412 NATURAL HISTORY. 



of mixtures of water in ponds for cattle, to make them 

 more milch, or to fatten them, or to keep them from 

 murrain. It may he chalk and nitre are of the 

 best. 



Experiment solitary touching sand of the nature, of 

 glass. 



779. It is reported, that in the valley near the 

 mountain Carmel in Judea there is a sand, which of 

 all other hath most affinity with glass : insomuch as 

 other minerals laid in it turn to a glassy substance 

 without the fire ; and again, glass put into it turneth 

 into the mother sand. The thing is very strange, if 

 it be true : and it is likeliest to be caused by some 

 natural furnace or heat in the earth : and yet they 

 do not speak of any eruption of flames. It were 

 good to try in glass-works, whether the crude mate 

 rials of glass, mingled with glass already made, and 

 remolten, do not facilitate the making of glass with 

 less heat. 



Experiment solitary touching the growth of coral. 



780. In the sea, upon the south-west of Sicily, 

 much coral is found. It is a submarine plant. It 

 hath no leaves : it brancheth only when it is under 

 water ; it is soft, and green of colour ; but being 

 brought into the air, it becometh hard and shining 

 red, as we see. It is said also to have a white berry ; 

 but we find it not brought over with the coral. Be 

 like it is cast away as nothing worth : inquire better 

 of it, for the discovery of the nature of the plant. 



