Report-on the Geological Surveyof Connectialt, 165 
~~ Gems.— Topaz at Monroe in profusion in a vein of fluor spar— 
numerous crystals—some beautiful, but often large and coarse. 
Sapphire at Litchfield—chrysobery] at Haddam—emeralds and 
beryls at Haddam—tourmaline at Monroe, Haddam, &c. Zircon at 
at Haddam and Middletown—garnets in many places—agates in 
East Haven, Southbury, Farmington—corundum in Litchfield. 
~ “ Soapstone.—The rock referred to under this name in Greenwich, 
Stanwich, Litchfield, New Hartford, Wilton and Colebrook, is en- 
tirely composed of asbestiform tremolite, and might with great pro- 
priety be called asbestus-rock, since in some of these places it forms 
extensive beds. All attemps to quarry and to split it, must be attended 
with so much difficulty, that it can never come into competition with 
genuine soapstone. Rudely shaped blocks of it are used to some 
extent in furnaces, in the chimneys of smiths and for common chim- 
ney-backs. 
mee. soapstone better entitled to the name, shéodh not of the best 
quality, exists in Somers, where it has been quarried for many years. 
The quarry is on the eastern side of Durfee mountain, about one, 
hundred and fifty feet above its base. It occurs with tale-slate in 
interstratified masses in hornblendic gneiss. It abounds too much in 
tremolite crystals, and grains of magnetic-iron, to admit of the most 
valued applications of this substance as a fire-stone; besides it is 
Y possessing too shistose a texture. The uses to which it 
teal been applied are, for hearth and graniaennty and for nies 
At present however, it is but little worked. 
_ ©The chlorite of Newtown is well adapted to the diconGetain 
of ink-stands and similar articles, and has already been employed to 
some extent for this purpose. The true soapstone or steatite is 
found at Bartholomew’s factory in Bristol, and at two places farther 
south, where it exists in a limited formation of hornblendini ‘serpen- 
tine, forming coatings and veins. It p all the requisites for 
the purposes above described as pertaining to this substance, and it 
has already attracted the notice of tailors, who have found it pos- 
sessed of the same properties as the French chalk of the shops.” 
© The best soapstone in New England is obtained from Orford and 
Francistown, N. H., also near Bellows’ Falls, Vermont, and from 
Middlefield, Mass. 
“ The materials for ‘he ‘fuirication of bricks are every where 
abundant, and of the best quality, throughout the secondary region 
of the State.” In New Milford there 2 a bed of porcelain clay 
