3 12 
Yorkshire Natural History 200 Years Ago. 
of the Town’s being burnt down ; but that is a groundless 
Proof, because the Stone in the Quarry is so edged, and that 
so deep, that ’tis not probable any Fire can come there. In 
most of the Hills between Scarborough and the River Tees , 
there is a Stone found of which the People make Allom ; it is 
of a bluish Colour, and will cleave like Cornish Slate. The 
Mine lies deep, and requires great Pains to dig up ; but being 
calcined, it is made into Allom by various Percolations and 
Boilings, which is most distinctly related in the Philosophical 
Transactions, Louth. Yol. II. p. 538. To this Head may be 
referred several other Things for which this Riding is famous, 
as fine Horses, Mines of Allom, and Jet ; Iron about Sheffield. 
and Pit-coal, Goats at Sitreby, Ripley for Liquorice, & c. 
3. Waters, for which this Riding is very eminent, having 
several great and navigable Rivers, besides Multitudes of 
Brooks gliding into them ; as, 1. The Ouse, the principal 
River in this Riding ; if not for its Largeness, yet for this, 
that all the other Rivers in this Riding are received into it ; 
and so in one Chanel run into the Humber. It begins to take 
its Name about York, from a little Brook which falls into it 
there, called Ouseborne. being before called lire. It runs 
gently from North to South quite through that City, and 
divides it into two Parts, which are joined together by a very 
large stone Bridge, which hath but one Arch. On the South- 
East of that City is the River Fosse, which is very deep and 
muddy, and running by obscure "Ways in to the City, ’tis 
scarcely discernable. ’tis so set with Buildings, falls into the 
Ouse, which having passed York, begins here and there to be 
disturbed with Eddies, i.e. those Whirls of Water called 
Hidras, and so passeth on. dividing this Riding from the 
Eastern, till it empties itself in to the Humber, receiving into 
it in its Passage the River Wherfe at Nunappleton. and the 
River Are near Drax, being there increased by the Done. 
Went, and other Rivers. This River is navigable up to York, 
and on that Account is not only of great Benefit to it for the 
Plenty of Fish. viz. Salmon, and other common River Fish, 
but the great Traffick that is produced thereby in that City by 
merchandizing. 2. The l re, which springing out of the west- 
ern Mountains in the North- Riding, becomes a Boundary to 
this western Riding on that Side, till it comes to York, where it 
changes its Name into Ouse. Our Antiquaries are of Opinion 
that the Old City Isurium Brigantum. long since demolished, 
and Eboracum or York, took their Names from this River 
l re. which also supplies the northern Parts of this Riding with 
Store of Fish. 3. Danus, commonly called Don or Dune, 
because it runs in a low deep Chanel, for that’s the Signifi- 
cation of the British Word Dan. This River is remarkable 
for the Plenty of Alders, Yews, and other Trees growing on 
Naturalist, 
