88 The Production and Generation 



In fhort, the pyrites of fuch places is a new pro- 

 duction ; and its foundation being but lately laid, 

 how can the fuperftructure be iuppofed to be of 

 an older date ? The Jinter manifeitly is produced 

 as it were before our eyes, and mall the ore then, 

 found thereon, be made coeval with the world ? 

 Sinters claim our fpecial regard ; and, without 

 vanity, I may affirm, that, as far as I know, no 

 one, before mvfeif, hath ever made the obferva- 

 tion of ores growing on them. 



This leads us to confider, whether ore may 

 not be found fucceffively generated in drufe, in 

 nefcs and fifllires, rather than on /inter: as, (i.) 

 fuch matrixes are more adapted for the conception 

 of ore, from their flinty, quartzy, and confe- 

 quently more appropriated nature, than calcarious, 

 {pathy Jtnter-ftone : befides, that the ore-weather- 

 ings, or damps, lie more undifturbed in fuch clofe 

 matrixes, than where the gur is in motion. (2.) 

 As there are not wanting /inters in drufe, whereon, 

 again, ore accretes. (3.; Should we only confider, 

 why thofe drufe exhibit, if not always, yet com- 

 monly, and very plentifully, their ore, which is, 

 for the moil part, pyrites, on one fide only \ mull 

 we not thence conclude, that what thus adheres 

 to the drufe, did not at the fame time arife with, 

 or fpring from it ? Again, that matters, thus 

 brought together, may have had their origin and 

 flux from that fide whereon they are found -, and, 

 iaftiy, that they were applied thereon by weather- 

 ings ox damps f And can we imagine productions, 

 of which often two, three, or more fpecies are 

 found lying on each other, to fpring, either alto- 

 gether, or inftantaneoufly ? 



From the moil unexceptionable experience, we 

 learn the cleared and purefl waters to hold and car- 

 ry along with them earth ; afterwards, to let it fall ; 

 further, this earth to turn to Hone* laflly, and 



prin- 



