Royal Society. 323 
that the country people find it commonly amongft the fea-weeds 
and fand, the Duke of Courland fifhes for it with nets; and 
when they plow the fields by the fea fide, it comes eafily up : 
But no other maritime province gathers from the 'Bdltic iea, or 
digs out of the bowels of the earth fuch quantities of amber as 
^rujjla does, fo that no where elle with more juflice can you 
place thofe iflands called EkBrides by the ancients 3 whence the 
ambaffadors of the JEftri^ who inhabited that country in the 
time of "fheodoricus king of Italy, valued themfelves highly 
upon their country's yielding amber, and afterwards ^rufjia had 
that title given it by a great many authors, which was formerly 
mifapplied to Italy^ viz. Sola Genetri^ Succinoricn, the mother of 
amber 3 and that it rtiould be famous for it, is owing not only to 
the great quantities taken out of the fea, but alfo to what is dug 
out of the mountains near the fliore, and in places diftant from 
the fea, which the country people unexpectedly find, when they 
either till, level hills, or make ditches. 
Next to TruJJia^ isomer ania is noted for amber, efpecially that 
traft of the coaft that extends from Oliva and Dantzic to l^^eria 5 
there is great plenty of it in the ifland Rugen in the "Baltic, and 
it is gathered and dug up near Heddenjee-j the inland parts 
of ^omerania do alfo abound in amber, for the country people 
do readily find it there alfo 5 and in this refpefl has the advantage 
by much both of Courland and Samogitia j but ^rufjia is moil 
noted for amber, efpecially that part called Sambia from Neve 
^liff to Vrant'Z Vrug-, which is ten miles 3 this country was for- 
merly diftingui filed by feven bays, or angles, called Krecke^ 
Nodumsy Laffnicken, Kuckfe or Kuyck, Talmenkk, Nempe, and 
^hierskeim ^ the whole coaft is defended with high mountains, 
the lea is full of Ihelves, at firft entring it is three or four, and 
prefently after, thirty or forty fathoms deep j when you have gone 
on, it is Ihallower, and when you go farther ftill, it is again 
deeper 5 fo that you may fuppoie the coaft to abound in quick- 
fands, noted for fhipwrecks 3 the cliffs of the bays or angles are 
fteep and rugged, Ibme of them are of an eafier afcent. and 
towards ^illamo they terminate in a plain; the foil is not very 
firm, and in fome places dangerous, on account of fubterraneons 
ftrearas of water, wherein both horles and men have been fwal- 
lowcd up, as in a whirlpool ; the greateft part is covered with 
fand, fome few fpots are cloathed with herbs, as eringo, burr, ^c, 
with few copies, or bufhes, here and there, which become 
hicker towards Brufter -j and thefe ibmetimes fink with a parir 
of a mountain 3 there are no rocks, except at the foot of the hills, 
S f 2 the 
