QUARRY. 



was built, as well as the modern one chiefly paved, hy 

 materials from this diilrict, fuch as the rag-ltone, and the 

 large pebbles gathered on the fea-lhorcs, before the Scoteh 

 granite came into ufe. In the neighbourhood of Maidflone 

 there are the appearances of many abandoned and neglected 

 quarries of this nature ; but the moit confiderable ones, 

 which were lately wrought in that vicinity, are thofe of 

 Farlcigh and Fant. In each of thefe, blocks of ftones, of 

 different kinds, and of every form and fize, are met with, 

 being feparated by feams, and large irregular mafles of 

 earth of various quahties : among the rell, brick-earth of 

 the beft quality. In fome places, the ftones are buried 

 feveral feet under thcfe earthy materials; in others, the 

 rock rifes to the furface. After this, tlie quarryinen worm 

 their way ; following it, with irregular wmdings, leaving 

 behind them rcfufe in greiter quantity than the ufeful 

 materials which they raife. 



The ftony fubftances which are principally met with in 

 them, are of tH-o very diftinft kinds : the one hard, and of a 

 ftrono- contexture, provincially denominated rag, or Keiitifh 

 .rag ; the other of a loft crumbly nature, provincially termed 

 hajpjck. The quarrymen are in the praftice of dividing the 

 iirft fort into two kinds ; what they call the common rag, 

 and the cork-Jione, the latter being their principal objeft in 

 thefe immenfe works. It has in its general appearance 

 much refemblance to the Itrong grey lime-ltones which are 

 found in different parts of this country ; but when minutely 

 examined by means of a glafs, its fratture and contexture 

 have the ch'aradters of the Devonlhire marbles ; except that 

 the grain of this fort of Hone is fomewhat coarfer. In 

 colour, too, it differs from thefe marbles, having a greater 

 refemblance to the Yorklhire lime-ftones. It is ufed for 

 different purpofes ; much of it is fent to the neighbourhood 

 of London, where it is burnt into lime, for the ufe of the 

 fugar-bakers ; who, for fome reafon or other, chiefly em- 

 ploy lime, burnt from this material, or Itone, inftcad of that 

 of chalk. It IS likewife made ufe of as a building material ; 

 and, particularly in pedellals, for the polls of cattle-lheds 

 and other farm-offices. It is hewn with llone-mafons' axes, 

 working with tolerable freedom. 



It is very durable, as fome part of the bafement of 

 Weftmintter Abbey appears to have been built with the 

 ftone from thcfe quarries. In this cafe, it feems to have 

 been dreffed fmooth ; and the furface ftill remains with 

 little alteration ; having withllood the attacks of time with 

 great firmnefs ; it being even now difficult to deteft a 

 loofened fphnter in the work. 



The common rag- ftone comprehends all the different 

 kinds which are met with in thefe quarries, except that of 

 the above, and that which is of the liaffocky nature ; though 

 the true unmixed rag is a diftinift fort, having charafters 

 different from any of the others. In the colour, it inclines 

 more to the red or liver colour, than that of the cork-ftone, 

 but otherwife refembles it coniiderably. Viewed with a 

 glafs, its grain is finer, and the fraclure flint-like. 



Its ufes are, however, but few. Some of the beft and moft 

 regularly-faced ftones are fometimes laid afide for paving 

 materials ; but the large pieces are moftly referved, in order 

 ^o be fent by water to the diftrift of Romney Marfh, for 

 the purpofe of forming the hard materials of the embank- 

 ments and jetties, which are there made againll the fea. 

 The fmaller forts are, in general, converted to ufe as a road 

 material. 



The haffocky ftone appears to the naked eye to be of a 

 foft, white, fandy quality ; and its frafture is the fame 

 But under the glafs, its grain is fine, its contexture uniform, 

 and fo thickly interfperfed with fmall feed-like granules. 



of a dark or black colour, as to give it a grey appearance. 

 Sometimes bearing evident impreilions of fliells. Its tex- 

 ture is loofe and brittle ; crumbling eafily between the 

 fii.gers into a coarfe land-like powder. It will not burn 

 into good lime, although it is almoll wholly calcareous. 



Its principal ufe is that of forming a loofe friable fort of 

 rubbly fub-foil, in fome places, which is admirably fuited 

 to the growth of faintfoin, and fome other crops of the 

 plant as well as the fruit-tree kinds. 



The quarries in feveral other counties contain ftony mate- 

 rials of thefe dificrent kinds, which are wrought and ap- 

 plied to a variety of different ufes in thefe and other ways. 



Quarries of marble are wrouglit in feveral diftricls in 

 different parts of the country, and afford great advantages 

 in various ways. In Suffex they have a marble, which, 

 when cut into flabs, is ufed for ornamenting chimney-pieces, 

 and many other purpoles. It is equal in quality and 

 beauty to moft forts when liighly polilhed. For fquare 

 building and paving it is alfo a material fcarcely to be 

 exceeded. By burning, it likewife affords a very valuable 

 manure, equal, and by fome thought fujjerior, to chalk, 

 being cheaper to thofe who are near the places from which 

 it is dug. It is found the moft perfecl about Kirdford, at 

 the depth of from ten to twenty feet underground, in flakes 

 nine or ten inches in thicknefs, and called the Petwortli 

 marble. It was much employed in building the cathedral 

 at Canterbury, the pillars, monuments, vaults, pavement, 

 &c. being formed of it. And the archbiftiop's chair is one 

 entire piece of it. Marble is gotten in fome of the counties 

 in the middle of the ifland, as Derbylhire, Nottinghamfhire, 

 &c. At Bcacon-hiU, near Newark, a blue ftone for hearths 

 is got, which approaches to marble, and is capable of burn- 

 ing into lime. And in the county of Derby much good 

 marble is raifed in different places. In Lancafliire there are 

 quarries of fine black marble, and of ftones, which approach 

 to, and take on the polirti of marbles. In many of the weftem 

 and northern parts of Yorkfliire, marble of various kinds is 

 found, fome much refembling, and others fuperior, in clofe- 

 nels of texture and diilinctnefs of colours, to tha: which is 

 wrought in Derbydiire. Alfo a ftone, which greatly re- 

 fembles the marble of that county, and which is capable of 

 receiving much fuch a polifli, and is nearly of the fame 

 colour, mixture, and appearance. On the fide of the river 

 Kent, near Kendall, a vein of beautiful marble has been lately 

 difcovered in the property of D. Wilfon, efq. of Dallam- 

 Tower ; and a main quarry opened UDon it. Marble has 

 alfo been met with on the oppofite bank. 



In the county of Invernefs, likewife, marble of the greatell 

 variety of colours, and of the moft beautiful Ihades, has been 

 met with in Benevis, on the property of Mr. Camerton ; and 

 inexhauftible quarries of it lie untouched in the iflands which 

 belong to it. 



Befides, this fort of material exifts in immenfe quantities » 

 in quarries, in many other parts of the kingdom. 



Chalk is a material which is raifed from quarries and pits, 

 moftly in the fouthern parts of the country, as in Suffex, 

 Surrey, Kent, Effex, Berkfhire, Hertfordftiire, &c. It 

 exifts in vaft ranges and trades in moft of thefe diftrifks, 

 whence it is dug up from quarries, at different depths, ac- 

 cording to circumftances, expofed in fheds to dry, when 

 wet, and then converted into lime for various ufes, by means 

 of fire, or employed in its broken and powdery ftate, with- 

 out undergoing the above proceffes, by merely digging it 

 out of fuch places. In fome p.arts, as in Kent, and the 

 neighbouring diftrifts, it is often dug and raifed from con- 

 fiderable depths, from beds of very great thickneffes. And 

 near Reading, in Berkfliirc, there is a ftratum of this fub- 



ftance. 



