'278 



intense fire, nor, with proper ingredients, procure a verification or 



fusion *. 



Though mines have not perhaps been discovered near the lough, 

 there is reason to believe that there are such in its neighbourhood, 

 from the great quantity of iron si ones found on its shores, and 

 places adjacent to it, and from the yellowish ochre and clay to be 

 met with in many places near it. Of these iron-stones, which are 

 very ponderous, outwardly of an orherish yellow colour, and in- 

 wardly of a reddish brown, he calcined many, and found the pow- 

 der of all to yield strongly to the magnet. Gerald Boate-f mentions 

 an iron mine, in the county of Tyrone, not far from the lough, and 

 such others at the foot of Slew-Gallen mountains. 



That mines are generated and found in the bowels of hills and 

 mountains, is obviou's to any that have the least knowledge of me- 

 tallurgy ; and that springs also proceed from mountains, is no less 

 obvious; therefore should a spring happen in the bowels of any 

 of these mountains to run through a vein of mineral of any kind 

 whatever, it will wash and dilute some parts of such mineral, im- 

 pregnate itself with the unctuous, saline, and metallic particles of 

 such mines, and convey them along with its water; and if in its 

 way, whether under-ground, or at its issuing out of the cliffs of a 

 mountain, of the sides of a river, or of the lake in question ; or 

 whether it rises under water, in ihe middle of such a river or lake 

 in any particular place, and in its course meets with wood, vegeta- 

 bles, or any other lax bodies (lodged in the mud or gravel), whose 

 pores, by the natural heat of the mineral streams, or any other 

 accident, being open and duly prepared, these metallic moleculce 

 and saline particles will penetrate through, insinuate and lodge 

 themselves in the pores and vessels of such wood, &e. fill them up, 

 and, by degrees, turn them into stone J; "There being some of 

 these lapiclescent juices of so fine a substance, yet of so petrifying a 

 virtue, that they will penetrate and petrify bodies of very different 

 kinds, and yet scarcely, if at all, visibly increase their bulk, or 

 change their shape and colour.*' 



* Stones of the calcareous kind turn to lime by calcination, and ferment 

 with acids; but other kinds, such as slate, fire-stone, free-stone, rag, grill, 

 &c. will do neither, as experience has hitherto testified. Orig, 



f Nat. Hist, of Ireland, Dub. 1726. Orig. 



J Kob. Boyle of Gems, p. 124, 8vO. Orig. 



