring in a list
of such particulars. which he was exhorted to doe with speed.

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_087  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters