i68 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



might further be faid on it does not belong to this place; I there- 

 fore proceed to infert what little I know of the lapis fuillus, or 

 fwine's ftone, a production peculiar to Norway and Sweden. It 

 derives its name from its efficacy in the oraftuke, a diftemper in- 

 cident to fwine; it is alfo with as good reafon by fome called la- 

 pis fastidus, as when rubbed againft any fubftance, it emits a nau- 

 feous fmell. The nature and texture of its parts is vitrious, nearly 

 like the cryftal; it likewife fhines,. but is brown, with a large mix- 

 ture of fulphur, which may be the caufe of its faetid fmell. In 

 an ifland in Great Mios upon Hedemark, are whole mountains 

 of this Hone, which when galloped upon by mod horfes emit a 

 violent ftench. 



SECT. VI. 



Amianthus, That the amianthus or afbeftos, which makes an incumbuftible 



©r afbeftos. , 



linnen or paper, is to be found in the pariih of Waldens, I can 

 affirm from my own experience on this occafion; I had fent for 

 fome famples of that wood, which was faid to be petrified by a 

 certain water before-mentioned; Accordingly a large parcel of it 

 was fent to me, and at firft I could have compared it only to 

 hazle, which had lain a long time in the water, but upon a nar- 

 rower infpection, and drawing out fome of the filaments, I found 

 it was no petrified fubftance, but an amianthus, and far finer 

 than the Greenland Hone-flax, which the Rev. Mr. Egede, in his 

 account of his miflion, relates to be there ufed as wicks in the 

 lamps, without being in the leaft wafted whilft fupplied with oil 

 or fat: This Sundmoer amianthus which is produced in a moun- 

 tain in Birkdalfwamp, deferves like that of Siberia, and even bet- 

 ter, to be called ftone-filk, rather than ftone-flax, its fibres being 

 both fofter and finer; I alfo made a wick for a lamp of it, and 

 it was not confirmed, but its light being much dimmer than that 

 of cotton, I laid it afide. I have alfo in my poffeffion a piece of 

 paper of this albeftos, which when thrown into a fierce fire is not 

 in the leaft wafted, excepting only that what was written on it 

 totally difappears. The manner of preparing this ftone-filk, or 

 ftone-flax is briefly this; the ftone after being foftened in water,, 

 is beaten with a moderate force, till the fibres, or long threads 

 feparate from each other, afterwards they are carefully, and re- 

 peatedly 



