“ And First, if the ground, on which I went in framing this Baroscope, be demanded, the answer in short may be; 1.⁠That, though the Glass-buble, and the Glass-counterpoise, at the time of their first being weigh'd, be in the Air, wherein they both are weigh'd, exactly of the same weight; yet they are nothing near of the same bulk; the Buble, by reason of its capacious cavity (which contains nothing but Air, or something that weighs less than Air) being perhaps a hundred or two hundred times (for I have not convenience to measure them) bigger than the Metal line counterpoise. ”

“ It shews, that not only the Air has weight, but a more considerable one, than some Learned men, who will allow me to have prov'd, it has some weight, will admit; since even the variation of weight in so small a quantity of Air, as is but equal in bulk to an Orange, is manifestly discoverable upon such Ballances, as are none of the nicest.⁠3. ”

“ And if the Ballance be accommodated with a divided Arch, or a Wheel and Index, these Observations will assist you for the future to determine readily, by seeing the inclination of the Cock or the degree mark'd by the Index, what pollency the Buble hath, by the change of the Atmospheres weight, acquired or lost. ”

“ In the Third he treats of all the Circumstances, observable in the Inundation of the Nile. 'Tis affirm'd, that 3 or 4 days before that River begins to overflow, all its water is troubled: that then there falls a certain Dew, which hath a fermenting vertue, and leavens a Paste exposed to the Air: that the Mud, which has been drawn out of the water, grows heavier, when the overflowing begins, then it was before, and that by the increase of the weight of that Mud, they judge of the greatness of the approaching inundation. ”

“ First, that the Waters of the Nile are Nitrous, explicating the Nature of Salt, and Saltpeter, and imputing the fertility of the Earth, as well as the fecundity of Animals, to Salt. Where he shews, that all things, that serve to improve Land, are full of Salt; and that 'tis observ'd, that grain steep'd in Vrine, before sowing, rises sooner, and becomes fuller and stronger, than else. ”

“ And consequently, that since it appear'd by the Baroscope, that the weight of the Air was sometimes heavier, and sometimes lighter, the alterations of it, in point of gravity, from the weight, it was off at first counterpoising of the Buble of it, would unequally affect so large and hollow a Body, as the Buble, and so small and dense a one, as a Metallin weight; And when the Air by an increase of gravity should become a heavier Medium, than before, it would buoy up the Glass more than the Counterpoise ”

“ For many will finde it more easie, to procure a good pair of Gold-scales, and a Buble or two, than a long Cane seal'd, a quantity of Quick-silver, and all the other requisits of the Mercurial Baroscope; especially if we comprise the trouble and skill, that is requisite to free the deferred part of the Tube from Air.⁠4. And whereas the difficulty of removing the Mercurial Instrument has kept men from so much as attempting to do it, even to neighbouring places ”

“ And, though a single Buble of competent bigness be much preferable, by reason, that a far less quantity and weight of Glass is requisite to comprise an equal capacity, when the Glass is blown into a single Buble, than when it is divided into two; yet I found, that the employing of two instead of one, did not so ill answer my expectations, but that they may for a need serve the turn instead of the other; than which they are more easier to be procured: And if the Ballance be strong enough to bear so much Glass, without being injur'd ”

“ Namely, that by exactly poysing the Buble at the foot of a high Steeple or Hill, and carrying it in its close Frame to the top, one may, by the weight requisite to be added to Counterpoise there to bring the Beam to its Horizontal position, observe the difference of the weight of the Air at the bottom, and at the top; and, in case the Hill be high enough, at some intermediate Stations. But how far this may assist men, to estimate the Absolute or Comparative height of Mountains, and other elevated Places ”

“ Buratini observes, that at the time of this inundation, the Niter-pits of the neighbouring places vomit out liquid Niter, and that one may see issue out of the Earth abundance of Chrystals of Nitre, is alledged to fortify this conjecture; Which is yet more confirm'd by the Fertility, communicated to the Earth by the Mud of this River. For, plants do grow there in such abundance, that they would choak one another, if it were not remedied by throwing Sand upon the Fields ”

“ And though there be no Baroscope there, yet if there be an additional weight, as for instance, the 16th part of a Grain requisite to be added to the Buble, to bring the scales to an Æquilibrium, it will appear that the Air at this second place is, at that time so much heavier, than the Air of the former place was, when the Mercury stood at 291/2 inches. ”

“ In the Fourth and Fifth, the Author undertakes to prove, that all those strange effects cannot be attributed to Rain or Snow, and that the overflowing of the Nile always happens at a certain day.
In the Last, he alledges some Relations, serving to confirm his Opinion: which are too long here to insist upon. ”

“ And though our English Air be about a thousand times lighter, than water, the difference in weight of so little Air, as is but equal in bulk to a Buble, seem'd to give small hopes, that it would be sensible upon a Ballance ”

“ How the Kingdom of China is peopled; there being according to the best computation (which is there made with singular care) above 58 millions of Men, not counting Magistrates, Soldiers, Priests, Eunuchs, Women and Children ”

“ Adding, that that, which renders the Seed of Animals prolific, is, that one of the Spermatick veins hath its Origine from the Emulgent, through which the Nitrous and Saline Serosities, that discharge themselves into the Kidneys and Bladder, do pass. ”

“ That the people of China are exceeding industrious Husbandmen making, among other waies of improving their soils, great use of Flouding.
5. That the Physicians of China do cure Sickness with much ease, and in a short time: That they have very ancient Books of the nature and vertues of Herbs, Trees and Stones: That their Modern Physicians (as well as their Ancient ones did) write of the Prognosticks, Causes, Effects, &c. ”

“ That, whereas Febr. 6. (st.n.) he saw the Spots of the first Face of Mars, moving from eleven of the Clock in the night, until break of day, they appear'd not afterwards in the Evening after the rising of that Planet (witness several intelligent persons, which he names, that were present at the Observations) Whence he infers, that after 12 hours and 20 minuts, the same Spots did not come about; since that the same, which in the morning were seen in the middle, upon the rising of Mars ”

“ Hook to Baroscope) may be made to shew much more minute variations, than otherwise.
Seventhly, And the length of the Beam, and exquisitness of the Ballance, may easily, without any of the foregoing helps (and much more with them) make the instrument far exacter, than any of those, I was reduced to employ. And to these Accommodations divers others may be suggested by a farther consideration of the nature of the thing, and a longer practice.
Tough in some respects this Statical Baroscope be inferior to the Mercurial; yet in others it has its own advantages and conveniences above it. ”

“ He represents, that some other Astronomers have also made at Rome several Observations of these Spots of Mars, from March 14/24. to March 20/30 with Glasses, wrought by Eustachio Divini, of 25. and 45. Palmes: Which Spots he makes little differing from his own, of the first Face ”

“ That they have such an excellent skill and method in feeling the Pulse, that by the means thereof they discover even the most latent causes of Diseases; taking a good half hour, when they visit a Patient, in feeling and examining his Pulse: That they prescribe much the use of The ”

“ S for the New kind of Baroscopes, which, not long agoe,**See Num. 11. p. 185. Phil. Transactions. I intimated to you, that my haste would not permit me to give you an account off; since your Letters acquaint me, that you still design a Communicating to the Curious as much Information, as may be, in reference to Baroscopes ”