269 



and equally wellendured the fire. Upon prosecuting the 

 enquiry, it appeared to him that both the native as. 

 bestos (at least one species of it) and this obtained 

 from the forge were nothing more than what he terms 

 calcined iron, deprived whether by nature or by art 

 of its inflammable part, and that by uniting the in. 

 flammable part, either with this, or the fossiie asbes- 

 tos, it may at any time be restored to its primitive 

 state of iron. 



But it is certain there is asbestos, which has no 

 relation to iron. Both in Norway and. Siberia, there 

 are petrifying waters which, -pervading the pores of 

 wood lying therein, fill it with stony particles, and 

 when by a caustic corrosive power, derived from 

 lime, they have destroyed the wood, a proper as. 

 bestos remains in the form of a vegetable, which is 

 now no more. To which of these does the follow- 

 ing belong ? 



Signor Mareo Antonia Castagna, superintendant 

 of some mines in Italy, has found in one of them a 

 great quantity of Jinum asbestum. He can prepare 

 it so as to make it like either a very white skin, or a 

 very white paper. Both of these resist the most vio- 

 lent fire. The skin was covered with kindled coals 

 for some time, being taken out, it was soon ^as white 

 as before ; neither had it lost any thing of its weight. 

 The paper also was tried in the fire, and without auy 

 detriment. Neither could any change be perceived, 

 either with regard to its whiteness, fineness, or soft. 

 ness. 



END OF THE SECOND VOLUME. 



t'riiuecl by VV. Hint, Uw JUai.ey. ' 



