Penfyhania, Philadelphia. 299 



It confifts of a mixture of Lapis Ollaris 

 or Serpentine ftone, and oi AJbeJi, The 

 greateft part of it is a grey Serpentine 

 ftone, which is fat and fmooth to the touch, 

 and is eafily cut and worked. Here and 

 there are fome glittering fpeckles of that 

 fort of afbeft, whofe fibres come from a 

 center like rays, or Star Ajbefi. This ftone 

 is not found in ftrata or folid rocks, but 

 here and there fcattered on the fields. 



Another ftone is called Soapjiojte by 

 many of the Swedes, being as fmooth as 

 foap on the outfide. They make ufe of it 

 for rubbing fpots out of their cloaths. 

 It might be called Saxum talcofum parti^ 

 cuius fpataceis, granatifque immixtis, or a 

 talc with mixed particles of fpar and gar- 

 nets. A more exaift defcription I referve 

 for another work. At prefent I only add 

 that the ground colour is pale green, with 

 fome dark fpots, and fometimes a few of a 

 greenifh hue. It is very fmooth to the 

 touch, and runs always waved. It is like- 

 wife eafily fawed and cut, though it is not 

 very fmooth. I have feen large flones of it, 

 which were a fathom and more long, pro- 

 portionably broad, and commonly fix inches 

 or a foot deep. But I cannot determine any 

 thing of their original fize, as I have not been 

 at the place where they are dug, and have 



only 



