300 November 1748. 



only feen the ftones at Philadelphia, which 

 are brought there ready cut. The particles 

 of talc in this ftone are about thirty times 

 as many as thofe of fpar and garnet. It is 

 found in many parts of the country, for 

 example in the neighbourhood of Chejler in 

 Penfylvania. The Englijh likewife call it 

 Soap/lone,* and it is likely that the Swedes 

 have borrowed that name from them. 



This ftone was chiefly employed in the 

 following manner. Firft, the people took 

 fpots out of their cloaths with it. But for 

 this purpofe the whole ftone is not equally 

 ufeful, for it includes in its clear particles 

 fome dark ones which confift wholly of fer- 

 pentine ftone, and may eafily be cut with a 

 knife ; fome of the loofe ftone is fcraped off 

 like a powder, and ftrewed upon a greafy 

 fpot, in filk or any other ftuff; this im- 

 bibes the greafe, and after rubbing off the 

 powder the fpot difappears : and as this ftone 

 is likewife very durable in the fire, the 

 country people make their hearths with it, 

 efpecially the place where the fire lies, and 

 where the heat is the greateft, for the ftone 



ftands 



* It feems to be either the fubftance commonly called 

 French Chalk, or perhaps the Soap-rock, which is common in 

 Cornwall near the Lizard point, and which confifts befides of 

 fome particles of talc, chiefly of an earth like magnefia, 

 which latter with acid of vitriol, yields an earthy vitriolic, 

 fait, or Epfom/ah. F. 



