called asphaltos. It is a black, solid, brittle sub- 

 stance, resembling pitch. It is chiefly found swim- 

 ming on the dead sea, where anciently stood Sodom 

 and Gomorfah. It is cast up from time to time 

 from the bottom to the surface, where it gradually 

 condenses by the heat of the sun. It burns as vio- 

 lently as naphtha ; but is of a firmer consistence. 



Asphaltos is also a kind of bituminous stone, found 

 near the ancient Babylon, and lately in the province 

 of Neufchatel, which properly mixed makes an ex- 

 cellent cement., incorruptible either by air or water. 

 With this it is supposed the walls of Babylon were 

 built. 



Jet seems to be formed in the earth of a. bitumi- 

 nous juice. It is a light, smooth pitchy stone. It 

 is fissile, and works like amber; the best in the 

 world is said to be found in Yorkshire. It readily 

 catches fire, flashes and yields a bituminous smell. 

 Nearly resembling this, is the channel coal, found 

 in several parts of Lancashire, which burns with aa 

 even steady flame, like a candle or torch. 



18. Amber is a kind of fossil pitch, the veins of 

 which run chiefly at the bottom of the sea. It is 

 hardened in tract of time, and cast on shore by the 

 motion of the sea. It was long thought that none 

 could be found but in Prussia, but it has since been, 

 found in Sweden, on the shores of the isle of Be- 

 orkoo, though situate in a lake whose water is swee,t. 

 Nay, it is digged out of the earth, at a considerable 

 distance from the sea, and not only in sandy, but in 

 firm ground. 



19. But the most extraordinary of all fossils is the 

 asbestos. It seems to be a species of alabaster, and 

 may be drawn into fine silky threads, of a greyish 

 or silver colour. It is indissoluble in water, and re- 

 mains unconsumed even in the flame of a furnace. A 

 large burning glass indeed will reduce it to glass 

 globules, but common fire only whitens it. Its 



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