LONDON AND SUBURBS. 21 



escape him, after he had once caught sight of it. All his 

 ships were of oak. His strong castle on the land made 

 him and his ships safe, if any naval power, sjd-magt, 

 should attempt to chastise him. In outward appearance 

 he was very handsome, was somewhat cruel, grym, 

 especially towards the captives, whose [T. I. p. 371] heads 

 he very often had cut off for his amusement. He died when 

 he was only 30 odd years old, and left his trade to his 

 brother, and to his sons, whom he had by his many wives. 



The 25th April, 1748. 

 Description and use of the White Stone which 

 is here called Portland Stone. 

 This kind of stone is much used, particularly in 

 London and the neighbourhood, for house building and 

 other purposes, and takes its name from the Isle of 

 Portland. It is a white, or white and slightly inclining to 

 yellowish, and sometimes a grey stone, a species of lime- 

 stone, and is very like the Freestone which has been 

 described above at Tattemel, in Bedfordshire. Doubtless 

 it has the same origin as this. In this Portland Stone 

 there is also found a very great abundance of oyster and 

 mussel shells, and other testacea. It has also the property 

 that when it is sawn or broken, it smells strongly of stink- 

 stone, orsten. Everywhere in London where there are 

 masons.' yards, one sees carls, who sit and saw this stone 

 asunder into different shapes. Their saw, which they 

 use for this purpose, looks exactly like any other saw, 

 but. has no teeth, instead of which they employ sand, 

 which effects the same purpose as teeth. The operation 

 is thus: they take the sand which is found here near 

 .London, and sift it tolerably fine. After that it is blended 

 with a little clay moistened with water, laid on a board, 

 .which is placed above the stone they intend to saw, so 

 that the board slopes towards the score, skaran, or rift, 

 .remnan, which the saw makes. On the upper side of 



