CHAP. IV. 

 OF SAND. 



A Great part of the Sand with us is very little regarded, and 

 little ufed, except in mafonry, though we have great va- 

 rieties of it, and fome not inferior to the valuable Tarfo of the 

 Venetians, with which they make their fine glafs. This is our 

 mountain or rag-fand. I will not fland to difpute, whether it is 

 adventitious or natural, originated there. But I will declare what 

 I have found true by experience. I had an inclination a. few 

 years ago to examine the inferior ftrata of one of our northern 

 hills, the better to judge of the ftructure and phenomena of the 

 earth, and for other reafons. This hill was lofty, conical, and 

 rocky to the very furface, the fouth expofure covered with 

 wood, hazel, and oak. I firft cleared it of the wood, then 

 began digging at the top downwards with a mattock and 

 a fpade. The fpace marked out for the experiment might 

 contain about eleven yards in length, and fix in breadth. The 

 earth and Hones, as they rofe, I cail down the fouthern fteep, 

 difrobed of its flouriming timber and flirubs. The firft ftratum, 

 for about r./o feet, was a line brown, loamy earth, wherein 

 were feated an abundance of coarfe, hard pebbles, of the blue 

 kind, commonly ufed in paving, fo thick, as if a flood had caft 

 them there ; the next courfe, for the fame depth, confifted of 

 manes of red freeftone, lying in light fand, in great confuiion, 

 and in great quantities, pretty large, of all fhapes, fome of them 

 fplitting into excellent flags. Thefe were fucceeded by fome of 

 a vaft magnitude, which I was forced to fplit with wedges. 

 Under them was a bed of water-gravel, as good as any upon the 



Ihores 



