ith straw, in the shape of a Saucepan-cover, that the
rain may not come at it. The sides (supposing it dry) they line not with
any thing, as is done in St. _Jeames_'s Park, by reason of the moistness of
the ground. This Pit they fill {140} full of Snow or Ice (taking care that
the Ice be made of the purest water, because they put it into their wine)
over-spreading first the bottom very well with _Chaffe_; by which I mean
not any part of the straw, but what remains upon the winnowing of the Corn;
and I think, they here use Barley-chaffe. This done, they further, as they
put in the Ice, or the Snow, (which latter they ram down,) line it thick by
the sides with such Chaffe, and afterwards cover it well with the same; and
in half a years lying so, 'tis found not to want above an eight part of
what it weighed, when first put in. When ever they take it out into the
Aire, they wrap it in this Chaffe, and it keeps to admiration. The use of
it in _England_ would not be so much for cooling of drinks, as 'tis here
generally used; but for cooling of fruits, sweetmeats &c. _So far this
Author._

The other usual way both in _Italy_ and other Countries, to conserve Snow
and Ice with _Straw_ or _Reed_, is set down so punctually by Mr. _Boyle_ in
his _Experimental History of Cold_, pag. 408. 409. that nothing is to be
added. It seems _Pliny_ could not pass by these _Conservatories_, and the
cooling of drinks with Ice, without passing this severe, though elegant and
witty, Animadversion upon them: _Hi Nives, illi glaciem potant, poenasque
montium in voluptatem gulae vertunt: Servatur algor aestibus, excogitaturque
ut alienis mensibus nix algeat_, lib. 19. cap. 4. But the _Epigrammatist_
sports with it thus;

_Non potare nivem, sed aquam potare rigentem_
_De nive, commenta est ingeniosa sitis._ Martial. 14. _Ep._ 117.

* * * * *

_Directions for Sea-men, bound for far Voyages._

It being the Design of the _R. Society_, for the better attaining the End
of their Institution, to study _Nature_ rather than _Books_, and from the
Observations, made of the _Phaenomena_ and Effects she presents, to compose
such a {141} History of Her, as may hereafter serve to build a Solid and
Useful Philosophy upon; They have from time to time given order to several
of their Members to draw up both _Inquiries_ of things Observable in
forrain Countries, and _Directions_ for the Particulars, they desire
chiefly to be informe