Penjylvania, Philadelphia. 301 



/lands the ftrongeft fire. If the people 

 can get a fufficient quantity of this ftone, 

 they lay the fteps before the houfes with it, 

 inftead of bricks, which are generally ufed 

 for that purpofe. 



The walls round the court yards, gar- 

 dens, burying places, and thofe for the 

 Hoping cellar doors towards the ftreet, 

 which are all commonly built of brick, are 

 covered with a coping of this flone ; for it 

 holds excellently againft all the effects of 

 the fun, air, rain and ftorm, and does not 

 decay but fecures the bricks. On account 

 of this quality, people commonly get the 

 door pofts in which their hinges are fatten- 

 ed made of this ftone : and in feveral pub- 

 lick buildings, fuch as the houfe of af- 

 fembly for the province, the whole lower 

 wall is built of it, and in other houfes the 

 corners are laid out with it. 



The Salt which is ufed in the Englifh 

 North American colonies is brought from 

 the Weft Indies. The Indians have in fome 

 places fait fprings from which they get fait 

 by boiling. I mall in the fequel have oc- 

 cafion to defcribe fome of them. Mr. 

 Franklin was of opinion that the people in 

 Penjylvania could eafier make good fait of 

 fea water, than in New England, where 

 fometimes fait is made of the fea water on 



their 



