FLINT AND ITS APPLICATIONS. 



91 



Flint is, indeed, almost pure silex, — the following analyses showing only 

 3 per cent, of other substances. 



Klapr. Vauquelin. 



Silex - - - 98- 97- 



Lime - - - 0-50 — 



Aluminum - - - 25 ) , 



Oxide of Iron - - 0-25 j L 



Volatile Matter- - 1- — 



Loss ... — 2 - 



100- 100- 



It is translucent, and has a flat conchoidal fracture ; sp. gr. 2"58 ; 

 and is so hard as to strike fire when struck heavily with steel or other 

 hard substances : and this property was evidently known at a very early 

 period. The Greek name of flint, nvpirns, compounded of two words 

 {irvp and Tpecpw) signifying " to nourish or support fire" conveys this fact 

 to our minds ; likewise the Latin description, lapis ignem emittens (stone 

 emitting fire). The modern appellations of this substance also embody 

 the same idea. Our name "flint " appears to be a Saxon word, which 

 in old German signified " a gun" the subject of my paper being termed 

 "Jlintstein " or " fiintsteen " (gunstone) ; so that in all probability the English 

 word flint properly signifies a gun, and the silicious nodules would be far 

 more appropriately called "Jlintstones" The French u pier re d fusil" 

 and the German " feuerstein " perpetuate the same truth. 



Long before metals became abundant, flint was very advantageously 

 employed in the production of weapons of war by half-civilised races. 

 Our own ancestors were famous for their celts and arrow-points of flint, 

 vast numbers of which are continually disentombed in certain parts of 

 the country. 



I 



-411 



m WW 

 1 I 



1 British Arrow Heads. 



2 Canadian Arrow Heads. 



3 New Zealand Stone Hatchet. 



4 Stone Hatchet from Indian Archipelago. 



5 Australian Stone Hammer. 



