4 MINERALS. 



EARTHS are reducible to duft, cafily become dry, diflblublc, fixed, 

 primitive; are generated by cryftallization or formed by prascipi- 

 tation, produced by aceffence or reproduced by putrefcene. From 

 thefe, by cryftallization or attraction, ftonesare reproduced, which 

 by the variation of ^he elements are repeatedly refolved into earths, 

 and again regenerated by a like perennial circle: 



Clay, the precipitation of vifcid fea- water, 

 Is opake, plaftjc, frialjle, hardening ii> tl^e air, and not fufible by 

 the a£lion of fire. 



Sand, the cryftallization of turbid rain water, 

 Is hyaline, without moifture, fcintillant, of the fame permanent 

 fiardnels, and fufible into glafs. 



Soil, the refolution of afcefcent vegetables. 

 Is black, bibulous, reducible to duft, inflammable, and com- 

 buftible. ' 



Calxy the refolutlon of putrefcent animals, 

 Is whiiifti, abforbent, farinaceous vylien dry, penetrable, and ef- 

 fervefcing with acids. 



jCLAY, the earth of marine water, formerly qppofed to muria, forr 

 did, vifcid, flippery to the touch, impalpable, without regular 

 lliape, tough, opake, and becoming plaltic by the addition of moif- 

 ture, in its native fituation moitt, beconiing friable vvhen dry, 

 hardening by ignition, not fufible by the greateft degree of heat, 

 but when mixed with other heterogeneous fubftances becoming va- 

 rioufly (haped by fire ; after remaining a long time dry, and com- 

 prelfed, is hardened into rafile Talc, which by refqlution is oftei^ 

 regenerated into fibrous AJbeJius, but when minute. y refolved, is in 

 a wonderful rpanner reproduced into fcaly A^ica. 



SAND, the earth of rain-water, impregnated with xtherjal nitre, 

 fhining, fixed, rigid, rough, cryftalline, hyaline, not fottening in 

 water, ftriking fire with Ucel, of permanent hardnefs in ignition, 

 but fufible into glafs by the greateft degree of heat; caft upon the 

 continent and dried it forms the Aranea mobilis, vyhich worn by 

 age apd become friable is the Aranea Glarea; each becoming moift 

 under ground, obliquely and tranfverfely cleft, and ultimately unit- 

 ing and forming Sand Jhne by minute atoms of cryftallization, or 

 mixed with humid extraneous fubftances is cemented into Gravel, 

 and this again into various ftones, ftones into rocks, but when re- 

 folved and recryftallized it forms Quartz. 



SOIL, the earth of vegetables, eagerly combining with nitre, acef- 

 cent, of a black colour, greedily imbibing moiiture, crumbling 

 into powder in fracture, reducible to duft when dry, fiaming in ig- 

 niiion, combuftible in a greater degree of heat, by continued coiTi. 

 prellion is indurated «iio fillile fchift, which when faturaled ^i^h 



