Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 003.djvu/157

 the celebrated great things perform'd by Chimistry, said, that, to convince him, all was not vain what this Art professed, he did herewith trust him with a small powder, scarce of the weight of a Barly-corne, on condition, that after the process, he was to make with it, in 6 houres time, he should return it to him. This process was, That he should take 3 or 4l. of Fountain or River-water in a Glass, and call this powder into it, and by frequently shaking the Glass, make something of the powder incorporate with the water. Then, after some hours, he should decant the liquor into another Vessel, and dry the powder. All which the said San-Simon performed. The stranger being return'd at night, taketh his powder again, and bids San-Simon to put some ounces of common Mercury into the impregnated Water, and to look for a beneficial germination, when he was gone. Eight ounces being put in, after a little while there were seen to rise by little and little out of the Mercury a thousand small Silver-like branches or threds, spreading themselves every where through the whole Liquor, and shooting up even above the surface of the Water, on which appear'd here and there an oleosity, that was taken off, as being some matter of a grosse excrementitious nature, and heterogeneous to the substance it self of the Mercury, hindring the coagulation of the Mercury, but being remov'd, the Mercury runs and sticks close together, and becomes a firm Mettall. San-Simon having powred out the liquor into another Glass, gather'd the branches, and found them by the best Goldsmiths of that place esteem'd very excellent pure Silver, after the severest examinations by Fire, After this, San-Simon poures new Mercury to the remainder, and fees a new Wood arise like the former, very pure Silver likewise, repeating it to the sixth time, alwayes with good success, yet so, that by degrees the liquor grew languid, and at last was quite deprived of its force: many persons flocking in, and beholding the wonder.

Another Observation is of a Ductil Salt, said to have been made by himself of Sal Armoniack, often dissolved in a large Glass, and frequently and slowly Chrystallised, whence at length proceeded Chrystals as long as the Vessel was large; some of them being at times 6 inches long, flexible, and apt Rh