| Description | ' Dr Holder in the Chair
The Minutes of the preceeding meeting were read.
Then Sir John Hoskins his account in writing of the Booke of Mines sent by Seignor Malpighi intituled Practica Minerali trattato del Marco F marco Antonio Della Fratta and Montalbano was read and thanks ordered to be returned to him.
Hereupon was occasioned severall discourses about Authors that had weritten concerning Mines, and paricularly concerning Lazarus Erkar who was said to be very much esteemed for his knowledg and discourse on that subject but being written in the High Dutch was understood by few here in England. It was therefore moved that some indeavours should be used to get the said Treatise translated into English. Mr Henshaw said that he had the Booke by him and that he would be willing to lend the Booke provided some one would take the paines to doe it. Hereupon Mr Hooke was desired to peruse the Booke and to give what assistance he could in the doeing of it which he promised to doe.
Dr Allein proposed that it might be tried with Mr Pappins Engine whether Corall and Talk [talc] boyled well in the same would be reduced to a softnes which was accordingly ordered to be done.
Mr Hooke delivered in a Germane Booke which he received from Mr Henshaw being an Account of the appearance of the Comet before and after its conjunction with the Sun this was sent by Sir Peter Wych from Hamborough [Hamburgh] as a Present to the Society. It was desired that Mr Henshaw would returne the Societie's thanks to Sir Peter for this his present, and to desire him to send over such other new things in Mathematicks and Philosophy as should be there published during his stay there.
It was alsoe desired that some Account of the said Booke should be preserved for the Society.
Dr Gale produced two Letters he had lately received the one from C. Sturmius the other from J. Helvelius of Dantzick [Danzig] Dr Gale Read the Letter of Sturmius, but that of Mr Hevelius was respited till the next meeting.
Mr Aubery Presented the Society with Five books the Names of which were [names not listed in minutes]
Thanks were given to Mr Aubery and the Bookes were Ordered to be put into the Societies Library.
The Experiments made with Mr Pappins boyling Engine were in order to examine the power of it in softening Beeffes bones and Wood, but though the fire was urged soe long till a drop of Water would evaporate in 3 Seconds of time yet upon suffering the Engine to coole and then opening it and examining the sustances it was found that neither the Wood nor yet the bones were at all considereably altered in their hardnes. '
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