Of OXFO'K'D^SHIXE. 27 
feafon of it too : for though we muft not compare our Ifis with 
Tibifcm or Brodrack. ; the one whereof is faid to confift of /n^cf 
farts of water J and one of Fifi ; and the other fo replenilli'd with 
them, that in Summer when the River is low, the People fay, 
The water fmells of Fijh: yet in the year 1674. it gave fo ample 
teftimony of its great plenty^ that in two days appointed for the 
Fifliingof M"" Major and the Bayliffs of the City, it afforded be- 
twixt ^'Tr/V/^iwi-K^e^r, and Woolver cot -bridge (which I guefs may be 
about three miles diftant) fifteen hundred Jacks, befide other 
Fidi ; which great fecundity, as it argues the goodnefs of the 
Element^ fo 'tis no w^hether to be referr'd, as to its original caufe, 
but to the various Salts upon which depend the propagation of 
all forts of Species's ^ ; and as far as concerns this part of the Ani- 
mal Kingdom^ are plentifully to be found at the bottoms of fome 
Rivers. 
15. And I faid the rather at the bottoms of Rivers^ not only 
becaufe Bodies from Salts have their folidity and weight and 
therefore may well be prefumed to refide in the loweft places : but 
becaufe I find it the joynt agreement of all the Water-men hereabouC 
that I have yet talk'd with, that the congelation of our Rivers is 
always begun at the bottom, which however furprizing it may 
feem to the Reader, is neither unintelligible nor yet ridiculous % 
for befide matter of fad wherein they all confent, viz^. that they 
frequently meet the Ice-meers (for fo they call: the cakes of Ice 
thus coming from the bottom) in their very rife, and fomtimes 
in the under-fide including ftones and gravel brought with them 
ah imo^ it feems upon confideration alfo confonant to reafon : for 
that congelations come from the conflux of Salts, before difpers'd 
at large, is as plain as the vulgar experiment of freezing a pot by 
the fire ; and that induration and weight come alfo from thence, 
fufficiently appears from the great quantities of them that are al- 
ways found in ftones, bones, teftaceou^^ and all other weighty bo- 
dies Now whatever makes things compad mdponderou^^ muft 
needs be indued with the fame qualities it felf^ and therefore af- 
feftfuitable places ; fo that why ftandrng Pools ffiould freez at 
the top, might poffibly have proved the greater difficulty of the 
two, had not the Learned D"" ^T/V/ij already cleared the point, by 
fliewing us, that all ftanding waters are more or lefs in a ftace O'f 
• fV/ //if, de Ferment- cap. 2- ^ yVil/is Ferment tap. 7.. " IVi/lis deFerm^nt'Cap. "i^, 
D 2 putre- 
