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XXV. [1]But the Lipara Stone empties itſelf as it were in burning; and becomes like the Pumice: changing at once both its Colour and Denſity; for before burning it is black, ſmooth, and compact. This Stone is found in the Pumices, ſeparately, in different Places, and as it were in Cells, no where continuous with the Matter of them. It is
- ↑ The Lipara Stone (ſo called from Lipara, one of the Æolian Iſlands, from whence it was
about Babylon; and that the Buildings of the old Babylon were of Brick cemented with this Subſtance.
2. The Piſſaſphaltos, found, according to Dioſcorides, in the Ceraunian Mountains of Apollonia; this was not ſo hard as the former, and of a more pleaſant Smell; it is now found in the Campania of Rome, near a ſmall Town called Catho, where it ouzes through the Crannies of Rocks, and is at firſt of the Conſiſtence of Honey, but ſoon dries and becomes hard.
3. Amber, of which the Author treats hereafter in this Work.
4. Jet, the Gagates of Dioſcorides, and black Amber of the Shops; a dry, hard, ſhining Subſtance, of a fine black, burning like Pitch, and emitting a thick black Smoke. Its Name it had from Gagis, a Town in Lycia, where it was originally found: it is now dug in Pruſſia, France, Germany, Sweden, and ſome Parts of England.
5. Cannel Coal, the Ampelites of Dioſcorides, called alſo Terra Pharmacitis by ſome Authors, though its Uſe in Medicine at preſent is almoſt unknown. This is as hard as the foregoing, and takes an excellent Poliſh; we have it in many Parts of England, where it is turned into Toys of different Kinds, And
6. The Lithanthrax, or common Coal, well known to all.
Theſe were the ſolid Bitumens, known as ſuch to the Antients, and which, though they were not all known ſo early as in this Author's Days, I judged it not amiſs thus ſhortly to mention here; that it may be obſerved from their Qualities and Deſcriptions, and thoſe of the two mentioned by the Author, that it was neither of theſe that he knew, by either of the two Names of thoſe he has here deſcribed: but that he did know the laſt is certain.
