CHAPTER V. 



MINERALLS AND FOSSILLS. 



[!N its etymological sense the term fossil signifies that which may be dug out of the earth. It is 

 strictly applicable therefore, not only to mineral bodies, and the petrified forms of plants and animals 

 found in the substance of the earth, but even to antiquities and works of art, discovered in a similar 

 situation. The chapter of Aubrey's work now under consideration mentions only mineralogical 

 subjects; whence it would appear that he employed the term "mineralls" instead of "metals," 

 including such mineral substances as were not metals under the general term "fossills." 



At present the term fossil is restricted to antediluvian organic remains ; which are considered by 

 Aubrey, in Chapter VII. under the name of "Formed Stones." J. B.] 



THIS county cannot boast much of mineralls : it is more celebrated for superficiall treasure. 



At Dracot Cerne and at Easton Piers doe appeare at the surface of the earth frequently a kind of 

 bastard iron oare, which seems to be a vancourier of iron oare, but it is in small quantity and course. 



At Send, vulgarly called Seen, the hill whereon it stands is iron-oare, and the richest that ever I 

 saw. (See Chap. II.) 



About Hedingtoii fields, Whetham, Bromham, Bowdon Parke, &c. are still ploughed-up cindres ; 

 sc. the scoria of melted iron, which must have been smelted by the Romans (for the Saxons were no 

 artists), who used only foot-blasts, and so left the best part of the metall behind. These cinders 

 would be of great use for the fluxing of the iron-oare at Send. 



At Redhill, in the parish of (I thinke Calne) they digge plenty of ruddle ; which is a 



bolus, and with which they drench their sheep and cattle for and poor people 



use it with good successe for This is a red sandy hill, tinged by c?, and is a soile that 



bears very good carrets. 



Mr. John Power of Kington S'. Michael (an emperick) told me heretofore that in Pewsham Forest 



is vitriol ; which information he had from his uncle Mr Perm, who was an ingeniose and 



learned man in those dales, and a chymist, which was then rare. 



At Dracot Cerne is good quantity of vitriol-oare, which with galles turnes as black as inke. 



About the beginning of the raigne of King James the First, Sir Walter Long [of Dracot] digged 

 for silver, a deep pitt, through blew clay, and gott five pounds worth, for sixty pounds charges or 

 more. It was on the west end of the stable : but I doubt there was a cheat put upon him. Here 



