(w) 
the Leaves being foimed out of the fubftance of the Root, as a 
Chick out of the Albumen 5 in the mean while the whole decrea- 
fing in weight, as in the aforefaid Aloe-? as ’tis manifeft by many 
Experiments made by me. 
An ExtraH 
Of a Letter D Written by Mr. Richard Towne- 
ley to Dr. Croon, touching the Invention 
of Dividing a Foot into many thoufand 
parts, for Mathematical purpofes . 
F inding in one * of the laft Philofophical Tran - * vid - Numb - 
[actions , how much M. Auzout efteems his In- zu 37| ‘ 
vention of dividing a Foot into near 30000 parts, and ta- 
king thereby Angles to a very great exa&nefs 5 I am told, I fhall be 
look’c upon as a great Wronger of our Nation, fliould I not let 
the World know, that I have, out of fome fcatter’d Papers and 
Letters, that formerly came to my hands of a Gentleman of thefe 
Parts, one Mr. Gafcoigne , found out. That before our late Civil 
Wars, he had not only deviled an Inftrument of as great a power, 
as M. Auzout s,but had alfo for fome Years made ule of it, not 
only for taking the Diameters of the Planets, and Diftances upon 
Land 5 but had farther endeavour’d, out of its precilenefs , to ga- 
ther many Certainties in the Heavens 5 amongft which, I fhall only 
mention one, viz. The finding the Moons Diflance , from two Ob- 
fer vat ions, of her Horizontal and Meridional Diameters : Which 
I the rather mention, becaufe the French Aflronomer efteems him- 
felf the firft that took any fuch Notice, as thereby to fettle the 
Moons Parallax. For, our Countrey-man fully confider’d it be- 
fore, and imparted it to an Acquaintance of his, who thereupon 
propofe'd to him the Difficulties that would arife in the Calculation; 
with confiderations upon the ftrange Niceties, necefTary to give 
him a certainty of what he defired. The very Inftrument he firft 
made I have now by me, and two others more perfe&ed by him 5 
which doubtlefs he would have infinitely mended, had he not be^n 
ilain unfortunately in His late Majefties Service. He had a Trea- 
O o o tife 
