Britannia Baconica: or, The natural rarities of England, Scotland, & Wales. According as they are to be found in every shire. Historically related, according to the precepts of the Lord Bacon; methodically digested; and the causes of may of them philosophically attempted. With observations upon them, and deductions from them, whereby divers secrets in nature are discovered, and some things hitherto reckoned prodigies, are fain to confess the cause whence they proceed. Usefull for all ingenious men of what profession of quality soever. / By J. Childrey.

SURREY.

THis County is commended for a healthful air; the cause is its sandiness, and being an Inland County.

Under Holmecastle, standing upon a Hill of Grit or crumbling stone, is a great Vault of Ar∣ched Work. Architects tel us, that Arched Work is the more firm, by how much the greater weight lies upon it.

The River Mole runs above a mile under ground and at the place where it falls into the ground groweth abundance of Box naturally. Inquiry might be made by Herbarists, whether the Earth be not of the same nature and com∣position, where the same Vegetables grow natu∣rally.

Near Non-such is a Vein of Potters Earth much commended, of which Crueibles are made for melting of Gold, &c.

The rising of a Bourn or stream near Croydon (as the common people hold) presageth death, as the Plague; and it hath been observed to fall out so. The rising of Bourns in places where they run not alwayes, we have before pro∣ved to be caused by great wet years, which (ac∣cording

to HYpocrates observation) are gene∣rally the most sickly; and if they prove hot, as wel as wet, (because heat and moisture are the great disposers to putrifaction) they prove al∣so malignant, and for the most part pestilential. And the reason why the using of this Bourn doth not always presage the Plague, is because all wet years do not presage hot.

It is observed, that few or no Rivers do ebb and flow so far up from the Sea, as the River of Thames, which flows up as high as Richmond in this Shire: The reason of which is very plain, depending chiefly upon two very great causes. The first is the coming in of the flood, at both ends of this Island, that is, from the Westward by the Cape of Cornwall, and from the North∣ward, by the North end of Scotland, which (as our Books of Navigation tell us) meet at a Rock called the Galloper (which lyes right against the mouth of the River of Thames, between it and the coast of Holland and Flanders, about the mid-way) with very great noise and rippling: Now the two floods (as I said) meeting here, must needs hinder the course of each other, and by consequence make the Sea swell much in this place, and so easily discharge it self by a strong flood into the neighboring River of Thames, ly∣ing so conveniently for its reception. The other cause is the motion of the Earth from West to East, whibh carrying the banks of the Thames a∣long towards the place where the mouth of it was but now, must needs (as it were) draw the Water into it, by leaving it behind. And perad∣venture

upon enquiry, it will be found that the floods run more strongly (for this reason) up into those Rivers that discharge themselves into the sea on the East side of a great Iland or Con∣tinent, then those on the West side; and that where there are Currents or Streams that run thwart on upon a shore, they beat more violent∣ly (in calm weather) upon Eastern, then Western shores. But whether this be the reason why on the East side of the Continents of Asia, Africa, and America, there be many more small Islands, then on the Western side of those Continents, (for so our Maps inform us, witness Japan, the Philippine Islands, the Moluccos, the Maldivae, the two Javas, Sumatra, Madagascar, &c. on the Ea∣stern side of Asia and Africk, and the great swarm of Islands, called, the Summer Islands, (to which we may ad those vast shoulds on the coast of Brasil, (on the Eastern side of America) or whether it be from the constant Intra-tropical Eastwind that galls the Lee-shores, and hath in long process of time carved them so curiously into Islands, is hard to say at present, but must be left to a more through disquisition.

The Waters of Ebbesham in this shire are very famous, and much frequented for their Medici∣nal virtue, and purging by siege. These Waters without doubt receive their Tincture from some Mineral-Mass that lurks in the neighbor∣ing-hills (it may be under Banstead-Downs) and that the bowels of the earth hereabout are preg∣nant of some such matter, seeming by that Cru∣cible-Clay (mentioned but now) found about

Non-such, which (as I am told) blushes some∣thing like Terra Lemnia in some places.

It is reported, that on the hills by Farneham are Snake-stones to be found, of the form (but not of the colour) of those at Alderley in Gloce∣stershire.