Colonial North America: Harvard University Archives

Century XII || Century XIV Matthew [Barir?]

Century XV || Century XVI

An account of the phoenomena atteding the Aurora borealis at [Tornea Sat?] 65.50.50 N. By [Mon de Mauper Tuis?], when he went to measure a degree on [the?] polar circle, in 1736. Figure of ? Earth page 86. "As soon as the nights begin to be dark, fires of a thousand colours & figures light up the sky, as if designed o copensate to a country [accusts?] [med?] to such length of day, the bsence of the sun in this season. These fires have not here, as in the more southerly climates any constant situation. Tho' you may often see a luminous are fixed towards the north they seem more frequently to [?] the whole extent of the hemisphere. Sometimes they begin in the form of a great sea of bright light with its extremities upon the horizon, which with a [matron?] resembling that of a fishing net, glides swiftly up the sky; preserving in this motion a direction nearby perpendicular to the meridian. Most commonly after these preludes, all the lights unite at the [zenith?] & form the top of a sort of crown. Areas like those we see towards the north in France are here frequently situated towards the South: and oftentimes towards both north & south at once. Their summets approach each other, while the distance of their extremities widens towards the horizon. I have seen some of the opposite [areas?], whose summits almost joined at the [zenith?]: and both the one & the other have frequently several concentric areas beyond it. Their tops are all placed in the direction of the meridian, tho' with a little declination to the west: which I did not find to be constant, & which sometimes is insensible. Some of these areas have their greatest width at the horizon; which contracting as they rise, gives them the form of more than half a great ellipse. Their mother is most commonly like that of a pair of colours waved in air, & the different tints of the light give them the appearance of so many [?] sheamers of that sort of [Taffeta?], which we call changeable. Sometimes they line a part of the sky with scarlet." _________" I never saw but two that were red."

Recipe for Fining Cider

Take one tables spoon full of Allum pounded fine and beat with the whites of six eggs, 'til they foam well; then mix them with one or two quarts of cider and stir them together & keeping adding cider 'til they are thoroughly mixed. Fill up the Barrel as the froth subsides. Stop the cask close.

Recipe for fining Wine

Take half a pint of new milk directly from the cow, mix it with half a gallon of water, then put the whole into a quarter cask of wine, take a long stick & put it into the bung-hole, and stir it well for 8 or 10 minutes, when done put away the cask to stand steady; in 6 or 8 days it will be perfectly fit for use. If the wine should be high coloured, as Sherry generally is, double the quantity of milk & water. By mixing water with milk, instead of wine, it incorporates better and fines better.

Put [ ? ] March 22, 1803

Recipe for taking a film from an Horse's eye.

Black pepper, finely ground, and sifted through a piece of gauze; add [ ? ] fine ground salt; of each as much as will lay on the point of a [casd?] knife, mixing them well together; then take as much dough as will cover an ounce ball, make it flat, place the pepper & salt thereon, & roll them up, making the same about the size of an ounce ball; then put it as low down as possible in the [ ? ] Ear, fastening the ear so as to prevent it falling out. The above takes off the worst of films, and no way injures the Horse.

Palladium March 22 1803

Recipe to prevent iron & steel from rusting.

To any given quantity of fat oil varnish, add fourth-fifths of well [realified?] spirits of turpentine; apply this varnish slightly and equally with a sponge, and put the articles to dry in a place sheltered from dust. It presarves and brightens the colour of copper; and it is said, that all metallic articles varnished with it, well retain their brilliancy, and never contract any spots of rust.

Palladium Decr. 27 1803

Recipe for the Rheumatism

Spirits of wine, oil of Juniper, Spirits of Turpentine -- Take of each an equal quantity, give forty drops in a glaze of water or white wine the last thing at night & first thing in the morning -- when taken three days or six times, leave it off; two or three days -- then take it again as before, provided the pain be not quite gone.

Shake the Bottle.

N. 13. If it occasions a persperation, after taking it in the morning, it may be adviseable to continue a while in bed, 'til it goes off.