4 MINERALS. 
‘-W * 
EARTHS arc reducible to duft, eafily become dry, diffoIuWe, fixeS, 
primitive; are generated by cryllallization or^r*ad by precipi- 
tation, produced by aceffence or reproduced b^urf^ene. From 
thefe, by cryflallization or attraftion, ftones are reproduced, which 
by the variation of the elements are repeatedly refolved into earths, 
and again regenerated by a like perennial circle: 
Clay, the precipitation of vifeid fea- water. 
Is opakc, plaltic, friable, hardening in the air, and not fufible by 
lire a£lion ot fire. 
Sand, the cryllallization of ttirbid rain water, 
Is hyaline, without moiiliire, fcintillant, of the fame permanent 
hardnefs, and fufible into giafs. 
Soil, the refolution of afeefeent vegetables, 
Is black, bibulous, reducible to duft, intlammable, and com- 
■ buftiole 
Calx, the refolution of putrefeent animals. 
Is whiiiih, abforbent, farinaceous when dry, penetrable, and ef- 
fervelcing with acids. 
CL AY, the ear h of marine w'^ter, formerly oppofed to muria, for- 
did, vifeid, llippery to the touch, impalpable, without regular 
fhape, tough, opake, and becoming plallic by the addition of tnoif- 
ture, in its native fituation rnoift, becoming friable when dry 
hardening by ignition, not fufible by the greateft degree of heat* 
but when mixed with other heterogeneous fubftanccs becoming va- 
riuufly lhaped by fire ; after remaining a long time dry, and com- 
prelled, is haruened into rafile Talc, which by refolution is often 
regenerated into fibrous Afiejhis, but when minutely refolved, is in 
a vyondcrtul maiiuer reprouuccd into fcaly xVlica, 
SAND, the earth of rain-water, impregnated with retherial nitre, 
ihining, fixed, rigid, rough, cryftalline, hyaline, not fofiening in 
water, flriking fire with ftcel, of permanent hardnefs in ignition, 
but fufibie into glals by the greateft degree of heat ; call upon the 
continent and dried it forms the Aranea mobjlis, which worn by 
age and become friable is the Aranea Glarea ; each becoming moilt 
under ground, obliquely and tratifverfely cleft, and ultimately unit- 
ing and forming Sandjlone by minute atoms of cryllallization or 
mixed with humid extraneous fubftanccs is cemented into Grovel 
and this again into various ftones, ftones into rocks, but when re- 
folved and recryftallized it forms ^uarlz. 
SOIL, the earth of vegetables, eagerly combining with nitre, acef- 
cent, of a black coimir, greedily imbibing moiftnre, crurablina 
into powder in fradhire, reducible to duft when dry, fiaming in itf 
nition, combmtible in a greater degree of heat, by continued com- 
preftion is indurated into fillile fchill, which when lattirated with 
