Enquiries for Greenland

on one branch, and a Lemon on another branch; as also (consonantly to the Florentine information) one and the same Fruit half Orange and half Lemon; and sometimes three quarters of one kind, and one quarter of the other. 3. A Provencial at Paris pretends to keep Orange-trees in that Town all the Winter long without any Fire, though they remain in the Earth, and not be put in Cases or Boxes. This is thought to be effected by a peculiar sort of Dung used for that purpose, and wrought deep into the Ground. Q. Why should not the Experiment of some such thing be made about London, whose Latitude is but so little more Northward than that of Paris? Enquiries for Greenland. To discharge our Promise made in the last Transactions, we shall subjoin the following Queries, which we also purpose to recommend in due season, to some of those English Masters of Ships, and other fit persons, that shall Sail into Greenland for the whale-fishing; intreating withall, as many as have conveniency, to assist us in these recommendations. The Enquiries are, 1. What, and how much is the heat of the Sun there in the midst of the Summer, compar'd with the heat of it in England? to be observed with a seal'd Thermometer. 2. What is the most constant weather there in Summer, whether Clear, Cloudy, Rainy, Foggy &c. 3. What weather is most usual at such and such times of the year? 4. What constancy or unconstancy there is of the Wind to this or that quarter of the Horizon, or to this or that part of the year? 5. What the Temperature of each particular Wind is observ'd to be? And particularly, whether the North-Wind be the coldest? If not, what wind is? whether is the colder, the East or West, &c. 6. What Wind is observed to bring most Ice, and what to make a clear Water at Sea? 7. What Currents there are? How fast, and which way they set? Whether those Currents are not stronger at one time of the Moon than at another? Whether they always run one way? 8. What is observable about the Tides, Spring or Neap? How How high the High-water Mark is above the Low-water? Which way it floweth? Which way it ebbeth? What time of the Moon the Spring-tides fall out? 9. Whether the Ice that floats in the Sea be of Salt Water or fresh? 10. What Rivers there are in the Summer, and what fresh Water can be had? 11. What fowl are found to live there, and what Beasts? How they are thought to subsist in Winter? How they breed and feed their young? 12. What Vegetables grow there, and whether they yield any Flowers or Fruits? &c. 13. Whether there have been any Thunder or Lightning observed in those parts? 14. How deep the Cold penetrates into the Earth? Whether there be any Wells, Pits, or Mines so deep, that the Cold does not touch the bottom thereof? 15. How the Land tends? and whether the Parts under or near the Pole be by those, that have gone farthest that way, thought to be Sea or Land? How near any hath been known to approach the Pole, and whether the Cold increaseth with the increase of Latitude? 16. To make, if possible, some Experiments and Observations about the Magnet or Needle; and particularly, how much the Declination is there? and whether they do exactly observe the Degrees of Declination in their course? Likewise to make Observations about the Height of the Sun, and other Celestial Bodies, and their Diameter, Refractions? &c. 17. What is their opinion concerning the North-east passage? 18. What Fish do most frequent those Seas, besides Whales? Anything observable in their Fishing, as the usual or unusual bigness, strength, and the several sorts of Whales; and particularly to observe whether that kind of Whales they call Trompa, have in their Heads the Sperma Ceti, and in their Entrails the Ambergrise, looking like Cows-dung, as was alledged out of Purchas in Numb. 28. pag. 538? 19. To give in an exact Relation of the Whale-fishing, throwing the Harp-Irons, following the Fish, &c. 20. To describe the whole manner of making the Oyl of Whales. An Account of the SYNOPSIS NOVÆ PHILOSOPHIÆ & MEDICINÆ Francisci Travagini Medici Veneti. Some Months since there were two Letters sent hither from Venice from Signor Franciscus Travagino, giving notice of a Treatise of his ready for the Press, under the Title of NOVA PHILOSOPHIA & MEDICINA. Those Letters came accompanied with a Synopsis in Print,