^lehec, 245 



go generally at right angles ; the diftances 

 between them are not always equal. The 

 outfide of the ftrauim, or that which is 

 turned towards the other flratum, is fre- 

 quently covered with a fine, black, fhining 

 membrane, which looks like a kind of a 

 pyrous horn-ftone. In it there is feme- 

 times a yellow pyrites, always lying in 

 fmall grains. I never found petrefadtions 

 or impreffions, or other kinds of ftone in 

 it, befides thofe I have juft mentioned. 

 The whole mountain on which Quebec 

 is iituated, confifts entirely of lime-llate 

 from top to bottom. When this ftone is 

 broken, or fcraped with a knife, it gives a 

 ftrong fmell like the ftink-flone. That 

 part of the mountain which is expofed to 

 the open air, crumbles into fmall pieces, 

 had loft their black colour, and got a pale 

 red one in its (lead. Almoft all the public 

 and private buildings at ^ebec confift of 

 this lime-Hate ; and likewife the walls 

 round the town, and round the monafteries 

 and gardens. It is eafily broken, and cut 

 to the fize wanted. But it has the pro- 

 perty of fplitting into thin fliivers, parallel 

 to the furface of the flratum from v/hence 

 they are taken, after lying during one or 

 niore years in the air, and expofed to the 

 fun. However, this quality does no da- 

 Q.3 ^^^^^^s 



