ing of this or that religious perfuafion. Theological knowledge is promoted by divifions; every party exert their talents and fagacity, to feek and draw, from the common arsenal of controver fy, arms to fupport their own caufe; and from the clash of arms meeting arms, fome fparks of unquestionable truth are now and then elicited. In one point of divinity, we feem almost agreed, namely, that the fcriptures, our common rule of faith, have not been handed down to us in their original purity; and both the orthodox and the diffenter have acknowledged the expediency of correcting them by the canons of found criticism. The collation of the MSS of the New Teftament, by Mills, and of the Old Teftament, by Kennicott, does honour to the University of Oxford; and, from the fame feminary of learning, we expect with avidity, a collation of the MSS of the most an SIR, cient and valuable Greek verfion, known by the name of Septuagint. No doubt, the other more ancient verfions, particularly the Syriac and Latin Vulgate, will, in time, be alfo collated; and each of these collations will contribute to remove from the facred Books, the grubs and ftraws that have ftuck to their amber in the course of time. The fine arts have flourished in England fince the commencement of this century, and particularly fince the inftitution of the Royal Academy. The late Prefident, both by precept and example, infpired our painters with a fpirit of emulation, which has produced as many good artists, as, perhaps, any other nation, during the fame period. We have alfo fculptors, who do honour the nation; and our engravers are equal to any that France or Italy have produced. FOR THE SCOTS MAGAZINE. ON COINS. AFTER confidering the remarks by Civis, in your laft, p. 184, I cannot help going into his opinion, that coins would be an excellent mean of preferving traces of architecture, or remarkable events. How valuable would any coin be on which was struck, a good defign of the elegant porch which ornamented the approach to Holyroodhoufe, or of the arch and fpire which terminated the High Street at the Nether Bow. Would not this also be a very proper method of handing down likeneffes of eminent men? Who would not wish to be poffeffed of a good medallion of Smith, Hume, Robertson, &c. Another observation occurred to me, namely, that there is furely a moft fupine negligence in the perfons to whom the duty of fupplying coinage is entrufted by Government. I am well inform ed, that the provincial halfpence throughout the kingdom at prefent amounts to VOL. LVIII. upwards of 420 varieties. I have seen Edinr. 14th April 1796. FOR THE SCOTS MAGAZINE. SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE STRUCTURE OF OUR GLOBE, AND ON THE MATERIALS WHICH MOST COMMONLY ACCOMPANY METALS, COAL, AND LIME. nal structure and substance of this globe. The difficulty and expence of searching deep into the bowels of the earth, are a fufficient caufe for our want of information. It is only where rents or chafms are laid open to our infpection by the operations of nature, by means of volcanos, earthquakes, &c. or where the scanty probbings of the miner are traced, that we are made acquainted with the interior structure of the earth. IT is obvious, that we can be but ticular district. In the neighbourhood imperfectly acquainted with the inter- of Newcastle, for example, from a multitude of experiments made in search of coal, it has been found, that after boring through a certain number of strata, compofed of known materials, that mineral is to be found. The fame thing is alfo pretty well established in many parts of Scotland. With regard to the metals, lefs accuracy may be looked for: However, even here certain materials are in general found to accompany thefe fubftances. This is going fo far: Not that where we meet with ftrata of a particular defcription, there we are to find certain metals; only, that the metals have never been found, but in the neighbourhood of, or accompanied by these materials. Should any man take it into his head, that he would find filver in a freestone quarry, because, perhaps, it is full of bright and fhining particles, he would be much mistaken ; and after trial, made at perhaps much expence, he will find all his hopes end in difappointment. It may be laid down as a certain rule, that the metals are never found in the following strata, viz. fand-ftone, lime-ftone, chalk, marble, coal, gypfum. The furface of the earth is almoft every where, to a certain depth, covered with mould or earth, which ferves to fuftain and cherish the vegetable kingdom. But that is not its natural, or original state; thefe are only the fragments of more solid materials, broken down by the action of water, and by the weather, mixed with the remains of decayed animal and vegetable fubftances. If we go a little deeper, we come to ftrata, or beds of more homogeneous and folid materials, regularly covering one another. Thefe ftrata are not exactly parallel; they in general dip, or incline a little to the horizon. Neither are they arranged according to their specific gravities; for Befides the materials which are arwe often find a bed or ftratum of stone, ranged in beds or ftrata, there is anfor example, above a stratum of fand, other fubftance which is fpread over a below that a ftratum of clay; or in the great part of our globe. Its form is reverfe order. Thefe ftrata lying in rugged and uneven, and when peneno determined order, as to specific gra- trated into, fhows no appearance of vity, nor following any law as to fitua- layers, or ftrata in its structure. tion, no exact or fixt rules can be laid this we give the name of rock: Rocks. down for finding a ftratum of any par- in general are hard ftony fubftances, to ticular defcription. In one place we all appearance compofed of matter that have fand-flone, then clay, then gravel, has been once in fufion, or partly fo. then whin, then fand-stone, and fo on; Rocks are often rent, and divided afunin another place, this arrangement is der, and, as it were, cemented again. perhaps juft reverfed. It is only by by a different kind of matter. Thefe comparing various trials and experi- rents are called veins and fiffures: veins ments, that any information, a little be- are to be feen of a prodigious depth, yond conjecture, can be obtained. In much beyond our reach; for the molt fome inftances this knowledge is pretty part they are from an inch to three feet accurate, in fo far as it regards a par- wide. The materials which fill these Το fiffures 22 1 fome In fiffures and veins, have often a whitish or defign. The rich mines of Potofi appearance, and it is in thefe that we in were discovered when rooting up general find metallic and mineral fub- trees. The falling and decay of rocks, ftances. Mines then are more gene- and the rufhing of torrents down the rally found in hills than in plains, and fides of mountains, have led to the knowalmost always in hills which form a ledge of molt mines. Some writers continued range. The matter which have laid a good deal of stress on the fills the veins is a fparry fubftance, in growth of particular plants, as accomwhich the metal is lodged. Excepting panying the metals; but there seems to gold, none of the metals are to be found be no good ground for this. All fuch pure in any quantity. They are found plants are found to grow where we are in a ftate of combination and mixture certain there is no metallic matter. with other fubftances. The fubftances fome cafes, a partial or ftinted vegetawhich combine with the metals, and tion has been made a mark of the near which are for this reafon denominated prefence of metal. A more certain their mineralizers, are fulphur or ar- mode of finding any metallic fubstance, fenic; and in fome inftances, a part of is, by examining the water of the neighboth. The ftony matter in which they bouring fprings and brooks. If there is are found imbedded, is called the ma- any mineral water discovered, there is trix. Quartz and fpar are the most a good deal of certainty, that it comes common matrices of the metals, and from a metallic vein in the vicinity. fulphur the most ordinary mineralizer. Very lately, a copper mine was difcoThefe mineralizers often convert the vered at Anglesea, in this way. Copper metal into a dull, earthy-like matter, dif- was found to be diffolved in the wafering externally from ftony matter only ter. in weight. In this ftate, they are called ores or calces. The following metals are mineralized by fulphur: arfenic, antimony, copper, filver, zinc, bismuth, cobalt, lead, iron, mercury. By arfenic-cobalt, bifmuth, copper, tin; iron and gold uncertain. In fome cafes, there is both arfenic and fulphur in the compound. One metal, too, is fometimes in union with another; tho' arfenic, or more frequently fulphur, is the proper mineralizer. But we do not enter minutely into this fubject. Several metals are found, fometimes, in a cryftallized ftate, as the following: cobalt, filver, zinc, iron, tin, and lead; in which cafe they are combined with the mariae acid. The carbonic alfo cryftallizes feveral, efpecially lead. The metals are alfo found in combination with fome other acids. Gold is almost always found pure, and in a quartzy matrix. From the view we have given of the fubject, it will not appear furprifing, that few mines have been difcovered by art When there is iron diffolved in water, it always fhows itself by depofiting a yellow ocre on the fides, and ftones in the bed of the rivulet. Another way is, by examining the fand near any gully or opening, or in the bottom of the brook. This is done, by taking a quantity of the fand and gravel, with water in a wooden difh, agitating the contents. gently under water, fo as juft to allow the water to carry off the arger gravel, and other matters, and thus caufe the heaviest to fall to the bottom, amongst which will be found the metallic particles. The colour of the earth is alfo a fymptom of metallic matter. When highly coloured, it is always the effect of a metal. If red, it contains iron; if greenifh, or bluifh, it probably contains copper; if white, grey, or yellow, lead; and perhaps filver alfo *. As fulphur, or ar * Fourcroy fays, it has been obferved, that plants growing on hills which contain metallic matters, are never luxuriant, but dry and dwarfish: trees in such a situation are crook ed and ill-fhaped; fnow melts there, almoft as foon as it falls, and the fand is metal coloured. of vegetables, they never defpair of find- fenic, accompany all the metals (ex- dication of coal. When the miners find COAL AND LIME-STONE. The minerals most abundant and most ufeful in this country are coal and Jime-stone. With regard to the firft, coal, it never is found in primitive ftrata, or in rocks like the metals. The ftrata which accompany coal are fandstone, lime-stone, blaes, fhiver, and dogger. Unless the country abound with these we shall in vain expect to find coal. Hence we fee that no coal has been discovered north of the Lomonds of Fife, (excepting in Sutherland,) there being no fandftone, lime, or other accompanying materials northwards of thefe hills: the mountains being, in general, compofed of fhiftus and moor-ftone, or granite. The difcovery of foffil plants is also a pretty fure in Lime-ftone is found both in the primary and harder ftrata, and in the fecondary, though most frequently in the latter. Lime-ftone is generally fuppofed to be derived from the fhells and relicts of marine animals, and it is accompanied by fimilar materials as coal; for the moft part it is imbedded in sandftone. It is known by the effervescence occafioned by pouring a few drops of aqua fortis on the ftone. The incrustation of vegetable matters, by the waters iffuing from lime, commonly known by the name of petrifying fprings, alfo indicate the prefence of lime in the neighbourhood. Lime-ftone feldom lies many fathoms below the furface. In making trials it fhould be attended to that the upper part or crop of the stone, as it is called, is never fo rich as that below, the lime being in part dissolved, and wafted by rain and other caufes. C. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. ARTHUR'S SEAT A MOST beautiful and fingular fpotted jafper was fome years ago dug out of this hill, below St Anthony's chapel; the bafis is generally of one uniform colour, fometimes veined, but always fpotted with another colour. It contains a good deal of iron in fmall round balls; it admits of an elegant polish, and is wrought into feals, buttons, &c. the colours are brown with white fpots, blue with white fpots, white with red fpots, and fometimes all thefe colours blended together. At the place where this jafper is Some account of the more precious ftones and remarkable minerals, found in the county, will be given afterwards. found, a particular fpecies of iron ftone has been difcovered, which rifes in flabs from the fiffures, and takes a very fine polifh. In the cavities, where attempts were made to obtain fpecimens of the jafper, several remarkable cryf tals were discovered, partly filiceous and partly calcareous, of the dog-tooth kind, intermixed, and shooting from the fame base. Red-keel, or Ruddle, is alfo found on the north-eaft fide of the hill. SALISBURY CRAIGS. This hill is well worthy the attention of the naturalift, from the various ftrata that compofe it, which our limits will not admit of going into the detail of great mafs of whin rock is incumbent on grit and clay, thefe latter are commonly thought to be of pofterior formation, which makes this arrangement to be confidered as fingular. Beautiful fpecimens if radiated hæmatites are found in the quarry near Holyroodhouse. Thefe are intermixed with fleatites, green fi. Trous iron ore, and calcareous fpar, forming in many fpecimens a very uncommon DAIS. Veins of calcareous fpar, beautifully fripped, are met with in many places. Alfo lac luna, zeolite, and amethyftine quartz crystals. There is a good fand-ftone quarry at the back of the rock. CALTON HILL. of. We fhall only obferve, that the on which the caftles of Dumbarton and Stirling, are built; it is a fpecies of whin stone, and of an exceeding dark colour, called by the Swedish naturalifts trap, by Wallerius, Corneus trapezius niger folidus. It is not in the leaft acted upon by acids; the acid has no other effect upon it, than merely to difcolour the furface. In fome parts of this rock, very beautiful specimens of white radiated zeolite have been found, particularly when digging the refervoir for water, under the halfmoon battery; it was little attended to at the time, and it is believed few fpecimens of it have been preferved, the fragments of the rock being immediately carried off to the high roads, which they are particularly well adapted to, when broken in fufficiently fmall pieces. This kind of zeolite has alfo been found in the lower parts of the rock fronting Princes ftreet. When the foundation of the barracks, prefently building in the caftle, were digging, a beautiful zeolite was found incrufting the whin-stone, of an opake white colour, with rays diverging from a centre, not the twentieth part of an inch in thickness, and from one to two inches long. The zeolite found here is not affected by being digefted with the ftrongeft acids, owing to its containing a very great proportion of filiceous earth; when expofed to the fire it fwells greatly, and its furface exhibits a ftriated rugged appearance. The eaft fide of this rock being moftly covered with foil, cannot be narrowly examined; the detached fragments are of the fame nature as the Cattle hill, viz. a coarse-grained trap; fome of which contains a confiderable quantity of hæmatites and fhorl, and is acted upon by acids. Near the top of the hill they affume a porphyric appearance, which is very visible in the quarry above the Bridewell. The loweft ftratum is a coarse pudding ftone, formed of fragments of a porphyrous rock, of a number of different fizes, mixed with a good deal of red felt-fpar; above this ftratum is another of porphyry from 30 to 40 feet thick. A very rare foffil was discovered in this porphyry, in the year 1785, by a French gentleman, viz. the margodes of Linnæus; it was found from the fize of a pea to that of a hazel nut and upwards, of a teffalated cryftalized shape, with regular fides and angles, refembling a garnet, of different colours, from a deep red to a light brown colour; its earth approaches nearest to that of the zeolite. This curious foffil has alfo been found, in a quarry, upon Arthur's Seat, at the east end of the Duke's Walk. CASTLE HILL. The rock upon which the castle of Edinburgh is built is the fame as those In a wider circle, the hills of Corftorphine, Braid, and Craigmillar furround the capital; and at about four miles diftance, the range of the Pentland hills commences. CORSTORPHINE HILL, About three miles weft from Edinburgh, ftretches from north to fouth fomewhat more than a mile. It has a gradual afcent from the west, but is pretty abrupt and rugged to the eaft. The rock which composes the greater part of the hill, and particularly the north end, is a very coarse whin; when expofed to the air for fome time, it breaks afunder, and crumbles down. The |