444 Mr. small’s Obfervations 
tones. I found, fome years ago, this to be the cafe 
with the Bath tone. Mr. allen covered his workmen’s 
houfes with flat ftones brought from the quarry, and cut 
of a proper thick nefs : I mentioned to one of the inha- 
bitants, that their houfes being fo clofely covered were, I 
fuppofed, very warm ; and was l'urprized at being told, 
that they were much the reverfe; for that in rainy wea- 
ther, the water penetrated through the ftones ; and that 
in frofty weather, the infide of the roofs were covered 
with ice, whereby their upper rooms were of little ufe to 
them. Thefe different qualities of the ftones in this 
ifland are not, perhaps, fufficiently attended to. 
When houfes are built on the hard rock, all within 
the walls is levelled; and on that floor the poorer inha- 
bitants live. As this ftone takes a greater degree of cold 
than fubftances lefs folid, and does not fo foon come to 
the temperature of the air; it confequently cools, and 
attracts to it the moifture in the air, and retains it long on 
its furface. In order to avoid the damp cold feel, if the 
inhabitants can afford to buy a mat, they cover the floor 
with it; under which the wet remaining, induces a 
degree of putrefaction, which renders the houfes more 
unhealthy, and reduces the inhabitants to a ftate ready to 
be affected by any diftemper, efpecially by the tertian , 
which fp reads by contagion. As the moifture remain- 
ing on this done is but temporary, provided there are 
drains to carry the water off, its bad eff ects are cafily pre- 
vented by keeping a fire burning, or by laying the 
ground-floor with terrace, or with deal-boards. 
When 
