I, Some obferyations on Coral ^ large Oyjlers^ ^hies^ the 
growing of a fort e/Ficus Indica, the Gods of the Ccy- 
lanefe, 8cc, made in Ccilan, by Mr Strachan. 
^W Uqyq is great quantity of a kind of white Coral upon 
the fiiore betwixt Gi2/e. and M^/^re, and. many other 
Coafts in the IW/Vi, of which the Hollanders csluCc Lime ta 
be burnt for building of Houfc5,^ and the Wails of the For- 
tifications.There are great Banks of the faidCoral.it is porous, 
neither fo firm and fmooth as the upright, which grovrs 
in little Branehes, and when they are come to the full gro .v^th, 
there grows other betwixt thefe, and then upon thefe grows 
others, until it is become like a Rock for ihicknels 5 thefe 
Branches^ are not fofter when they are young, than whqn 
they are ripe, yet I have obferved a flime uijon them al- 
ways when they are under water, which I fuppofe is the 
fubftance which petrifies, I have feen three Leagues from 
B^tavia, upon that Ifland, where the Hol/af^ders turnup 
the keel of the Ships to drefs and mend them, Oyfters 
of a toot Diameter, the Shell of one of thefe did grow un- 
til it was 3 foot oi Diameter broad and a toot thick, after 
the Flefli v/as putrified, upon thefe Shells lying only 3 or 
4 foo^ under water, 1 alfo always did find a flime. Up- 
on the Coaft betwixt Gale and Gwdere lies always Os Sepi£^ 
and in the River at Catoene there are found Rubies, and 
if one is dcfirous^ and feek among the Sand in the Water, he 
will fipd above a drop weight of Rubies in the fpaceof one 
hour, but they are very fmail, for 20 of them will fcarcely 
weigh a grain weight, fo that it is nor worth a mans while. 
Upon the, Sea Coaft upon the Sand do lye a kind of little 
Cockles of the bjgnefs of Crabs Eyes oxOcuH Cancrorum^thexe 
is no ca;vity within, if beat in Powder they have the fame 
effea 
