Note c — BOOK III.
Reading edition
As for the Growth of Stone, Mr. Boyl gives two Instances. One is that famous Place in France, called Les Caves Goutieres: Where the Water falling from the upper Parts of the Cave to the Ground, doth presently there condense into little Stones, of such Figures as the Drops, falling either severally, or upon one another, and coagulating presently into Stones, chance to exhibit. Vid. Scept. Chym. pag. 360.
Such like Caves as these I have my self met with in England; particularly on the very Top of Bredon-Hill in Worcestershire, near the Precipice, facing Pershore, in or near the old Fortress, called Bembsbury-Camp; I saw some Years ago such a Cave, which (if I mis-remember not) was lined with those Stalactical Stones on the Top and Sides. On the Top they hung like Icicles great and small, and many lay on the Ground. They seemed manifestly to be made by an Exsudation, or Exstillation of some petrifying Juices out of the rocky Earth there. On the Spot, I thought it might be from the Rains soaking through, and carrying with it Impregnations from the Stone, the Hill being there all rocky. Hard by the Cave is one or more vast Stones, which (if I mistake not) are incrustated with this Sparry, Stalactical Substance, if not wholly made of it. But it is so many Years ago since I was at the Place, and not being able to find my Notes about it, I cannot say whether the whole Stone is (in all Probability) Spar, (as I think it is,) or whether I found it only cased over with it, notwithstanding I was very nice in examining it then, and have now some of the Fragments by me, consisting, among other shining Parts, of some transparent angular ones.
The other Instance of Mr. Boyl, is from Linschoten, who saith, that in the East-Indies, when they have cleared the Diamond Mines of all the Diamonds, In a few Years Time they find in the same Place new Diamonds produced. Boyl. Ibid.