Penny Dreadfuls, 1684 · page 2 of 3
An Account of a Sort of Paper Made of Linum Asbestinum Found in Wales — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a running prose page from a scholarly letter describing a mineral discovery. Edward Lloyd of Jesus College, Oxford, writes to the publisher about "Lapis Amiantus" or "Linum fossile Asbeftinum"—a fibrous stone found in Anglesey, Wales—apparently a form of asbestos or similar material. Lloyd provides firsthand observations: the mineral occurs in veins about half an inch deep within flint-like rock, appears as a shining stone until scratched with a pin, turns white when pounded, and does not burn when heated. The letter presents empirical findings rather than relying on classical authorities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
[ 823] An account of a fort of Paper made of Linum Asbeftinum foundin Wales in a Letter to the Publifiier, from Edward LLoyd of Jefus Coll. Oxon. N obedience to your commands I have here fent you g all the account I am ableto give at prefent of the Laps Amianthus or Linum foffile Ashefinum which you were inform’d (and that truly ) was to be found in the Sle ot Anglefey: whereia I fhall choofe to refer it to your own judgment to determine whether this be the fame kind withthe Asbeffos of the Ancients, or in fome re- {pects different fromit. Nor fhall I mentien any thing out of Authors relating to -it; well knowing that would prove but needlefs to you, as being not unacquainted with whatever has been faid ofit: But fhall one'y give you fome bareinformationsofit from my own Lxperi- ence. It is found in nofmall quantity inthe Parifh of LLan- Fair yng Hornwy in the Northern part of Anglefey ; where itrunsin veins through a Rockof Stone in hard- nefsand colour notunlike Flzzt. ‘Thefe veins are gene- rally about : ofaninchdeep; which is the length of the Amiantus, and isfeldome longer , butoften fhorter. It iscompoied of a /anuginous matter exactly refembling that of pappous Plants; but fo clofely compad, that till you draw a Pin, or any fuch fharp thing, crofsthe grain of it, it appears onely a fhining Stone ; there being not the leaft filament ot dznt to be perceived in it. In its natural form fome of it looks wheti/r, and fome Straw-colourd.. but all fhining : burif pounded ina Mortar, the brightnefs difappears, and the whole be- come: whrtt/b. Notethat above and beneath the veins there's a very thia /eptum of terrene matter between the Amiantus, and the Stone whereto it adhvres. Tpurta {mall quantity of the /znt in the fire, which crew red hot; but though it.remain’d there ; of an hour, Il could not perceive that:twasany thingconfumed. IT rwifed fome of it alfoiniorm ofa Week, asyou had cone chat | ek cConniclooolks {* CO