Slate. 



166 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



to Skeen, and from thence carried abroad. The parifh of Odde 

 in Hardanger, affords as fine and firm fand-ftones as ever I faw, 

 but not in any great quantities. I have been lately informed, that 

 in the parifh of Nordal in Sundmoer, there are large mountains 

 entirely confifting of yellow and red fand-ftones. 



Miii-ibne. Mill-ftone, which indeed is but another fort of fand ? confifting 

 of groffer fubftances, but the texture thereof is both more com- 

 pact and fmooth j. is exported from Guldbrandfdale, Syndford, 

 and other places. 



Baking-Hone. Hardanger likewife affords the beft Bagfteheller, i. e. Baking- 

 ftone, a flat thin and fmooth ftone, which being rounded, 

 bread is baked on them, which is likewife done on iron plates. 

 Thefe flat and thin ftones likewife begin to be ufed for covering 

 houfes and churches, as flate is in other places. 



This in fome parts is found in fuch prodigious plenty, that not 

 only the whole ground on which the city of Chriftiania ftands, 

 but the adjacent country is little elfe than flate, Collaea lapis fif- 

 filis, fplitting into laminae, or confifting of a fucceflion of lami- 

 nous ftrata. But hereabouts the pieces are fo fmall, as not to be 

 applicable to any particular ufe; nor have coals been found under 

 it either here or elfewhere, as was fuppofed ; from the fimilarity 

 of the fubftances, and the black loom intermixed with it being 

 fomewhat like coal, befides the circumftance of its fplitting in 

 the fame manner as coal. 



SECT. IV. 



Veeg-fteen (foft or Talc-ftone ) both light and brow r n, and the 

 fineft forts of it otherwife called Talkftein, Grytftein, and by fome 

 Blodgryte and Cloverftein, being very foft and eafy to be cut, 

 hewn, or fawed, are to be found almoft throughout this and all 

 other provinces of Norway, but not every where in fuch large 

 pieces as at Stavenger, and the lordihip of Sunderhord, from, 

 whence fome fhiploads were lately carried for the palace at Co- 

 penhagen *, and the late famous and ftately cathedral of Dront- 



** The Talkftein is fometimes found in and along with the hardeft pebble-ftone. 

 Near Malmanger is a deep cavern in a mountain, now almoft exhaufted, but for- 

 merly full of it. This corroborates what I have before faid, De folido intra folidum, 

 and fhews the probability that all lapidious mafles were formerly foft and inter- 

 mixed. 



2 heim 



