The Inquiries you proposed to me, I did impart to several of my Learned
friends: But hitherto I have attained an Answer but to few particulars.
Among the rest you'l find a Letter of the Learned _Johannes Schefferus_,
Professor in the _Swedish_ University at _Vpsall_, wherein he discourses
handsomly of several things, being ready to entertain a Literary Commerce
with you about such matters. Touching _Amber_, I am almost of the same mind
with him, that it is a kind of _Fossil Pitch_ or _Bitumen_, seeing it is
not only found on the Shore of the _Borussian_ Sea, but also digg'd up in
subterraneous places, some _German_ miles distant from the {347} and that
not only in Sandy, but also in other Hills of firmer Earth; of which I have
seen my self pretty big pieces. Concerning _Swallows_, I have frequently
heard Fisher-men affirm, that they have here often fish'd them out of the
Lakes, in the Winter; but I never have seen it my self. Whilst I am writing
this, I receive Letters out of _Denmark_, advertising me, that those two
Learned men, _Thomas_ and _Erasmus Bartholin_, do intend shortly to answer
the same _Quaeries_. Next Winter, if God vouchsafe me life and health, I
purpose to make a Journey to _Konigs-berg_, where I hope to learn many
things, especially about _Amber_.

_Thus far in answer to those Inquiries for the present._

To this he subjoyns other things, no less fit to be communicated to the
Curious, in these words;

The Books you have sent me over sea, I have not yet received: I wish, they
were all translated into Latin; for I have not _English_ enough, to
understand all particulars perfectly. For the rest, you have obliged me, by
communicating the Observations of the last _Eclipse_ of the _Sun_, aswell
those made in _England_, as those of _Paris_ and _Madrid_. That I may
requite you in some measure, I send you my Observations both of _that_, and
the _Moons_ last _Eclipse_. In the _Sun's Eclipse_, this is chiefly
observable, That the _Semidiameter_ of the _Moon_ from the very beginning,
to about 5. or 6. digits of the increasing _Phasis_ was much less than the
_Rudolphin_ Account imports. For it was then almost equal to the
_Semidiameter_ of the _Sun_: but, after the greatest Obscuration, when I
again contemplated the _Moons Semidiameter_, I found it 8" or 9" bigger
than that of the _Sun_; so that the _Semidiameter_ of the _Moon_ was not
always, during this Eclipse, constant to it self. It will therefore be
wor