C ; i 9 °) . I f 
An Extraffl 
Of a Letter , Written from Holland, about Preferving of 
Ships from being Worm-eaten. 
This ExtraU is borrowed froshthe French journal des Scavanr 
or tebr . iy. 1 666. and is here inferred, to excite Inventive 
heads here, to overtake the Propofer in Holland. The letter 
runs thus: 
Although you have vifited our Port ( Amflerdam ) l know 
not whether you have noted the ill condition, our fhips are in, 
that return from the Indies .. There is in thole Seas a kind of 
fixiall worms, that fallen themfelves to the Timber of the lhips, 
and fo pierce them, that they take water every where ; or if 
they do not altogether pierce them thorow, they lo weaken 
tile ivood, that it is almoft impofilble to repair them. Vfe 
have at prefent a Man here, that pretends to have found an 
admirable fecret-to remedy this evil. That, which would 
render this fecret the more important,is,that hitherto very ma- 
ny ways have been ufed to effedl it, but without fuccefs t Some 
Bave imployed Deal, Hair and Lime, and therewith lined 
their Ihipsjbugbeiides that this does not altogether affright the 
wo rms jit retards much the fhips Courfe.Tk q Portugal* (torch 
their lhips, infomuch that in the quick works there is made a 
coaly cruft of about an Inch thick. But as this is dangerous, 
it happening not feldom, that the whole veffel is burnt; fo 
the reafon why worms eat not thorow Portugal fhips, is con- 
ceived to be the exceeding hardnefs of the ^Timber, employ* 
cdby thenio , 
We expecft with impatience the nature and effect of this Pro* 
polllion. Many have already ventur’d to give their thoughts 
concerning it< Some fay, there needs no more, but to build 
Ships of a harder kind of Wood, than the ufual. Others ha- 
ving^obferved, that thefe Worms fallen not to a kind of wild 
» . . which is . highly bitter , do thereupon fug- 
