Report on the Geological Survey of Connecticut. 165 
Gems.— Topaz at Monroe in profusion in a vein of fluor spar— 
numerous crystals—some beautiful, but often large and coarse. 
Sapphire at Litchfield—chrysoberyl at Haddam—emeralds and 
beryls at Haddam—tourmaline at Monroe, Haddam, &c. Zircon at 
at Haddam and Middletown—garnets in many places—agates im 
East Haven, Southbury, Farmington—corundum in Litehfield. 
*¢ Soapstone.—The rock referred to under this name in Greenwich, 
Stanwich, Litchfield, New Hartford, Wilton and Colebrook, is en- 
tirely composed of asbestiform tremolite, and might with great pro- 
priety be called asbestus-rock, since in some of these places it forms 
extensive beds. All attemps to quarry and to split it, must be attended 
with so much difficulty, that it can never come into competition with 
genuine soapstone. Rudely shaped blocks of it are used to some 
extent in furnaces, in the chimneys of smiths and for common chim- 
ney-backs. | 
“< A soapstone better entitled to the name, though not of the best 
quality, exists in Somers, where it has been quarried for many years. 
The quarry is on the eastern side of Durfee mountain, about one 
hundred and fifty feet above its base. It occurs with talc-slate in 
interstratified masses in hornblendic gneiss. It abounds too much in 
tremolite crystals, and grains of magnetic-iron, to admit of the most 
valued applications of this substance as a fire-stone; besides it is 
injured by possessing too shistose a texture. ‘The uses to which it 
has been applied are, for hearth and grave-stones, and for jambs. 
At present however, it is but little worked. 
“<The chlorite of Newtown is well adapted to the manufacture 
of ink-stands and similar articles, and has already been employed to 
some extent for this purpose. ‘The true soapstone or steatite is 
found at Bartholomew’s factory in Bristol, and at two places farther 
south, where it exists in a limited formation of hornblendic serpen- 
tine, forming coatings and veins. It possesses all the requisites for 
the purposes above described as pertaining to this substance, and it 
has already attracted the notice of tailors, who have found it pos- 
sessed of the same properties as the French chalk of the shops.” 
The best soapstone in New England is obtained from Orford and 
Francistown, N. H., also near Bellows’ Falls, Vermont, and from 
Middlefield, Mass. 
“ The materials for the fabrication of bricks are every where 
abundant, and of the best quality, throughout the secondary region 
of the State.” In New Milford there is a bed of porcelain clay 
