GRA 
they are only to enquire, upon their oaths? 
whether there is sufficient cause to call up- 
on the party to answer it. If twelve agree 
to find the bill, it must be pronounced a 
true bill, but it cannot be found by a smaller 
number. The mode of finding a bill is by 
indorsing it a true bill; when it is rejected 
it is indorsed “ ignoramus,” or not fou ud ; 
and no one can be tried by indictment with- 
out the finding by a grand jury. 
Grand larceny . See Larceny.. 
GRANITE, in mineralogy, is a 'particu- 
lar mountain rock, composed of felspar, 
quartz, and mica. In general the: felspar 
is the predominating substance, and mica 
the least considerable. In some varieties 
the quartz is wanting, and in others the. 
mica. The constituent parts diff er likewise 
considerably in their magnitude-, they alter- 
nate from large to small, and ev en very fine 
granular. Tire large and coarse usually 
belong to the oldest, and the small and fine 
granular to the newer granite formation. 
It differs also in colour, and this difference 
depends chiefly on the felspar, the quartz 
and mica being usually of a grey colour. 
The felspar passes from the white to the 
red. The felspar in gran ite has usually a 
vitreous lustre, and perfectly foliated frac- 
ture ; in seme varieties it passes into the 
earthy, with the loss' of its lustre and hard- 
ness, even into porcelain earth. This is- 
owing to decomposition, effected, accord- 
ing to Mr. Davy, by ejetro- chemical agen- 
cies. Sometimes the constituent parts of 
granite are regularly crystallized, but prin- 
cipally the felspar and quartz. The mica 
sometimes occurs in nests, unmixed with 
the other parts. Sometimes the constituent 
parts are so arranged, that when a speci- 
men is cut, its surface has a kind of resem- 
blance to written characters. Hence it has 
been denominated graphic stone. 
Resided felspar, quartz, and mica, the 
essential constituent parts of granite, other 
fossils occur in it ; of these, schorl is the 
most frequent, and next is garnet and tin- 
stone. There are three formations of gra- 
nite ; the first, or oldest, serves as the ba- 
sis for all the other classes of rocks. The 
second occurs only in the first ; and the 
third, or newest, appears to be among the 
newest of the primitive rocks. In the old- 
est granite formation, when it rises to a 
height above the surface of the earth, and 
is summuded by other primitive rocks, these 
are always wrapped around it, or the strata 
are mantle-shaped.. This is one of the most 
GRA 
widely-extended and abundant formation?; 
with which we are acquainted. The second 
granite formation occurs only in veins, which 
traverse the oldest formation, but never 
reaches any of the newer rock. The newest 
granite formation always rests on some of 
the older primitive rocks,' and usually in 
an overlying position. It never occurs in 
globular distinct concretions : its structure 
is very irregular ; sometimes contains grains 
of precious gafnet, and has a deep red co- 
lour. It often occurs in veins that shoot 
from the rock, or in veins that are not con- 
nected with any rock beyond the strata 
which they traverse. 
When granite is exposed, it frequently 
occurs in high and steep cliffs, which form 
vast mural precipices : often also in lofty 
summits, denominated peaks. It is found 
in almost every country, and in many places 
the stones are of an immense size. The 
largest, as an unconnected stone, has been 
described in the sixt y-eighth volume of the 
Philosophical Transactions. It is found 
near the Cape of Good Hope. Granite 
rocks are frequently traversed by rents, 
which widen by the action of the elements : 
the mass separates into fragments of greater 
or lesser magnitude, and they remain long 
piled on each other, in the most fanciful 
manner, appearing like vast artificial tu- 
muli, or masses brought together by an im- 
mense flood. The hard white granite, with 
black spots, is a very valuable kind: it 
consists of congijries of variously constructed 
and differently coloured particles, not dif- 
fused among, nor running into one another, 
but each pure and distinct, though firmly 
adhering to which ever of the others it 
comes in cor it act with,, and forming a very 
firm mass. It is much used in London for 
the steps of.' public buildings, and in other 
situations - jvhere great strength and hard- 
ness are r equired. The hard red- granite, 
variegated , with black and white, is com- 
mon in ] igypt and Arabia. The stones 
used in p aving the streets is another species 
of granit< 3 . Granite, though not abounding 
in metat , contains occasionally some of the 
most im portant. Iron and tin occur most 
frequen tly. 
GR/ 1NT, in law, a gift in writing of such 
a thin; ; as cannot be passed or conveyed by 
word only, as a grant is the regular method, 
by t! ie common law, of transferring the 
prop: m ty of incorporeal hereditaments, on 
such things whereof no livery of seisin can 
he li ad. For which reason,, all corporeal 
