Royal Socisty: 283 
p^rfons that can move ieveral of their bones out of joint, by ufing 
themlelves to it from children. 
Obfervations in the Eaft-Indies. Phil. Tranf. N° 243. p. 275. 
IT does not appear that the Maldivia iflands were ever joined 
to the main land, there being no Soundings^ as they call it, 
between the iflands and the main, and the earth, fand and (hells 
of the one, differing much from thoic of the other 5 the fmall 
fhells called CowrieSy which pafs for money in 'Bengal and other 
places, are found chiefly there : The north and fouth ^ole are 
not vifible under the Line 5 for in the cleared: night the honzon 
is overcall with fo thick darknefs, that no flar can be feen : Gum- 
lack is the houle of a large fort of ants, which they make on 
the boughs of trees, that defend them from the weather, It is 
certain that cloves will attra6l water at fome diftance, which is 
daily experienced amongll the ^utch in this country, who make 
confiderable advantage thereby 5 for a bag of cloves being laid 
over water one or two foot dillant from it, will in a night's time 
imbibe a confiderable quantity thereof and grow fo moift that 
the water may be preffed from them : There are oyfter lliells in 
bantam of about 18 inches long and 5 or <5 broad, and the fi/li 
within proportionable to the fhell : At "Batavia a whole duck 
was taken out of the belly of a fnake, and in Achia they killed 
a fnake that had a whole deer in its belly, and being taken out 
was fo frefli and good as to drels and eat part of it 9 they draw 
their wire in moulds of feveral fizes, gradually, as is done m 
England: The Chinefe gild paper with gold and filver leaf, 
laid on with a very good fort of varnifh, the fame they varnifli 
their lacquered wares with, all which, when thoroughly dry, they 
put in a fcrew-prefs, and with an inflrument like our plane, 
fhave it as fine as they pleale ; and fo they cut their tobacco, 
which is as fmall as a hair: Ambergreafe is found in mofc parts 
more or lets 3 great quantities of it are found in Japan, the Jilal- 
divia 'iQ.md.Sy and to the eaftward of Java-^ which, they fay, 
they find generally faftened to the roots of trees that grow in the 
iea near the fliore, and that while it is kept under water, it is fofc 
and pliable like wax, and fometimes like a jelly ; there is a piece 
fhown in Indiay that weighs above 2000 ounces : The people of 
Java marry and have children at 9 or 10 years of age, the 
women generally leave off child-bearing at ct^efore :oj at 7^;/- 
quin there are women common to any that will hire them, at 8 
or 9 years of age. The Japan and China varnifh is made of 
turpentine and a curious ibrt of oil they have, which they mix 
and boil to a proper cdnfiftence, that never cauies any fweliing in 
the hands ot^hz^^C, of fuch as make or work it^ the fweliing 
N n 2 ' that 
