Penfyhania, Philadelphia^ 303 



ing the freight, they could fell their iron 

 in England at a lower rate than any other 

 nation; efpecially when the country be- 

 comes better peopled and labour cheaper. 



The mountain jiax,'^ or that kind of 

 Hone, which Bifhop Browallius calls Atni^ 

 ant us Jibris feparabilibus molliufculis , in his 

 ledures on mineralogy which were pub- 

 lished in 1739, or the amiant with foft fibres 

 which can eaiily be feparated, is found a- 

 bundantly in Penfylvania. Some pieces are 

 very fofr, others pretty tough : Mr. Frank- 

 lin told me that twenty and fome odd years 

 ago, when he made a voyage to Eiigland^ 

 he had a little purfe with him, made of 

 the mountain flax of this country, which 

 he prefented to Sir Hans Sloatie. I have 

 likewife feen paper made of this ftone: and 

 1 have likewife received fome fmall pieces 

 of it, which I keep in my cabinet. Mr. 

 Franklin had been told by others that 011 

 exposing this mountain flax to the open 

 air in winter, and leaving it in the cold and 

 wet, it would grow together, and more fit 

 for fpinning. But he did not venture to 



deter- 



* Amiemtm (AJbeftus) fibrofus, fibrls feparabilibus flexili- 

 bus tenacibus, Linn. Syft. nat. ?• 55. 



Amiantus fibris mollibus parallelis facile feparabilibus. 

 Wall. Min. 140. 



Mountain Flax, Linum montanumt For/ier*i Mineralogy, 

 p. 17. F. 



