Penjyhania, "Philadelphia, 329 



have lain in the ground above a century. 

 Before the Europeans fettled in North Ame- 

 rica, the Indians had no other veflels to 

 boil their meat in, than thefe earthen pots 

 of their own making : but fince their arri- 

 val, they have always bought pots, kettles, 

 and other neceflary veflels of the Europeans, 

 and take no longer the pains of making 

 fome, by which means this art is entirely 

 loft among them. Such veflels of their own 

 conftrudtion are therefore a great rarity even 

 among the Indians. I have feen fuch old 

 pots and pieces of them, confuting of a kind 

 of Serpentine fione, or Limiceus's Talcum, 

 Syft. nat. 3. p. 52. 



Mr. Bar tram like wife mewed me little 

 pieces of a black Jlate, which is plentifully 

 found in fome parts of the river Skullkill, 

 There are pieces to be found, which are 

 four feet and above fquare : the colour and 

 configuration is the fame as in the Table 

 jlate (Schiftus tabularis, Linn. J Syft. nat. 3. 

 p. 37. except that this is a little thicker. 

 The inhabitants of the country thereabouts 

 (in the neighbourhood of the Skullkill) cover 

 their roofs with it ; Mr. Bartram aflured 

 me, that he had feen a whole roof com- 

 pofed of four fuch Hates. The rays of the 

 fun, heat, cold, and rain do not aft upon 

 the ftone. 



Mr. 



