ABSTRACT

I have received yours of Mar: 26: last together wth those new bookes, and the Phylosophicall transactions of the last yeare, for wch I retume my humble thankes, esteeming them all very highly and so doe such other persons heere, who know the worth of them, to whom I am communicating them as I have such fonner, wch came to my hands, to their great delight & satisfaction; I have indeavoured about that stellar fish according to those particulars of inquiry directed in your letter, but can yet meet wth none (though I have asked of many fishennen, both before it was sent away, and since I had your letter) who have to their remembrance seene the like: but am in hope shortly to speake wth that very person a fishennan, who brought it from sea, he is master of a Vessell, & is now out at sea upon a fishing voyage, but he is shortly expected. I have now sent a few more such things as these parts affoard: they are in 2 round boxes and an other small long bOX, l they are put aboard a ship of wch Capt: - Peirce is master: and are directed to Mr. Adam Winthrop for the Royall Society;2 they are marked on one of the tops as in the marg Be pleased to present my humble duty to the President & Royall Society to whose commands I am alwaies obliged & ready to obey: For that perticular

you are pleased to intimate about a naturall history of this country: although I am often observing and collecting and have some fragments of what hath come to hand yet I thinke it may be too soone to undertake that worke, there having beene but little tyme of experience since our beginnings heere and the remote Inland partes little discovered, matters reported by Indians many tymes uncertaine and need good examination & further inquiry: but a little tyme may give more advantage for some beginning, at least of such an adventure: there is yet no certainty, of what is underground, there are some appearances upon the surface in some places of lead & other mineralls, but there have yet none wrought upon but Ironston, wch hath beene also mostly of that sort wch is called the Bog mine, wch is found only in low grounds not deepe nor of any great thicknesse; the hinderances, and difficulties of further discoveries of subterraneall productions were mentioned formerly in other letters. some other things I expect hither shortly, wch are intended for the Repositiory of the Royall Society, wch I directed to be brought hither before I came from Connecticutt, wch I hope may be sent by some other ship and then you may also expect other letters from

Be pleased to present my humble service to Sr. Robert Moray, and acquaint him that I am very mindful of his commands by your letter about the Silkepodds, but the season is not yet, they are not yet ripe, and when they are ripe they must be withered awhile before they can be putt up.