line drawn on it, and not diffolve in aqua fortis, nor is
its colour of confequence, though the blacker is preferable,
as fhewing the gold better. This is the colour of that
found in the Tmolus, the Bafaltes or cryftalized rocks, in
many parts of Saxony, in the mountain o f Uifon in A u vergne,
the Giants caufeway in Ireland, and thefe of
Montferrat. They are all indilfoluble in acids, and of a
different nature from marble, which being limy would
not anfwer the purpofe, as the aqua fortis would carry
away the ftone jointly with the metal it diffolved ;. thus
true touchftone being of a very hard nature, all vapour
and moifture condenfe on its furface; it muft therefore be
carefully rubbed and wiped dry before it is ufed, that the
adheiion of gold may be perfect. Theophraftus, though
a great man, reafoned according to the philofophy of his
age, which made him imagine that marble would fweat,
when the dampnefs proceeded from the fmooth texture
and coldnefs of it, condenfing, and rendering vifible the
moifture diffolved in the air..
The direction of this great mountain is from eaft. to
weft, with a vifible inclinatidi^ to the weft. Thofe who
adopt the fyftem o f the formation of mountains, from a
fucceflive depofit of fediment from the fea, will find it difficult
to reconcile their hypothefis with the ftruCture of
the mountain of Montferrat, as it is no eafy matter to dif-
cover how the fea could give a round ihape to the ftone,
or how quartz, fandftone, or touchftone, could congluti-
nate fo firmly together; but this muft be left to more
able pens to difcufs : I ihall only add, that it is im-
poflible to view this amazing mountain without the ut-
moft, admiration ; its. name has been extended to one
o f the Britifh iilands in the Weft Indies, and its fame is
univerfal: its prodigious clefts imprefs the mind with
fuch. wonder, that it has given rife to the opinion in
common with Gaeta in Italy {a), that thefe tremendous
rocks were fuddenly rent in this manner when our Saviour
gave up the ghoft .on the crofs, when “ The earth did.
quake, andthe rocks rent.” St. Matt. c. 27, v. 51.
"(a) The lingular rock o f Gaeta in the kingdom o f Naples, has an amazing cleft from the top to
bottom, and is totally rent afuncler, which' they tell you happened at the death o f our Saviour;
a large block o f marble .has fallen in between, on which they; have built a little chapel, dedicated
to the Tripity, and Ihips palling near falute i t ; this place is held in great veneration,
particularly in Spain ; during the wars- in Italy, La Santiffima Trinidad de Gaeta was
greatly reforted to, and a conftant invocation. There is a good plate o f this rock in the “ re-
“ marks on feveral parts o f Europe b y John Breyal^Efq.; author o f the. former remarks. Lon-
don, 173S.”