Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society - Vol 1 - 1666 / Giving some Accompt of the present Undertakings, Studies, and Labours of the Ingenious in many considerable parts of the World

by Various

First, in the Earth it self, may be observ'd, its dimensions, scituation, East, West, North, and South: its Figure, its Plains, and Valleys, and their Extent; its Hills and Mountains, and the height of the tallest, both in reference to the neighbouring Valleys or Plains, and in reference to the Level of the Sea: As

also, whether the Mountains lye scattered, or in ridges, and whether those run North and South, or East and West, &c. What Promontories, fiery or smoaking Hills, &c. the Country has, or hath not: Whether the Country be coherent, or much broken into Ilands. What the Magnetical Declination is in several places, and the Variations of that Declination in the same place (and, if either of those be very considerable, then, what circumstances may assist one to guess at the Reason as Subterraneal fires, the Vicinity of Iron-mines, &c.) what the Nature of the Soyle is, whether Clays, Sandy, &c. or good Mould; and what Grains, Fruits, and other Vegetables, do the most naturally agree with it: As also, by what particular Arts and Industries the Inhabitants improve the Advantages, and remedy the Inconveniences of their Soyl: What hidden qualities the Soyl may have (as that of Ireland, against Venemous Beasts, &c.)

Secondly, above the ignobler Productions of the Earth, there must be a careful account given of the Inhabitants themselves, both Natives and Strangers, that have been long settled there: And in particular, their Stature, Shape, Colour, Features, Strength, Agility, Beauty (or the want of it) Complexions, Hair, Dyet, Inclinations, and Customs that seem not due to Education. As to their Women (besides the other things) may be observed their Fruitfulness or Barrenness; their hard or easy Labour, &c. And both in Women and Men must be taken notice of what diseases they are subject to, and in these whether there be any symptome, or any other Circumstance, that is unusual and remarkable.

As to the External Productions of the Earth, the Inquiries may be such as these: What Grasses, Grains, Herbs, (Garden and Wild) Flowers, Fruit-trees, Timber-trees (especially any Trees, whose wood is considerable) Coppices, Groves, Woods, Forrests, &c. the Country has or wants: What peculiarities are observable in any of them: What Soyles they most like or dislike; and with what Culture they thrive best. What Animals the Country has or wants, both as to wild Beasts, Hawks, and other Birds of Prey; and as to Poultrey, and

Cattle of all sorts, and particularly, whether it have any Animals, that are not common, or any thing, that is peculiar in those, that are so.

The Internal Productions or Concealments of the Earth are here understood to be, the riches that ly hid under the Ground, and are not already referr'd to other Inquiries.

Among these Subterraneal observations may be taken notice of, what sorts of Minerals of any kind they want, as well as what they have; Then, what Quarries the Country affords, and the particular conditions both of the Quarries and the Stones: As also, how the Beds of Stone lye, in reference to North and South, &c. What Clays and Earths it affords, as Tobacco-pipe-clay, Marles, Fullers-earths, Earths for Potters wares, Bolus's and other medicated Earths: What other Minerals it yields, as Coals, Salt-Mines, or Salt-springs, Allom, Vitrial, Sulphur, &c. What Mettals the Country yields; and a description of the Mines, their number, scituation, depth, signs, waters, damps, quantities of ore, goodness of ore, extraneous things and ways of reducing their ores into Mettals, &c.

To these General Articles of inquiries (saith their Proposer) should be added; 1 Inquiries about Traditions concerning all particular things, relating to that Country, as either peculiar to it, or at least, uncommon elsewhere, 2 Inquiries, that require Learning or Skill in the Answerer: to which should be subjoyned Proposals of ways, to enable men to give Answers to these more difficult inquiries.

Thus far our Author, who, as he has been pleased to impart these General (but yet very Comprehensive and greatly Directive) Articles; so, 'tis hoped from his own late intimation, that he will shortly enlarge them with Particular and Subordinate ones. These, in the mean time, were thought fit to be publisht, that the Inquisitive and Curious, might, by such an Assistance, be invited not to delay their searches of matters, that are so highly conducive to the improvement of True Philosophy, and the wellfare of Mankind.