Penfyhania, Philadelphia, 329 



have lain in the ground above a century. 

 Before the Europeans fettled in North Ame- 

 ricay the Indians had no other veflels to 

 boil their meat in, than thefe earthen pots 

 of their own making : but lince their arri- 

 val, they have always bought pots, kettles, 

 and other neceflary veffels of the Europeans^ 

 and take no longer the pains of making 

 fome, by which means this art is entirely 

 loft among them. Such veflels of their own 

 conftrudtion are therefore a great rarity even 

 among xht Indians. I have feen fuch old 

 pots and pieces of them, confifting of a kind 

 of Serpentine Jione, or Linnceus^ Talcum, 

 Syft. nat. 3. p. 52. 



Mr. Bartram like wife fhewed me little 

 pieces of a black Jlate, which is plentifully 

 found in fome parts of the river Skullkill, 

 There are pieces to be found, which are 

 four feet and above fquare : the colour and 

 configuration is the fame as in the Table 

 Jlate fSchiJius tabularis, Linn. J Syft. nat. 3. 

 p. 37. except that this is a little thicker. 

 The inhabitants of the country thereabouts 

 (in the neighbourhood of the Skullkill) cover 

 their roofs with it j Mr. Bartram aflTurcd 

 me, that he had feen a whole roof com- 

 pofed of four fuch flates. The rays of the 

 fun, heat, cold, and rain do not adt upon 

 the ftone. 



Mr. 



