87 



pending on the quantity of the extraneous matters, with which it 

 has become blended. When its purity is much impaired, it is found 

 to burn with considerable less freedom ; and a close inspection will 

 shew, by its being not smooth in its cut, but gritty in its substance, 

 that its impurity proceeds from an intermixture of earth. If the 

 peat be good, and contain but few impurities, it burns with a clear 

 bright flame, leaving ashes of a light colour ; but if much earth is 

 blended with it, the ashes are more plentiful, and, from the igni- 

 tion having been thereby impeded, are of a darker colour. If, as 

 is frequently the case, it contains much pyrites, or ferruginous earth, 

 then a heavy reddish ash is left. 



Adrianus Junius observes, that there are several kinds of these 

 turf-like substances. The first kind, which he describes, is of a red- 

 dish colour, poor, and spongy ; very light, and of but little value ; 

 being only used to heat brewers' coppers. Whilst burning, it gives 

 to the countenance a livid, cadaverous hue ; making men appear 

 like ghosts : it, at the same time, produces a noxious vapour, which 

 occasions fainting ; to prevent which it is sprinkled with salt. The 

 second kind is more dense, of a blackish brown colour, and is inter- 

 sected by twigs and rushes, in various directions. It is heavier 

 than the former kind, and more generally useful. The third kind 

 is heavy, and sinks in water, which the former kinds do not. It is 

 of an ash colour, and is dug in a sandy soil : it takes fire slowly, but 

 continues to burn a long time. He observes, that there is another 

 kind, formed of the salt earth in Zealand ; and besides these, he re- 

 marks, there is another kind, which is obtained from the fatty mud, 

 which is dragged from the bottom of ponds, and is afterwards 

 drained, and so dried by exposure to the air, as to render it use- 

 ful*. Schoock remarks, that the peat, which is dug from the 



* Historia Bataviae, cap. v. 



