Page:Theophrastus - History of Stones - Hill (1774).djvu/71

 in Mines, and wahed down by the Torrents, for they will take fire on throwing burning Coals on them, and continue burning o long as any one blows them; afterwards they will deaden, and may after that be made to burn again: they are therefore of long Continuance, but their Smell is troubleome and diagreeable The Stone here decribed is the Lapis Thracius of the later Authors, a Stone much talked of in all the Writings of the old Naturalits, and by ome allowed a Place in the Catalogues of the Materia Medica; but now wholly unknown. There is, however, no quetion, from our Author's Account of this Subtance, but that it was the very Thing afterwards well known under that Name. Bina, or Bena, the Place he mentions where it was found, was a Town in Thracia; and every Particular he has recorded of it has been ince applied to the Lapis Thracius: Its inflammable Quality, diagreeable Smell, and the Manner in which it was found, were the ame with thoe of the Thracius of the later Writers. This was well known to Diocorides, &c. as is evident from what they have aid of it; but there has been o much Confuion about it among the Writers ince, that little more than the Name has been handed down to us: ome have been of opinion, that it was a kind of Coal, others of Jet, and others of the Ampelites. What is to be gathered from the oldet Writers about it is this; that it was a hard bituminous Subtance, very inflammable, of a brittle Texture, and of a very diagreeable Smell when burning. It was ometimes dug, as our Author oberves, but was principally found in the River Pontus, into which it had probably been wahed from the Banks; in the Strata of which it was originally lodged; by the dahing of the waves in Storms, or dilodged by other Accidents. As is alo the Cae with the Pyritæ, Ludus Helmonti, Amber, and many other of the foile Subtances, which are now generally found on the Shores of the Sea or large Rivers: of thee a, diligent Enquirer will always find a much larger Quantity in the Strata of the neighbouring Land, than.