pafling the .fame materials through the pores of cal- [ ^I ] careous earths and ftones: as we fee cal- careous drop-ftones generating every day by the percolation of water through lime- ftone, and new marble forming in the quarries from which the old has been taken out; and it might be afked, whether it is more difficult for nature to fhoot the calcareous juice into the form of a fliell, than other juices into the forms of cryftals, plants, animals, according to the conftruction of the veflels through which they pafs? There is a wonder fomewhere. Is it greatefl: on this branch of the dilemma;
on that which fuppofes the exiftence of a power, of which we have no evidence in any other cafe; or on the firft, which re- quires us to believe the creation of a body of water and its fubfequent annihilation? The eftablifliment of the inftance, cited by M. de Voltaire, of the growth of Ihells unattached to animal bodies, would have been that of his theory. But he has not eftablilhed it. He has not even left it on ground fo refpeftable as to have ren- dered it an objeft of enquiry to the li- terati of his own country. Abandoning this fad, therefore, the three hypothefes are equally unfatisfadlory ; and we muft be contented to acknowledge, that this great phenomenon is as yet unfolved. Ig- norance is preferable to error; and he is lefs remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
There is great abundance (more efpe- cially when you approach the mountains)
of ftone, vi^hite, blue, brown, &c. fit for the chiflel, good mill-flone, fuch alfo as (lands the fire, and flate-ftone. We are told of flint, fit for gun-flints, on the Me- herrin in Brunfvvick, on the MifTifipi be- tween the mouth of the Ohio aad Kafkaf- kia, and on others of the weftern waters.
Ifinglefs or mica is in feveral places; load- ftone alfo; and an Afbeftos of a ligneous texture, is fometimes to be met with.