Penfyhanta, Philadelphia. 301 



ilands the flrongeft fire. If the people 

 can get a fufficicnt quantity of this ftone, 

 they lay the fteps before the houfes with it, 

 inflead of bricks, which are generally ufed 

 for that purpofe. 



The walls round the court yards, gar- 

 dens, burying places, and thofe for the 

 floping cellar doors towards the flreet, 

 which are all commonly built of brick, are 

 covered with a coping of this ftone j for it 

 holds excellently againft all the effeds of 

 the fun, air,' rain and ftorm, and does not 

 decay but fecures the bricks. On account 

 of this quality, people commonly get the 

 door pofts in which their hinges are fatten- 

 ed made of this ftone : and in feveral pub- 

 lick buildings, fuch as the houfe of af- 

 fembly for the province, the whole lower 

 wall is built of it, and in other houfes the 

 corners are laid out with it. 



The Salt which is ufed in the Englifli 

 North American colonies is brought from 

 the Wejl Indies. The Indians have in fome 

 places fait fprings from which they get fait 

 by boiling. I fhall in the fequel have oc- 

 cafion to defcribe fome of them. Mr. 

 Franklin was of opinion that the people in 

 Penfyhania could eafier make good fait of 

 fea water, than in New England, where 

 fometimes fait is made of the fea water on 



their 



