GRA 



GRA 



tion ; for the finding of an indictment is 

 only in the nature of an inquiry on accu- 

 sation, which is afterwards to be tried ; 

 and they are only to enquire, upon their 

 oaths, whether there is sufficient cause to 

 call upon the party to answer it If twelve 

 agree to find the bill, it must be pronoun- 

 ced a true bill, but it cannot be found by 

 a smaller number. The mode of finding a 

 bill is by indorsing it a true bill; when it 

 is rejected it is indorsed " ignoramus," or 

 not foand ; and no one can be tried by in- 

 dictment without the finding by a grand 

 jury. 



GuAjfn larceny. See LAHCEKT. 

 GRANITE, in mineralogy, is a particu- 

 lar mountain rock, composed of felspar, 

 quartz, and mica. In general the felspar 

 is the predominating substance, and mica 

 the least considerable. In some varieties 

 the quartz is wanting, and in others the 

 mica. The constituent parts differ like- 

 wise considerably in their magnitude : 

 they alternate from large to small, and 

 even very fine granular. The large and 

 coarse usually belong to the oldest, and 

 the small and fine granular to the newer 

 granite formation. It differs also in co- 

 lour, and this difference depends chiefly 

 on the felspar, the quartz and mica being 

 usually of a grey colour. The felspar 

 passes from the white to the red. The 

 felspar in granite has usually a vitreous 

 lustre, and perfectly foliated fracture ; in 

 some varieties it passes into the earthy, 

 with the loss of its lustre and hardness, 

 even into porcelain earth. This is owing 

 to decomposition, effected, according to 

 Mr. Davy, by eletro-chemical agencies. 



: Sometimes the constituent parts of gra- 



( jiite are regularly chrystallized, but prin- 

 cipally the felspar and quartz. The mica 

 sometimes occurs in nests unmixed with 

 the other parts. Sometimes the consti- 

 tuent parts are so arranged, that when 

 t specimen is cut, its surface has a kind 



; of resemblance to written characters. 



' Hence it has been denominated GRAPHIC 



j stone. 



Besides felspar, quartz, and mica, the 

 essential constituent parts of granite, 



i other fossils occur in it : of these, schorl 

 is the most frequent, and next is garnet 

 and tin-stone. There are three forma- 

 tions of granite ; the first, or oldest, 

 serves as the basis for all the other clas- 

 ses of rocks. The secnd occurs only in 

 the first ; and the third, or newest, ap- 

 pear to be among the newest of the pri- 

 mitive rocks. In the oldest granite for- 

 mation, when it rises to a height above 

 the surface of the earth, and is surround- 



ed by other primitive rocks, these are al- 

 ways wrapped around it, or the strata are 

 mantle -shaped. This is one of the most 

 widely-extended and abundant formations 

 with which we are acquainted. The se- 

 cond granite formation occurs only in 

 veins which traverse the oldest forma- 

 tion, but never reaches any of the newer 

 rock. The newest granite formation al- 

 ways rests on some of the older primitive 

 rocks, and usually in an overlying posi- 

 tion. It never occurs in globular dis- 

 tinct concretions : its structure is very 

 irregular, sometimes contains grains of 

 precious garnet, and has a deep red co- 

 lour. It often occurs in veins that shoot 

 from the rock, or in veins that are not 

 connected with any rock beyond the stra- 

 ta which they traverse. 



When granite is exposed, it frequently 

 occurs in high and steep cliffs,which form 

 vast mural precipices: often also in lofty 

 summits, denominated peaks. It is found 

 in almost every country, and in many 

 places the stones are of an immense size. 

 The largest, as an unconnected stone, 

 has been described in the sixty-eighth 

 volume of the Philosophical Transactions. 

 It is found near the Cape of Good Hope. 

 Granite rocks are frequently traversed by 

 rents, which widen by the action of the 

 elements : the mass separates into frag- 

 ments of greater or lesser magnitude, and 

 they remain long piled on each other, in 

 the most fanciful manner, appearing like 

 vast artificial tumuli, or masses brought 

 together by an immense flood. The hard 

 white granite, with black spots, is a very 

 valuable kind : it consists of congeries of 

 variously constructed and differently Co- 

 loured particles, not diffused among nor 

 running into one another, but each pure 

 and distinct, though firmly adhering to 

 which ever of the others it comes in con- 

 tact with, and forming a very firm mass. 

 It is much used in London for the steps 

 of public buildings, and in other situations 

 where great strength and hardness are 

 required. The hard red granite, varie- 

 gated with black and white, is common in 

 Egypt and Arabia. The stones used in 

 paving the streets are another species of 

 granite. Granite, though not abounding 

 in metal, contains occasionally some of 

 the most important. Iron and tin occur 

 most frequently. 



GRANT, in law, a gift, in writing 1 , of 

 such a thing as cannot be passed or con- 

 veyed by a word only, as a grant is the 

 regular method, by the common law, of 

 transferring the property of incorporeal 

 hereditaments, on such things whereof 



