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ROCKS are from their nature fought for in their mother Earth, 



The Mothers of Earths are principally four: 

 Soi/f muddy, vegetable, combullible. 

 Calx, teflaceous, animal, effervefcing. 

 Ciayy apyrous, aquatile, hardening. 

 Sandy moveable, aquatile, hardened. 



I. HuMOSE, from vegetable earth, flaming and combuftiblc when 

 burnt. 



Soil is the flow depofition of waters, and is therefore horizon- 

 tally fiflile. 



Argillaceous particles are often depofited with foil, by which 

 Schiit becomes more or lefs argillous. 



Mineral acid trom marlhes fometimes gives it a tinge of Iron, 

 \ And when burnt they p^'oduce a red ochraceous earth. 



In burning they are confufi[>ed, unlefs when n^ixed too much 

 with metal. 



n. Calcareous, from teflaceous fubftances or Lvthophytes 

 changed into earths, 

 for all calx is produced from the animal kingdom. 

 ^ffervefctnt and foluble in acids, and thererore are alcaline, un- 

 ' lefs they have been previoufly faturated with acid, as Gypfum. 

 Burnt and extinguished by water they fall into a branny powder. 

 By ^he power of calcination or petrifaction tl)ey become multi- 

 plicativcj in hurnqfe, yegetable, animal, and probably calca- 

 reous fubftances. 



III. Argilj^aceous, from a vifcid marine matter coagulated 

 into earth. 

 7?^7/;7rix: lubricous when reduced, fince they are ofafoft vifcid origin. 

 Hardening^ jhey become dryer and harder by thq aclion of fire. 

 They were formerly denominated apyrous. 



JV. Arenate, from atoms oi water united into an arenaceous 

 fubltance. 

 They have their origin from lEtheriul r^in watpr. 

 Particlcsy hard, rough, /leaving a inark. 

 Striking tire with (leel from their folidity and hardnefs. 

 They were formerly denominated vitrelcent. 



V. Aggregate, from niiKed particle^ of the preceding orders. 

 Hardening, from whatever earth, porous. 

 Their hollow inter'lices were filled up with terreftrial water, 



which becoming folid particles added a mixture of Qiiartz, 



Spar, Mica. 

 In ignition they are to be conflderpd according to the qualities of 



which they are compofed. 



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