slipp adds much to the weight, and giveth a "deeper Black than Copperas it self; which is a good "excuse for the Dyers that use it.

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"I have hitherto but mentioned the several Colo"rations used in Humane Affairs, Enumerated the "feveral Materials used in one of them, namely, Dy"ing; and imperfectly described the several uses and applications of them in Dying. I have also set "down some general Observations relating to that ، whole Trade. It remains now that we describe the "feveral Vessels, Tools, and Utensils used in the same. "And particularly to shew how any Colour assigned may be superinduced upon any kind of Material, "as Wool, Linnen, Hair, Feathers, Cotton or Silk: "And with what Advantages or Disadvantages of "Lasting, Brightness, Cheapness, and Variety, &. "each may be performed. But this being infinite, and almost unteachable by words, as being incomparably more difficult, than how to imitate and "compose any Colour assigned,cut of the few,usually furnishing a Painters palat; I leave the whole to "the further consideration of this Learned Society.

THE

THE

HISTORY

Of the Generation and Ordering of GREEN OYSTERS, Commonly called

"I

Colchester-Oysters.

N the Month of May the Oysters east their Spaun "(which the Dredgers call their Spat ;) it is "like to a drop of Candle, and about the big"ness of a half-penny.

"The Spat cleaves to Stones, old Oyster-shells, "pieces of Wood, and such like things, at the bot"tom of the Sea, which they call Cultch.

"'Tis probably conjectured, that the Spat in "twenty four hours begins to have a Shell.

"In the Month of May the Dredgers(by the Law "of the Admiralty Court) have liberty to catch all "manner of Ofters, of what size soever.

"When they have taken them, with a knife they "gently raise the small brood from the Cultch, and "then they throw the Cultch in again, to preserve "the ground for the future, unless they be so newly "Spat that they cannot be safely severed from the "Cultch, in that case they are permitted to take the "ftone or shell, &c. that the Spat is upon, one Shell "having many times 20 Spats.

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"Af

"After the Month of May it is Felony to carry away the Cultch, and punishable to take any other "Ofters, unless it be those of size (that is to say) a"bout the bigness of an half Crown piece, or when "the two shells being shut, a fair shilling will rattle "between them.

"The places where these Oysters are chiefly catcht, "are called the Pont-Burnham, Maiden, and Colne. "Waters; the latter taking its name from the Ri"ver of Colne, which passeth by Colne-Chester, gives "the name to that Town, and runs into a Creek of "the Sea at a place called the Hythe, being the Sub❝urbs of the Town.

"This Brood and other Oysters they carry to "Creeks of the Sea at Brickel-Sea, Mersey, Langno, "Fringrego, Wivenho, Tolesbury, and Salt-coase, and "there throw them into the Channel, which they ❝call their Beds or Layers, where they grow and fat"ten, and in two or three years the smallest Brood "will be Oysters of the size aforesaid.

"Those Oysters which they would have green, "they put into Pits about three foot deep, in the "Salt-Marshes,which are overflowed only at Spring"tides, to which they have Sluces, and let out the "Salt-water until it is about a foot and half deep.

"These Pits from some quality in the Soil coope"rating with the heat of the Sun, will become green, "and communicate their colour to the Oysters that

are put into them in four or five days, though they "commonly let them continue there six Weeks, or "two Months, in which time they will be of a dark green.

66

"To prove that the Sun operates in the greening, "Talesbury Pits will green only in Summer; but that

"the

"the Earth hath the greater power, Brickel-sea Pits "green both Winter and Summer: and for a further

proof, a Pit within a foot of a greening Pit will not "green; and those that did green very well, will in "time lose their quality.

"The Oysters when the Tide comes in lie with their "hollow shell downwards,and when it goes out they "turn on the other side; they remove not from their "place unless in cold weather, to cover themselves in "the Ouse.

"The reason of the scarcity of Oysters, and conse"quently of their dearness, is, because they are of "late years bought up by the Dutch.

"There are great penalties by the Admiralty"Court, laid upon those that fish out of those grounds "which the Court appoints, or that destroy the "Cultch, or that take any Ofters that are not of "fize, or that do not tread under their feet, or throw CC upon the shore, a Fish which they call a Five finger, "resembling a Spur-rowel, because that Fish gets in"to the Oysters when they gape, and sucks them out.

"The reason why such a penalty is set upon any "that shall destroy the Cultch, is because they find "that if that be taken away the Ouse will increase, "and then Muscles and Cockles will breed there, and "destroy the Oysters, they having not whereon to "stick their Spat.

"The Oysters are sick after they have Spat; but in "June and July they begin to mend, and in August they "are perfectly well: The Male-Oyster is black-sick, "having a black substance in the Fin; the Female "white-sick (as they term it)having a milky substance "in the Fin. They are salt in the Pits, salter in the "Layers, but saltest at Sea.

In

In Composing Histories after this manner, they refolve to proceed, till they have not only obtain'd an Account of all the Great, and most substantial Trades; but also of all the less Works, and Private Productions, which are confin'd to some particular Soyls, or Corporations, or Families. As this Stock shall increase, they purpose to make it of General use; either by continual Printing the most remarkable of them, or by freely exposing them to the view of all, that defire such Informations; provided, that at the same time they receive some, they will also Communicate others: And they have assured grounds of confidence, that when this attempt shall be compleated, it will be found to bring innumerable benefits to all practical Arts: When all the secrets of Manufactures hall be so discover'd, their Materials describ'd, their Instruments figur'd, their Products represented: It will soon be determin'd, how far they themselves may be promoted, and what new consequences may thence be deduc'd. Hereby we shall see whether all the parts of the most obvious Crafts have been brought to perfection; and whether they may not assist each other, more than has been hitherto indeavour'd: Hereby we shall discern the compass, the power, the changes, the degrees, the ages of them all; and speedily understand, whether their effects have been large enough, and the wayes of producing them sufficiently compendious. In short, by this help the worst Artificers will be well instructed, by confidering the Methods,and Tools of the best: And the greatest Inventors will be exceedingly inlighten'd; because they will have in their view the labours of many men, many places, and many times, wherewith to compare their own. This is the surest, and

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