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mm*

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Book III. Of MINERALS. 381

m ade wichRoch Ahm, Whites of Egg, t^^ptl^um^^ Siand Rofe Water boil'd together to .he Con- fefide. this i , g

fiftence of a Pafte, and form'd while hot into little Cakes, like Sugar Cakes, whence retakes its Name. Alumen Caiinum, or Di/hAlum, becaufe it is made in a Platter or Difh,is what we call Pot-Ajhes, or the Ajhes ofKjli calcin'd, or fome other A(hes, or AlcaliSalt, made from Vegetables; they call it

certain Stone Mineral, ponderous, white.woolly, and in a Word, wholly like toPlumous Alum, and incombuftible alfo,where-fore it has obtain'd the Name of Asbefton,which in Greek, fignifies Incombuftible, andby Corruption we call it vulgarly Albeftes,This Stone Mineral is found in many Pla-

Salt, made from Vegetables; they cm t —— ~ more especially in the County

C 7.™. becaufe che y ufe t0 df y » ln a PlatC 3 Fo ; e L Gafcoign, wLe there are Quarries

orL)llh - out of which Stones of a furpriling Magnitude

Of Plumous Alum. are taken, and from which Cotton Threads

Plumous Alum or Earth Flax, is a may be drawn fit to make Cloth and to en-

Minerd found Tin the Negropont, dure whumng or cleanfing m the F.re, like

wbicfome wHl have to be the Stone that of Feather Alum already fpoken of. And

th7 Anciems S'd Lafis Amiantus ; befides dm Albeftes, » found in F^^par-

Pomet.

which in*, .iuv^.i.. -—J-: — j -t>,_-but as I am not fure of the Thing, I willcontent my felf to fay, that the Plumous A-lum which w" fell, is a Sort of thready Stoneof diverfe Colours, but mod commonly ofa greenifli White, in Figure pretty much re-fembling Venice Talck., excepting only thatit is not fo green nor (hining; and infteadof parting into Scales, this rifes in whitefoft Threads or Filaments, like the Feathers

ticularly about the Pirenees in the Valley ofCampan, near the Stone-Quarries, about threeLeagues from Grip fa) certain Plants abouttwo Foot high, which have Stalks all as icwere filver'd over, their Leaves like thofe ofa Nettle, excepting only that they are whiteunderneath, of a dark Green at Top, andrefembling Shagreen. This white Stalkfteep'd in Water, like Hemp, may_be run

intt 1 hreads or ruaments, use mc i«i""' —r - , ,- , c • cm

and accordingly mod Part of the Plumous orFeather Alum one meets with, is almoft everin fmall Fibres, and but little in Stone, pro-per to fpin and make the perpetual Matches.This Plumous Alum, to which fome havegiven the Name of that of Sicily, is of verylittle Ufe in Medicine, and at prefent it isalmoft of no Ufe. fince the Secret of draw-ing it out into Threads, or Spinning it, hasbeen loft : The Cloth made with this Sore ofAlum when dirty, to be made clean, neededonly to be thrown into the Fire, and it wou'dcome out thence as white as Snow ; andwith this Sort of Cloth did the ancient t\o-mans preferve the Afhes of their Emperours,and feparate them from thofe of the aroma-tick Wood, wherewith their Bodies wereburnt. Some People, at this Day, alfomake ufe of this Plume Alum inftead ofCotton to make Matches ; and to that Endit ought to be in long Wicks, and as foft aspoflible. This Alum is a ftrong Corrofive,or Efcarotick ; for what Part foever of theBody it touches ic caufes Whelks and Bli-fters, and a moft intolerable Pruritus or Itch,which is to be appeas'd only, that I know of,

Tow, of which good Cloth may be madethat will refift the Fire like Plumous Alum,only ic will not whiten fo well: And ic isto be remark'd, chat when this Flax is pucin che Fire ic immediately grows red, butblack if apply'd co a Candle. Perhaps whatI fay may not eafily meet with Credit ; butfince I have fome of ic in my PoffefTion, to(hew co chofe who won'c believe, and thePerfon chac has collected ic is ftill in Being,and a Man of Reputation and Fidelity, Ithought it might not be amifs co advertifeche Publick, cbac Plumous Alum, and whatwe call che Albeftes, are noc che only Druggsin Nacure capable of enduring or refillingthe Fire.

This incombuftible Plant might be call'dAfbeftos, and the Tow chac comes of ic In-combuftible Flax, being long, large, and fofc,like Flax.

Alumen Plumeum , five AlumenScijfile, or Feather d Alum, is a Lemerjt,Kind of ftringy Talk, like cheFeachers of a Quill, whence chey call itFeather'd Alum ; it is very fofc co the Touch,of a white, greenilh, (Inning Colour, is pro-duced

A