j6 7he Production and Generation 



couches, in the fame manner that floods may be 

 fuppofed, from time to time, to accumulate dif- 

 ferent layers of earth, fand, CsrV- on each other, but 

 fpontaneoufly, from a vaft number of earthy par- 

 ticles, in the way of a precipitation, both by means 

 of the fubterraneous inftruments of maturation, 

 and thofe of the moift, warm air, this {tone ftrik- 

 ing out quite to the day. 



For, there is no one fquat, where a flood, the 

 moft partial imaginable, can be exhibited as a 

 caufe ; but dipping into the deep, and ftretching, 

 as it does, into the field, it is over-laid with the 

 abovementioned variegated ftone; in refpecl of 

 which it may rather be called a vein : and accord- 

 ingly it takes its rife from the bowels of the earth, 

 and, probably, in the way of an exudation, or 

 fermentation ; at the clofe of which, the refufe, 

 like dregs, feparates upwards and downwards, the 

 nobleft parts remaining in the middle. 



Yet, not to digrefs too far, we muft here di- 

 ftinguifh between thofe fquats, once really formed 

 by the waters of the deluge, and thofe fponta- 

 neoufly and gradually produced before or after it, 

 barely by length of time. The former are either 

 unchanged earths and fands, or become firm, and 

 thus turned to ftone, as the fhiver and fand-flone, 

 chiefly here at Friberg. The latter are partly the 

 harder and clofer fort of ftone, as gemfs, knauer, 

 and all thofe banks, or fhelves, chiefly coin- 

 ciding with the deeper under-lying ftone *, partly 

 fermented, or exudated, petrified, mineral juices. 

 Of the fecond fort, being, at prefent, foreign 

 to our purpofe, we fliall treat hereafter. As 

 to the firft, we fhall now offer fome anfwer to 

 the queftion ftarted above •, namely, why, in the 

 deluge- fquats, we commonly find the pyrites, and, 

 more frequently, the copper-pyrites. Tho' this 

 queftion may feem fomewhat premature, confider- 



>ng 



