Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/230

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206
The HISTORY of

most to the Sea-shoar, lye huge Heaps of these burnt Rocks, one under another. And there remain to this time the very Tracts of the Rivers of Brimstone, as they ran over all this Quarter of the Island, which hath so wasted the Ground beyond Recovery, that nothing can be made to grow there but Broom: But on the North side of the Pico, few or none of these Stones appear. And he concluded hence, that the Volcanio discharg'd itself chiefly to the South-west. He adds farther, that Mines of several Metals were broken and blown up at the same time. These calcin'd Rocks resembling some of them Iron-Oar, some Silver, and others Copper. Particularly at a certain Place in these South-west Parts called the Azuleios, being very high Mountains, where never any English Man but himself (that ever he heard of) was. There are vast Quantities of a loose blewish Earth intermixt with blue Stones, which have on them yellow Rust as that of Copper and Vitriol: And likewise many little Springs of vitriolate Waters, where he supposes was a Copper Mine. And he was told by a Bell- founder of Oratava, that out of two Horse Loads of this Earth, he got as much Gold as made two large Rings. And a Portugueze told him, who had been in the West-Indies, that his Opinion was, there were as good Mines of Gold and Silver there as the best in the Indies. There are likewise hereabout nitrous Waters and Stones covered with a deep Saffron-colour'd Rust, and tasting of Iron. And farther he mentions a Friend of his, who out of two Lumps of Earth or Oar, brought from the top of this side the Mountain, made two Silver-spoons. All

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