( 758 ) 
iiimfelf bought one of 1 5 carats, rude ; and that,when cur, it 
recain'd 94! carafs: hnd.tb^t he bought anotherof 63 carafs,&cc. 
M Extract of fome Obfervatiom ^ to be met mth in the Journal 
des Scavans^ concerning the Lake ^/Mexico 5 and a ftrange 
fort of Rcy .gromng fometimes in certain parts of France. 
T. ^^~|-^HeLake of Mexico hath this of extraordinary and 
X perhaps peculiar, chat part of its water is Sweet,and 
Xheotherpart Salt; which make it believed to be derived from 
two fources, whereof the one holds fweet warer, the other 
comes from fome nuneral and falin Earth, found in the hills, 
through which this water paflTeth, and is impregnated with the > 
fait which is diflTolved in its courfe : Or, if it hath no peculiar 
fource, it muft be,that tbat,which makes part of the Lake fair, 
is the bottom or the Earth under the water, being in that place 
fall of fait : which is confirmed by Experience^much Salt being 
made of it every day, of which thjt City drives a great trade 
With remote parrs,even the Philippines themfelveSjWhither it is 
tranfported in confiderable quantities^ That part of the Lake 
which is fweetjis ftill and quief,tbe fait part is agitated and mo- 
ved according as the winds blow. The fweet water is very good 
and wholefom, breeding plenty of little fiflies. That which is 
mov'd, is bitter-falt, breeding no fift at alL The fweet water 
is higher than the other, and falls iuto ir. The water of the Salt 
part is feven leagues long, and as many leagues broad, and hath 
above 22 leagues in compafs. That of the Sweet water is near 
as big; and the whole Lake contains about 50 leagues in com- 
pafs. Formerly there were near SoTowns feated roundabout 
this Lake, fome of which contained 5000 Families , and fome 
ibove 10000. At the prefent there may be a matter of thirty 
Burroughs and Villages, of which the greateft holds not above 
500 Houfes 3 all the reft having been ruined by the revolutions 
in that Country. 
2. Some years fince, M.Ferrault related to the R. Academy 
of Parif, that travelling through Sologne^ he had been informed 
by fome Phy ficians aud Chirurgions of that Country , that the 
"Rey was there fometimes fo corrupted, that thofe who did eat 
of the bread which had much of this corrupted grain in ir,were 
fcifed on by a Gangrene, fome in one partjfome in another,fome 
lofing a finger,others a hand,others a nofej&c. and that this Gan- 
grene was not preceded by any fever, nor inflammation, nor 
confide- 
