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Thebais. Paul Sil. says it was brought down the Nile in large vessels.

Some have inferred the word basalt to be of Hebrew origin, as in that language barsalt or barzalt implies iron. Bellon, It. Eg. says he saw a pyramid of basalt as hard as iron.

Ptolemy, iv. 5, says that the eastern part of Egypt, on the Arabian gulf, was possessed by the Arabs; and among them were the quarries of lapis Troicus, alabastrine, porphyry, black stone (basalt), and of basanite. Herodotus, also, ii. 8, mentions the quarries in the Arabian chain. The town of Alabastron was so called from its alabaster; and Porphyrio from its porphyry. See Garof. 32,

No. III. The value at Rome of Specimens of ancient Stones*.

Valore di Marmi, Alabastri, Pietre tenere e dure, ragguagliato al palmo cubico Romano.

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* Petrini Gabinetto del Collegio Nazareno, tom. ii. App. Tavola xi. The Roman palm is about nine inches. The scudo (which contains one hundred bajocci) is about 4s. 6d.

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Verde di Memfi, volgarmente detto Serpentino antico 3
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I soprammentovati prezzi si aumentano, non solo in proporzione della mole, ma anche della bellezza della pietra o marmo. Cosi, per esempio, il marmo detto Porta Santa se abbia colorito piu acceso; il verde antico se sia de macchie bianche e di verde pieno ben rilevate; e il granito porfiritico se sia di color di porpora vivo, con grani di felspato bianco romboidale; avranno sempre pregio maggiore.

No. IV. Account of the Hill of St. Gilles, near Liege.

Lametherie (Theorie, v. 71) has described the hill of St. Gilles, near Liege, adjacent to the river Meuse (which is seen on the left, with the coal passing under it) from Genetté: as in the plate here reduced, Dom. VI.

The height of the hill is 3200 feet; and it contains sixtyone beds of coal, separated by other beds. Many of these beds of coal and intermediate substances are composed of smaller beds; and, without doubt, the lowest beds of coal have not been discovered.

The beds of the chief hill form a concave curve; but after passing under the Meuse, they become horizontal under the little hill on the left. They afterwards rise, and become almost vertical.

On the other side, or right hand of the print, they are bent like chevrons; while the intermediate beds assume the like form.

The beds are intersected by three great dykes, called failles in Flanders, crains in France, sprungs or leaps in Germany.

The first, on the right of the chief hill, is thin towards the summit, but thickens as it deepens. The second is of great thickness, but does not pass the fiftieth layer of coal. The third resembles the first.

There is a great number of inferior dykes in this hill. Some are 420 feet thick at the depth of the lowest beds; but probably they thicken still more as they approach the radical rock.

All the beds of coal, which are cut by the dykes, are either lost in them, or continued in little irregular threads; or are found behind, either above or below their natural directions, and never in a straight line.

The mass of these dykes is chiefly of rock*; others of sandstone, of agaz (that is, a ferruginous sandstone); or of earth, with here and there broken coal.

Beds of the Hill of St. Gilles, which continue for more than a league.

1. From the surface to the first bed of coal, 21 feet. (The Liege foot is 10 inches French.)

Thickness of this bed of coal 15 inches.

2. Intermediate bed 42 feet.

Second bed of coal 1 f. 7i.

Divided into two by earth nearly an inch thick.

3. Intermediate 84 f.

Third bed divided into two, 4 f. 3 i.

4. Intermediate 49 f.

Fourth bed 1 f. 7 i.

5. Intermediate 42 f.

Fifth bed 1 f. 3 i. In three layers.

6. Intermediate 56 f.

Sixth bed 7 i.

* Such is the vague language of Genette.

7. Intermediate 56 f. again.

Seventh bed 2 f. 3 i.

8. Intermediate 21 f.

Eighth bed 2 f. 2 i. In three layers. 9. Intermediate 28 f.

Ninth bed 1 f. 3 i. In three layers.

10. Intermediate 35 f.

Tenth bed 1 f.

11. Intermediate 28 f.

Eleventh bed 3 f. 3 i.

12. Intermediate 92 f.

Twelfth bed 1 f. 2 i.

13. Intermediate 21 f.

Thirteenth bed 1 f. 7 i. In three layers.

14. Intermediate 98 f.

Fourteenth bed 4 f. In two layers. 15. Intermediate.

Fifteenth vein 3 f. 3i. In two layers. 16. Intermediate 56f.

Sixteenth bed 3 f. In three layers. 17. Intermediate 42 f.

Seventeenth bed 3 f. In two layers.

18. Intermediate 91 f.

Eighteenth bed 1 f. 3i. In two layers.

19. Intermediate 87 f.

Nineteenth bed 5 f. 6i. In two layers.

20. Intermediate 42 f.

Twentieth bed 3 f. In two layers.

21. Intermediate 98 f.

Twenty-first bed 2 f. 3i. In two layers.

22. Intermediate 49 f.

Twenty-second bed 4 f. In two layers. 23. Intermediate 28f.

Twenty-third bed 1 f. 7 i. In three layers. 24. Intermediate 42 f.

Twenty-fourth bed 1 f. 2 i. In two layers.

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