then the other § of no plain superficies ^hut Ml o{ link cavi- 
ties. The ftone^when brokcnjisfull of fmall peble ftones of an 
Ovall figure: its colour is gray like free-ftonej but intermixt 
with veins of yellow and black. A part of it I have begg'd 
of Dr. Haughten for you j which I have fent to Oxfird^ whi- 
ther a more exaft account will be conveyed by the fame 
perfon. 
Extra^i of a Letter , lately written from Venice bj the 
Learned DoBor Walter Pope, to the Reverend Dean of 
Rippon^ Po^or John Wilkins ^ concerning the Mines 
of Mercury in Friuli ; and a way of producing Wind 
bythefallofWztGT. 
The Mines of Mercurj m Frmli ^ a Territory belonging to^ ' 
tht Venetians ^ are about a days Journey and a half difi.-ao£ 
from Gm>M Northwards5 at a place calFd Idrm^ fitiiated in 
a Valley of the Julian Alps, They have beeojas lam inform'd^ 
thefe 1.60. years in the poffeffion of the Emperor, and all the 
Inhabitants Ipeak the Sclavonian Tongue, !o going -thither^ 
we traveird feveral hours in the beft Wood I ever law be- 
fore or fincCj being very full of firrs^ o!^s^^ and Beeches ^ of 
an extraordinary thicknefs ^ ftraitiie^s ^ and height. The 
Town is built 5 as ufually Townsin th^ Alps are^ allofwoodj 
the Church ooely excepted^ and another Houfe wherein the 
Overfeer liveth. When ! was there 5 in Auguji laft 5 the Val« 
ley 5 and the Mountains too ^ out of which xht Mercury 
dugg 5 were of a-s pleafant a verdure ^ as if it had been in the 
midfi: of Springs which they there attribute to the moiftnefi 
of the Mercury 5 how trulyj I difpute not. That Mine^ which 
we went intOj the beft and greateft of them all ^ was dedica« 
ted to Saint Barbara ^ as the other Mines are to other Saints, 
the depth of it was 12 5. paces 5 every pace of that Country 
being, as they inform'd us 3 more then 5 of our Feet. There 
arc two ways down to it 5 the lliorteft perpendicular way is 
thatj whereby they bring up the Mineral in great Buckets^ and 
