62 



crossed in various directions by very fine golden 

 filaments^ which give it a most beautiful appear- 

 ance. 



Quarries of the common or parallelopipedal 

 gjpsum^ the rhoniboidal^ and the striated are 

 numerous in Chili. But the inhabitants make lit- 

 tle use of either^ preferring a species of gjpsum, 

 of a beautiful white a little inclining to blue, 

 which is very brittle and composed of small ir- 

 regular particles ; it is always found in the vi- 

 cinity of volcanoe3_, in a semi-calcined state, 

 from whence I have denominated it the volcanic 

 gypsum (gypsum volcanicum.) The quarries 

 from whei.ce it is procured are of great extent ; 

 it is principally employed for plaistering walls^ 

 to which its slight tint of blue gives a very 

 agreeable appearance; it may be used in its na- 

 tive statCj but the masons generally prepare it by 

 a slight calcination. The Andes abound with 

 quarries of Hue alabasicr, and a species of pcl- 

 li!cid Sv'lcnitG^ which is used by the inhabitants 

 of St. Jago instead of glass for the windows of 

 their churches. 



Of tlie sandstone there arc various kinds the 

 v.hctstone, dint, quartz, arid rock crystal. The 

 first conuins three; varieties, tlic vvhite, the groy, 

 and the yellow ; the njill or gtindstonc, and the 

 freestone, wlncli likewise belong to the same 

 class, are very common in Chili. The mountains 

 contain great quantities cf quartz, both the 



