623

Iune the 10. 1691. The Society met. Present the Presdient. Monr. Iustell (who introduced a french Gentleman called
    ) Sr. I: Hoskins. Mr. Henshaw. Mr. Hill. Mr. Evelyn. Dr. Slone Dr. Mills. Mr. Perry (a Minister Introduced by
mr. Haughton. Dr. Havers Mr. Lodwick. Mr. Herbert Mr Bembe Mr. Pitfield. R Hooke.

There was prouided ^ /by R. Hooke & . . . . . . . . / an apparatus for shewing some phenomena observable in the column of water cast vp by
the pressure of the water in the cestern from which it issued, by which phenonemon one Reason was made appa
rent why the column did not Rise to the full height of the Surface of the water in the cestern. but vpon Remouing
the Cestern to place it somewt. more aduantageously for being Obserued. the bottom of it brake off. & therevpon it
was Respited to another meeting. as also the further Discourse and Explanation thereof by R Hooke.
Then the Company went into the Repository to see a tryall made wt with the powder of Lapis Smaragdus to produce a
light by being heated on a Copper plate. there was about a draghme of the said stone beaten to a very fine powder
in a Morter. then a broad Copper plate was Layd vpon a chaffing Dish of well kindled charcole. thereafter after the said
Powder had been Showed vpon the plate in the shape of R.S. then the Room being Darkened by closing the Shutte[rs]
the powder on the plate began to appear white & shining, but the All the other parts of the plate did not at all
shine, for it was not soe great a heat as to make that red hot. This Lapis Smaragdus looked exactly like Dantzick Vitrioll,
/but was pretty hard petryfyed some without test/
Then Mr Henshaw produced the powder (^ /made of a stone/ which mr. Pouey had Left ^ /the Society/ being brought from ) and gaue an account
of his tryalls made with it and his comparing it wth. the tryalls he had also made with some ventian venturine. vizt
that though they seemed to be much of the same nature yet when pouderd the venetian substance was much mo
more shining like gold or brasse, than the other substances ^ /which was more dull & softer/. but he Iudged that neither of them conteined any metall
but were only Sorts of yellow coloured talks. The Society vpon viewing the two powders together, were most of the
same opinion with him

Then the minutes of the Preceding meeting were Read and Discoursed of as also concerning the Experiments that had
been shewd ^ /. . . the Society . . . . // and the intent and Designe of the hydrostaticall experiment of the vessell that had miscarried/ A letter of Dr. malpighus to mr. Waller dated at Bononia march 27. 1691. was read. acknowledging the
Receipt of mr. Wallers Letter. &. the 30 coppys of his own treatise de glandulis for which he returns His thanks to the Society and adds that
he Designes to present them Society with some other Discourses (if his health doe inable him to finish them) as a pledge of his
gratitude to the Society.

Then the Company went into the quadrangle to see Some tryalls made with A muskett whose Barrell was but.
one foot in Length but of the same bore with an ordinary musket. It was produced by mr. Warnell who af
firmed himself to be the Inventor &. maker thereof, and that wth the same charge of powder it would shoot as big
a bullett with as great a force as a common musket of 3 foot or 3 foot and half Length in the Barrell. That
Invention Consisted in making a Large and Strong chamber at the britch of the barrell. Somewt. after the same man
ner as there had been some years since some peices of ordinance made and tryed before K. Charles the 2d.
which from their shortnesse he named Puntionello. The two first tryalls were made by shooting the whole length of the
cloyster against 3 deal boords each 1 inch thick, and the effect was that the bullets did both times passe through
an inch boord & was flatted against the wall - The third shot was made at half the bredth Length of the cloyster
and the Bullet was found to haue passed cleane through two of those boords & to stick in the 3d. at 3 quarter
through it.
The same person affirmed that he had made a manageable Blunderbus that would discharge 20 bullets at once
and make them spread all from the muzzell horizontally soe as not to exceed the height of a man or the height of a man on
horsback as there was occasion which he promised likewise to shew the society at some other meeting. he Receiued the thanks
of the Company for his Ciuility. & took his Leaue./

Iune the 17. being the Fast Day the society Did not meet.

Iune the 24. The President & vicePresident being all absent the Society did not sit.

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_625  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters