S SINGULAR EVENT. 



stone ; sand agglutinated, and coloured by oxide of 

 iron, resisting heat, and used in the construction of 

 our lime-kilns ; the labourers call it " fire-stone." 



We occasionally, though sparingly, find, in a few 

 places on our downs, nodules of lead ore, which 

 induced persons in years past to seek for mineral 

 riches; but the trial being soon abandoned, the 

 result, I suppose, afforded no reasonable ground 

 for success. We likewise find thin veins of carbo- 

 nate of strontian, but make no use of it ; nor is it 

 noted by us different from common rubbish ; nor 

 do I know any purpose to which it is peculiarly 

 applicable, but in pyrotechnics. Spirit of wine, in 

 which nitrate of strontian has been mixed, will 

 burn with a beautiful bright-red flame ; barytes, 

 which approaches near to strontia, affords a fine 

 green : nitrates of both, compounded with other 

 matters, are used in theatrical representations. 

 Strontian exists in many places, and plentifully ; 

 some future wants or experiments will probably 

 bring it into notice, and indicate the latent virtues 

 of this mineral. 



Perhaps I may here mention an incident, that 

 occurred a few years past at one of our lime-kilns, 

 because it manifests how perfectly insensible the 

 human frame may be to pains and afflictions in 

 peculiar circumstances, and that which would be 

 torture if endured in general, may be experienced 

 at other times without any sense of suffering. A 

 travelling man, one winter's evening, laid himself 

 down upon the platform of a lime-kiln, placing his 



