xp6 Mr. Ray to Sir Hans Sloane. 



of Metals melted down and running into one Maf% 

 at the Deflagration of tjiat City* fo this bituminous 

 Earth became impregnated by a Mixture of Oils and 

 Colours melted and mixed together, and foaking in- 

 to the Ground at the burning of that Shop. Whe- 

 ther there be any Truth in this, you can bell: inform $ 

 but I fuppofe there is none, becaufe you mention no 

 fuch Thing : And you have done very well throughly 

 to examine the Earth, for that probably there may 

 be good Ufe made of it. 



Mr. Cole's Letter to Mr. Ray. 



Worthy SIM, Bradfield, Mar. 27. 1685% 



I Have for a long time engaged many Mafters of 

 Ships, and others, to bring home whatever 

 they can find for me, as alfo on both the Sides oF 

 Severne-y and am of Opinion, by what I have this 

 Winter found, that no River in Europe doth yield 

 more Variety, efpecially Sea Animals, great and fmall, 

 and Minerals 5 there being very high Land on either «~ 

 Side, high and rapid Tides, often with violent 

 Storms, which have fo much gained on the Rocks and 

 Cliffs., that many Folds and figured Stones are caft 

 out and found on the Shore, efpecially where at 

 Spring-Tides the Water ebbs far out. Such I have 

 found this Winter, i'. e. figured Stones, which would 

 put you out of ail doubt that there are many Varieties 

 of naturally formed Stones, which never were either 

 Animals or Vegetables or any Parts of them, not 

 only becaufe no fuch Shell-fifties were ever found, fo 

 far as appears by any Itnown Authors, or the Colle- 

 ctions that I have feen or heard of, (and to fuppofe 

 $ny Species of Creatures to ceafe cannot confift with 

 Divine Providence, " and is contrary to the Opi- 



