(493)
Some Observations
This Italian Virtuoso, famous for his knowledge and curiosity, as well as for his Hospitality to ingenious strangers, did in a late Letter of his to the Publisher, impart the following Particulars.
1. In the Valley of Lancy, which runs between the Mountains of Turin, grows a Plant like the Doronicum, (so also called by the Inhabitants and Botanists;) near the roots whereof you may find pure Quicksilver, running in small grains like Pearls; the juice of which Plant being expressed, and exposed to the Air of a clear night, there will be found as much Mercury, as there is lost of ]uice. * * This may be compared with those Relations, which acquaint us, that in Moravia, Hungary, Peru, and other parts; Mineral juices concreted are found to stick to the roots of Herbs and Trees, some of those juices tinging also the Leaves of Vegetables.
2. In a Voyage he made a few years since to Genoa, when he was to pass some mountains, he met with some Peasants, who digging on the sides of an Hill, had found and gathered very many Cockle-shels of divers kinds; which he wondring at, stopped his intended journey, and went to the very place, where he was satisfied of the truth of the relation, finding great store of different shells, as the Turbinets, Echini, and some Pearl-shells, whereof one had a fair Pearl in it, which, he saith, he put into his Repository.
Observations Made by a Curious and Learned Person, sailing from England, to the Caribe-Islands.
These Observations shall be set down in the Authors own words, as they were obtained from him by Sir R. Moray; viz.
