^ BCPEFOil, wliich wa^ raifed a little above the o- 
vherpartof the Shell, and fome part lower, asbCD. 
The abovemention'ci Monfieur Valkenier put into my 
bands a little Body, whofe form or fhape i^ rcprefentcd 
m Fig. 8. X YZ, which is alfo found on the high Moun- 
tains cf Sm/Jcrliind, which fceming to the Eye to cenfift 
of three Joynts, 1 endeavour'd to leparate 'em from one 
another, in order to difcover, if pofiible, the internal 
figure of its and I attempted to cleave it thro in the 
joynted parts with a fharp Steel, I could not compafs it, 
but broke it into irregular pieces, all which were fo 
foiGoth and ftiimng within, that the like never occurred 
in any common Stone , and it was moreover more than 
ordinary hard 5 the beft judgment I could make of it 
was, that it was conipos'd of flat parts. 
I laid the biggeft [piece of it upon Wood coal, > and 
brought it leiduely inio a ftrong glowing heat 5 in doing 
which, at firft fome Splinters of it burft away, and I 
could not perceive that there was any Sulphur in it 5 
v/hereupon I dropt it into a fmall Copper VefTel in 
which there was not above a Thimblefui of Water, to 
fee whether that would feparate the Parts, in order to 
difcover the Homogeneous Parts the better, but inftead 
of doing fo, it divided into a vaft number of unfpeakably 
fraall white Particles, to which one may give the name 
of a Chalky fubftance. 
As foon as this Chalky Matter was feparated, I obferved 
a Film or Scum upon the Water, which I took to be the 
Coagulated Salts thereof. 
I took a Jittleof the laid Water from under the Scum, 
and poured it upon a clean Glafs, and viewing it pre- 
sently after, I difcoyer'd, to my great Amazement, fo 
many Clear and Tranfparent Salt*par tides (many of 
which were fo fine and (lender, that they feem'd to have 
but one Circleor Circumference) and of fo various and 
different figures, that I believe no Painter, tho'his fancy 
were 
