z $ On the Materials ufed 



in ioo extremely fufceptible of receiving the carbonaceous 

 principle. 



The ftratum of detached none is externally marked with 

 vegetable impreffions, from the fize of trees to fmall branches. 

 The exterior appearance of this none greatly refembles wood 

 dug from a morafs or bog, with knobs or excrefcences of va- 

 rious fizes. Thefe flumps are from 9 to 18 inches long, and 

 are oval or round of various diameters: they fplit length- 

 ways like a piece of wood, and their internal furfaces exhibit 

 the moft perfect traces of their original formation. In mod 

 of them the fibres, as in wood, are feen running lengthways, 

 and aerofs feftion prefents the commencement of moots of 

 various thickneffes. In one of them I found a diftincl nut, 

 and a piece of the filament ftill in a vegetable ftate. The 

 fame niece of done afforded a confufed coagulation of mine- 

 ral and veo-ctable fubftances. In the afiay this ball-ftone 

 yielded me 40^ percent, of iron. 



Another variety of iron-iU>ne, which we have in this coun- 

 try, and which will be deemed no lefs curious by the mine- 

 ralooift, affords maltha, bitumen, mineral pitch, he. This 

 eombuftible is found in the heart of large flat rounded balls 

 ef iron-ftone, occupying a number of interfaces, and refem- 

 feling a cement for the frittered pieces of ftune. It is com- 

 monly found attached to pure calcareous fpar, which has al- 

 fo found its way into thefe vacuities. I obferved that where 

 the fpar was thickeft, the bitumen was proportionally thin ; 

 in fome places it totally difappeared, and the chafrn became 

 entirely filled with fpar : this led me to conjecture, that the 

 defiruttion of the bitumen was effected by the filter which 

 had depofited the lime it held in folution ; and that even 

 at the time the (tone was dug, nature was employed in this 

 progreffive and tedious operation. I have found fome pieces 

 of plant along with the bitumen, which referable that from, 

 which foda is made; thofe, though preferved in fhape, were 

 equally inflammable with the pitch. Thediftillation of 437 

 grains afforded me a rough light charcoal^ which weighed 



o»ly 



