( i6o^ ) 
about i^o years ago attempted any thing to pucpofe'on 
this fubjeft. His living in a coniiderable Mwe Country^ 
and his great converfe with Ores and Minerals^ gave* 
him a mighty opportunity of advancing this Knovoledge : 
And his Learmng and DiUg&nce were both very extraor- 
dinary. But the greater part of his Labour wasemploy'd 
in fetting forth the Ways of working the Mines^ of dif- 
covering and ordering the Ores of Metals and Minerals^ 
and in endeavouring to afcertain which particular Sorts 
of them the Ancients meant by their Names^ rather than in 
clearing up the iV^/?^r4/ Eiflory of them*. Net but that he 
made fome Progrefs in this too, and very great for the 
time in which he liv'd, v^'h^n Ndturd Studies vt^ere only 
in their Infancy : So great that none of th^ Writers Q^Fof' 
01s fince his time have come near him. Indeed the great- 
eft part ofthemh^ve done little more than from his^ 
Writings, But of late there hath been fuch a vie w given 
the World of the Extent^ the 'life and the Importance of 
this as to have recommended it to the Purfuit of 
fome bf ^the moft di^cermng Ndturali^s of the Age, Amongfl 
thefe is Dr Scenchzer of Zurich ^xhQ Author of;, this Specimen^ 
who along w\x\x Red Learning and great Perfonal Abilities^ 
has ftiewn a vaft deal of Diligence in his Inquiries into this 
part oi Natm. That City has been very happy in pro- 
ducing fez^eral^ who have bent their Thoughts this way. 
The works of Co^radus Gefnerus^ who was one of the 
greateft Genius of the lajl Age^ and "jacobus Wagnerus^ 
Natural Hijiory of Switzerland , are Inflances of this. 
Every body knows what vaft Mountains there are in that' 
Country : and Dr Scheuckzer with indefatigable Indujlry^ 
to fay nothing of the Expence and of tlue great danger of 
fuch an Undertakings has carried his Searches and Enqui- 
ries to the Tops of the highefi of then^. And even there 
he found varie y of Sea^fhells^ and other Marine ProduBi' 
ons. But thcfe have been alfo obferved on the higheft 
Mountains in other parts as well as here" 5 which indeed 
cannot 
