Account of Books

and accordingly, taking her under my Consideration, I had all the Success I could wish for, which perhaps may not be unacceptable to the Curious, if I publish in one of the next Transactions. XII Account of Books. 1. Voyages and Discoveries in South America: The First up the River of Amazons to Quito in Peru, and back again to Brazil, performed at the Command of the King of Spain, by Christopher D'Acugna. The Second, up the River of Plate, and thence by Land to the Mines of Potosi, by M. Acarete. The Third, from Cayenne into Guiana, in search of the Lake of Parima, reputed the richest Place in the World, by M. Grillet, and Bechamel. Done into English from the Originals, being the only Accounts of those Parts hitherto extant, with Maps. London, Printed for Sam. Buckly, at the Dolphin in Fleet Street. Father D'Acugna, begins with a short Account of some remarkable Attempts that had been made unsuccessfully at several times by the Spaniards, to discover the River of Amazons; and then proceeds to the perfect Discovery of it, by Don Pedro de Texeira, who in the Year 1637, set out from Para in Brazil, with 70 Portuguese, and 1200 Indians in 47 Canoos, and passing up the River with much difficulty, got to Quito in Peru: The News whereof being sent to the Viceroy of Peru residing at Lima, he ordered General Texeira to return to Para by the same way he came, and Two able Spaniards (of which our Author was one) to embark with him, to take an Account of the Course of the River, and the Country and People along it: and then to go to Spain to acquaint his Catholick Majesty with their Discoveries. Accordingly they left Quito in Jan. 1639, and were Ten Months going down the River to Para. From thence F. C. D'Acugna went to Spain, and presented the King his Master with an ample Account of what he had observ'd upon this great River, which was published at Madrid, 1641. but within a Year after, the Portuguese making themselves Masters of all Brazil, and consequently of the Mouth of the Amazons, it was judg'd necessary to suppress the said Book, both in Spain and America, for the following Reason; the frequent sacking of their Towns, and seizing of their Ships by the English, French, and Dutch, put Philip the Third upon searching out new Ways of Transporting the Treasures of Peru, Chili, and Granada, into Spain; to which End (the Coasts about, and in the Gulf of Mexico, being as well known as those in Europe) orders were dispatch'd from the Court at Madrid to the Governors of Brazil and Peru, to attempt the Navigation of the great River of Amazons, that if it were found practicable, the Gold, Silver, and other Merchandizes of Peru, and the adjacent Countries might be safely and commodiously sent down to Para, to be put on board the Galleons, which would lie less expos'd there, than at Cartagena, Porto Belo, or Vera Cruz, the Soundings of the Mouth of that River being unknown, and dangerous to Strangers. Now the Iefs of Brazil spoiling this Project, and no further Use being to be made of the Discovery by the Spaniards, they were not willing any other People shouldbeth e better for it, and hence the Copy of this Book became so scarce that Mr. Gomber Ville lays, there was not above Two in Europe, when he translated it into French, the Introduction to our English Version informs us, what Proposals were made by the Count de Pagan to Cardinal Mazarine, in 1655, for Conquering and Planting this great River, but he, being involv'd in Domestick Troubles, was not at leisure to undertake it; nor has it been attempted since, by any Europeans. By the Account which Father D'Acugna gives of this River, it takes its Rise Eight Leagues from Quito, within Twenty Minutes of the Equinoctial Line, runs from East to West, coasting along the South Side of the Equinoctial Line, and is not distant from it, above Five Degrees, in the greatest of its Windings; the narrowest part of it is a Quarter of a League broad, in some Places it is One, in others Two, Three, and Four Leagues wide; and after a Course of above 1200 Leagues, discharges itself into the Sea, by a Mouth 84 Leagues broad, and is so deep, that a Ship of the largest Size may go up almost to its Source. Not to descend to particulars, he tells us in general, that the Country is Rich and Fertile, abounding in Corn, Wood, and Cattle, not without Mines of Gold; the Inhabitants numerous, handsom and ingenious, but different in their Language and Government. He has likewise taken Care to mark the Distances of Places all along the River, and what is peculiarly remarkable in each, either of the Inhabitants or Products of the Earth. In a Word, he has shewn himself perfectly qualified for the Business he was sent upon, which requir'd no less Sincerity than Accuracy and Judgment, and has given us a very entertaining Description of the noblest River in the World, and the richest Tract of Land in all America. The Two other Voyages in this Book, were judg'd proper to accompany this, as describing Two other Large Parts Parts of America, whereof till now, we had but imperfect Accounts. 2. Traite du Cancer, ou l'on explique sa nature, & ou l'on propose les moyens les plus surs pour le guerir Methodiquement. Avec un examen du système & de la pratique de Mr. Helvetius. Par Mr. J. B. Alliot, Conseiller du Roy, Medecin ordinaire de sa Majeste, & de la Bastille, Paris, 1698. in 8vo. The Father of the Author of this Treatise, Petrus Alliot, who lived in Lorrain, and was Physician to the Dukes of that Name in that Country, had made a particular inquiry into the Nature and Cure of Cancers and Cancerous Tumours. The King of France hearing of his Reputation at the Time when the Queen-Mother was troubled with this Disease, sent for him to Paris, whither the Author came with his Father, and profited under him in the Management of this Disease. The Author, after some general Preliminaries, distinguishes Cancers into such as are apparent or occult. He thinks the Cancer to come from Acids, and to be best cured by Alkalies, and absorbing Medicines. He finds Fault with Monsieur Helvetius, for not understanding the Ancients, Moderns, or his own System of this Disease, and at last proposes his Father's Method (which Ettmuller had some Notice of, as appears by Quotations in this Book) which is by a Medicine made of red Arsenick, or Realgar Powdered, and put into a very strong Lixivial, the Dissolution is power'd off by Inclination, it is filtrated, and to this Liquor is put Vinegar of Lead, till nothing precipitates. This Powder precipitated is sweetned by Twelve or Fifteen times pouring warm Water on it. The last Water ought to come off insipid, then burn either pure Spirit of Wine, Five or Six Six times on it, or such to which is put a Tincture of Opium, then powder it, and it is ready for use. But both for the Reasonings on this Disease, and the Use of this Medicine, recourse ought to be had to the Book itself. XIII. A Catalogue of Books lately publish'd, not mentioned in these Transactions. Museum regium, seu Catalogus rerum tam naturalium, quam artificialium, quae in basilica bibliotheca augustissimi Danicæ Norvegiæq; Monarchæ Christiani quinti Hassiniæ asservantur descriptus ab Oligero Jacobæo. Han. 1696. fol. Godefridi Bidloo, vindiciae quarundam delineationum anatomicarum contra ineptas animadversiones, Fred. Ruyschii. Lugd. Bat. 1697. 4to. Frederici Ruyschii Responsio ad Godefridi Bidloi libellum cui nomen vindiciarum inscripsit, Amst. 1697. in 4to. Christiani a Steenveld dissertatio de ulcere verminoso. Lugd. Bat. 1697. in 4to. Bibliotheca Hispana vetus, sive Hispanorum qui usquam unquamve scripto aliquid consignaverunt, notitia. Complectens Scriptores omnes qui ab Octaviani Augusti imperio usq; ad annum 1500. floruerunt. Auctore Nicolaio Antonio, opus posthumum. Rom. 1696. fol. Corpus pharmaceutico-chymico-medicum sive concordantia pharmaceuticorum compositorum, ad mentem clarissimorum, virorum hinc inde breviter illustrata. Studio & Opera Joannis Helfrici Jungken Physici Francofurtensis. Francof. 1697. 8vo. Cours de Chymie par Nicolas Lemery. 9e. edition. Paris, 1697. 8vo. Jo. Conradi Barchufen, pyrosophia, in tres partes divisa, quarum 1. Jatrochemiam; altera rem metallicam,