Of OXFORDSHIRE, ij 



reafon of it too : for though we muft not compare our Ifls with 

 Tibifcus or Brodrack ; the one whereof is faid to confift of two 

 parts of water, and one of Fijh ; and the other fo replenifh'd with 

 them, that in Summer when the River is low, the People fay* 

 The water fmells of Fifh : yet in the year 1674. it gave fo ample 

 teftimony of its great plenty, that in two days appointed for the 

 Fifhing of M r Major and the BaylifYs of the City, it afforded be- 

 twixt Smthins-Wear, and Woolvercot -bridge (which I guefs may be 

 about three miles diftant) fifteen hundred Jacks, befide other 

 Fi(h ; which great fecundity, as it argues the goodnefs of th6 

 Element, fo 'tis no whether to be referr'd, as to its Original caufe, 

 but to the various Salts upon which depend the propagation of 

 all forts of Species's l ; and as far as concerns this part of the Ani- 

 mal Kingdom^ are plentifully to be found at the bottoms of fome 

 Rivers. 



15. And I faid the rather at the bottoms of Rivers^ not only 

 becaufe Bodies from Salts have their folidity and weight" 1 , and 

 therefore may well be prefumed to refide in the loweft places : but 

 becaufe I find it the joynt agreement of all the Water-men hereabout 

 that I have yet talk'd with, that the congelation of our Rivers is 

 always begun at the bottom, which however furprizing it may 

 feem to the Reader, is neither unintelligible nor yet ridiculous s 

 for befide matter of facl: wherein they all confent, vi^. that they 

 frequently meet the Ice-meers (for fo they call the cakes of Ice 

 thus coming from the bottom) in their very rife, and fomtimes 

 in the under-fide including ftones and gravel brought with them 

 ab imo, it feems upon confideration alfo confonant to reafon : for 

 that congelations come from the conflux of Salts, before difpers'd 

 at large, is as plain as the vulgar experiment of freezing a pot by 

 the fire - and that induration and weight come alfo from thence, 

 fufficiently appears from the great quantities of them that are al- 

 ways found in ftones, bones, tefiaceom, and all other weighty bo- 

 dies n . Now whatever makes things compact and ponderous, muft 

 needs be indued with the fame qualities it felf, and therefore af- 

 feft fuitable places ; fo that why ftanding Pools ftiould freez at 

 the top, might poftibly have proved the greater difficulty of the 

 two, had not the Learned D r Willi* already cleared the point, by 

 (hewing us, that all ftanding waters are more or lefs in a ftate of 



^ Williiyde Ferment- cap -2- m Willis tie Ferment, cap. 2. * Wtlbi deFermnt-tap. \i, 



D 2 putre- 



