An Acconnt of the Sunk Island in Humber, Some Years Since Recover'd from the Sea. Being an Extract of a Letter Communicated to the Royal Society by John Chamberlayne, Esq; R. S. S.

Another lump of the same Crassamentum being weigh'd in the same manner, its Specifick Gravity was 1082.9. Sept. 18. 1719. I found the Specifick Gravity of another piece of Crassamentum to be 1082.1. A second piece from the Blood of a different Person gave me 1086.1. A third from the same Person gave 1086.6. From this it follows that the Specifick Gravity of the Blood Globules is at least 1084, which is the Medium between these five Experiments. But if we allow one half of the bulk of the Crassamentum to consist of Serum, filling up the Spaces between the Blood Globules, we shall find their Specifick Gravity to be 1138. From this we must make a small abatement, because some part of the Serum must have been squeeze'd out from between the Globules, by their yielding to one another's Pressure, when the lump of Crassamentum lay upon the Paper: and this will reduce their Specifick Gravity sufficiently near to 1126, as we had before determin'd it. IV. An Account of the Sunk Island in Humber, some Years since recover'd from the Sea. Being an Extract of a Letter Communicated to the Royal Society by John Chamberlayne, Esq; R. S. S. This Island goes by the name of the Sunk Island, so called I suppose from the sinking Marsh Ground about it. As for its Original one may make pretty sure Conjectures of that I believe, because 'tis yet within in the memory of Man, since it began to raise its Head above the Ocean, there being several old People here alive, who can remember when there appeared nothing of it but a vast and barren Sand; and that only at Low-Water too, when for the space of a few Hours it shewed its Head, and then was buried again till the next Tides Retreat: thus successively it liv'd and died until the Year 1666, when it began to maintain its ground against the insult of the Waves; about which time it began to be rescued wholly from future danger, by the Care and Industry of Colonel Gilby, who having, as I am inform'd, a Lease or Gift of it from the Crown, did raise Banks about the rising Grounds of it, and so defending it from the Encroachments of the Water, it became Firm and Solid; and in a short time afforded good Pasturage for Sheep and other Cattel. The Expences at first to improve it to what it is, must needs have been very considerable; it being compass'd with high Banks, and deep Canals for receiving and discharging the Liquid Element, which every now and then notwithstanding threatens to re-possest itself of its ancient Hereditament, but hitherto in vain; for I now acquaint you of its present Safety. This Island is now about 9 Miles in Circumference, within the Banks, which seem to render it impregnable against all future attacks of the Sea, and is of a very fat and fertile Soil, affords good Grass, Corn and Hay, and is replenished with numerous flocks of Sheep, which are of a larger Size and finer Wool than those in Holderness, from which it is divided by about two Miles in Water; and from Lincolnshire by about four. It is stor'd with vast numbers of Rabits, that seem innumerable, they appearing through all Parts in prodigious Swarms; their Skins are counted the finest in England, of a dark Mouse Colour, Shagg'd, and soft as Silk. There are also Cows and Horses feeding constantly in the Place, with great plenty of Wild Foul. The Inhabitants are not so numerous, there being only three Families that live constantly upon the Place; however they are never too solitary, there being abundance of Workmen and Labourers that continually resort thither, sometimes I am told to the number of a Hundred and upwards, for the repairing of the Banks, &c. The Yearly Income of the Proprietor Mr. Gilby, amounts to about 800l. and pays the King's Taxes to those who Collect for the East-Riding, and is usually uplifted by those of the Liberty and Township of Ottringham, from the Marshes of which there is a Passage over the Sands to the Sunk at Low-water. But this Custom of paying the King's Cess to them, proceeds only from the conveniency, not Necessity; for it never belong'd to that or any other Parish, so that I cannot resolve you in what Diocese this Island lies, unless it had been united to some neighbouring Parish, or converted to one of itself; which if effected, the Fyth of Lambs, Wool and Rabits, &c. would make up a handsome Benefice. It lies nearer indeed to the Diocese of York, by at least two Miles, than to that of Lincoln, being two Miles South of Holderness, in the River Humber, and four Miles North of Lincolnshire, &c. Welwick, April 14. 1717.