of the P y k i t e s. 73 



gether in a heap ; in regard it not only, tho' cut 

 through with crofs fpads, fifTures, and minerals, 

 hangs together like a thread, but it alfo often ap- 

 pears mattered and tender as hair •, the deluge, 

 firft, only fupplying the proper flimey earth, as 

 the ground, or bafis, which not only became full 

 of fifTures in the drying, but is in itfelf alfo an ac- 

 cumulation of a fpungey and eafily penetrable 

 matter. In the fifTures, the ore-weatherings , or 

 damps, have found ingrefs and lodging •, but in the 

 particular fort of the earth, found a well prepared, 

 alfo an expanfile matrix •, and for this purpofe, na- 

 ture has had a fufficient fpace of time, as being 

 what was highly requifite ; but why fhe has ex- 

 cluded or produced no other ore but pyrites chiefly, 

 in particular, copper-pyrites, is indeed a queftion 

 we are as little obliged to refolve, as the remote 

 caufes of things are beyond our inveftigation : how- 

 ever, a caufe may be afligncd, on which we may 

 beftow the following reflections. 



We find both earth, heap-work, and flone, nay, 

 ore too, in layers. Of the firft we have, every 

 where, inftances enough -, particularly in fand, 

 loam, and clay-pits. Of ftone there neither is, 

 nor can be fo much known ; feeing both our ex- 

 perience and accounts thereof are lame and im- 

 perfect. In ftone-quarries, however, we plainly 

 obferve layers •, yet, commonly, not fo often of a 

 different, as of a fimilar nature, where neither 

 complexion, nature, nor colour, exhibit peculiar 

 layers, only the feams form different flakes and 

 tables, the whole mafs of ftone having only a co- 

 ver and bed of a harder nature. Again, in com- 

 plexion, and thus in admixture, alfo in nature, 

 namely, ground-mixtion, appears a difference of 

 the ftone layers -, as quarry-ft one, fand-ftone, lime- 

 ftone, e^. may well lie interchangeably together : 

 and not only in thefe large firata of earth and 



ftpne, 



