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A Piece of Opacous yellow AMBER half a foot long. Given by Thomas Henshaw Esq. Found, with se∣veral lesser pieces, in digging of a Ditch under the Walls of Rensburge in Holstein, eighteen feet under ground. Which place is at least five and twenty miles both from the Baltick and German Seas.
A Piece of AMBER of the colour of Honey.
A Piece of clear yellow AMBER. Given by Captain Tailor.
Another yellow Piece, semiperspicuous; from the same Hand.
A Ball of yellow and opacous AMBER.
A Piece of clear yellow Amber, with a CICADA drowned in it.
A Piece of Citrine Amber, with several GNATS im∣mersed.
A little Ball of citrine Amber, with an immersed Em∣met.
A Heart of yellow Amber, with two FLIES.
Two or three more Pieces, with some other INSECTS. In Septalius's Musaeum, is one so large as to bury a Frog. And Boetius a 1.1 affirms that Pieces are found sometimes as big as a mans Head.
Found in great quantity in Pomerania, and upon the Coast of Prussia in the Baltick-Sea. The Elector of Branden∣burge, Soveraign of that Coast, farmes it out b 1.2 for twenty Thousand Crowns yearly. Also plentiful on the Coasts of Soffala, Mosambique and Melinde.
Boetius describes a Powder, c 1.3 in which Amber is the chief Ingredient, and which he highly commends for the Epilepsie both in Children and grown persons. The two Salts of Amber united, saith Terzagi, d 1.4 make an admira∣ble Specifick for that Disease.
Take Yelks of Eggs sixteen, Gum Arabick ℥ij; Gum of Cherry-Tree ℥j. Dissolve them, and set them in the Sun for an Artificial Amber. Amongst the many Opinions of the Original of Amber, I put this question, Whether it is not a kind of harden'd Petroleum?
FLAKED STONE-COAL. Lithanthrax scissilis. By some called Black Amber; not properly. For, when fir'd, it hath scarce any tast or smell. Neither doth it yield any Oil, or melt, as Amber. Only makes a very weak and thin Flame, which presently vanishes; and little smoak. Yet keeps fire for a considerable time. 'Tis black, glossy, and pretty hard. Yet being struck, easily breaketh into Flakes of a square Figure. Found in Misnia, Bohemia, &c. In some Pits two Hundred paces deep. d 1.5
A STONE taken out of the Dead-Sea. Blackish and somewhat flaky. Dissoluble with Spirit of Nitre. When fir'd, it yields a sulphurious scent. Yet the barbarous Arabi∣ans use it for fewel.
A Piece of Jet. Gagates, from Gaza a River of Lycia,
where first found. Given by Sir Rob. Moray. Of a shining colour, and in some places, flaky. It cracks when held to the fire; and in it, burns with a thick flame and smoak, and very stinking. If rub'd till its warm, it takes up pieces of Feathers, and such light Bodies. 'Tis found in France, Sicily. And in this Island, in Cleaveland, on the top of Huntley and Whitby Clifts, where the Sea-water never comes.
Pit EBONY. Ebenum fossile. Very brittle, and when held in a flame, breaks into Flakes; it burns, with a sooty smoak, into ashes; but with scarce any flame.
A parcel of ORPMENT. Auripigmentum s. Arsemicum croceum.
Native SULPHUR or BRIMSTONE, crystalliz'd, of a pale Golden colour, and semiperspicuous. Sent from Peru. The like is described in Calceolarius's Musaeum, and by Wormius.
ANOTHER Piece, of such a like colour. Found in the Pike of Tenariff, and given by Dr. George Trumbal.
A Lump of Native SULPHUR of the colour of some Olibanum Drops, or opacous yellow Amber. From the same Hand, and Place. As also,
Two Pieces of SULPHUR ORE. One, Earth, of a brown colour; the other, Stone, of a Sand-colour and gritty.
Native SULPHUR of Island. Of the colour of the common factitious Brimstone; and immersed in a stony Bed.
SULPHUR, of a curious Orange-colour, extracted out of Gold-Ore. Given by Henry Oldenburge Esq.
SULPHUR ORE of Freyberg. Here are three Pieces. One, almost of the colour of Cinabar. Put into the fire, it smells like Brimstone, but flames not. The other two, consist of blackish and ash-colour parts mixed with the red; together with some grains of Mundick. If fired, they smell like the first, but not so strongly; nor make any flame.
GREEN SULPHUR-ORE. Like that in the Copper-Mines of Suecia, mention'd by Wormius.
SULPHUR-ORE of Island. Opacous, and immersed in a blewish Glebe. If burnt, it hath the scent of Brimstone; but yet weak, and flames not.
Of the nature of Sulphur, Copperas, and Alum, see a very good Discourse in the Phil. Transactions. a 1.6 Of the Uses, see Agricola, Libavius, Crollius, &c. I have seen a Tincture of Sulphur of Mr. Boyls, brought over the Helm, which will fume all away. I remember not where he describes it, but as I take it, 'tis made with Sal Ammoniac.
De Gem. lib. 2.
Tavarn. Ind. Voyage.
De Dem. lib. 2. c. 160.
Mus. Septal.
Boet. de Gem. & L.
Num. 104.