23O TRAVELS THROUGH 



VIII. Bafaltes* 



Strabo and Agncola relate, that the antique 

 bafaltes is found in Egypt in the fame prifmatical 

 form, as that in which it offers itfelf in many other 

 European countries. I have proved in one of my 

 former Letters, that the Vicentine, Paduan, and 

 Veronefe bafaltes, is but a cryftallized lava-, I 

 add, that the common black antique bafaltes agrees 

 not only with the vifible fubftance and hardnefs of 

 the lava prifms, and the compadt lavas of Vefu- 

 vius or monte Albano, but likewife on account of 

 its nature allayed by fire, The likenefs or fimila- 

 rity is fo compleat, that there appears no differ- 

 ence at all, and the hard lava or felce of monte- 

 Albar^ is commonly ufed in the reftorations of 

 mutilated antique bafait-ftatues. The white gar- 

 net-like Iherl-cryflallizations and lamelles, which 

 are fo ,comman in the Italian lavas, offer likewife, 

 though lomevvhat fmaller, in fome varieties of the 

 Egyptian bafaltes. Therefore' it ieems to me un- 

 deniable, that, fome fpecies of bafaltes are true 

 lavas and volcanic productions. However, I dare 

 not afiert that all the varieties of Oriental bafaltes 

 are of that origin ; I have rather very good rea- 

 fons to believe, that fome of them are produced 

 by aqueous mixtures, and that nature works, per- 

 haps 



