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ful, becauſe it is fat, denſe, and unctuous; whereas ſuch as are of a looſer Texture, crumbling, dry, and without Fatneſs, are fitter for their Uſe; all which Properties the Melian, particularly that of Pharis, poſſeſſes. There are, however, beſide theſe, in Melos and Samos both, many various kinds of Earths.
CIX. The Diggers in the Pits of Samos cannot ſtand upright [1]at their
- ↑ Our Author's Account of this Earth, and the Manner of digging it, has been generally copied by thoſe who have deſcribed it ſince. Pliny ſays, accubantes effodiunt ibi inter ſaxa venas ſcrutantes. And in another Place, Samiæ duæ ſunt, quæ Syropicon (or Collyrion) et quæ Aſter appellantur. And other of the old Authors much to the ſame Effect.
I have before obſerved, that this Earth was either white or aſh-coloured; theſe two Colours conſtituted the Difference between the two Kinds, and were what were called the Aſter and Collyrion: The white was the Aſter, ſuppoſed by many to be a Talc, and ſo called, for its ſhining; and the aſh-coloured was call-
frequent and eaſy Uſe, to avoid the being miſled by Pliny and others, who have miſrepreſented ſo many Things from him; and given thoſe Miſrepreſentations and Errors, as Accounts from their own Knowledge: The Paſſage in Pliny is, Melinum candidum et ipſum eſt optimum in Melo inſula; in Samo naſcitur, ſed eo non utuntur Pictores propter pinguitudinem. It is moſt evident, that this is taken from the Paſſage now before us in Theophraſtus; but Pliny deviates from his Original into a very great Error: Theophraſtus does not ſay, that the Melian Earth was dug in Samos, and was not uſed by the Painters; but that the Samian Earth, another Subſtance which he had juſt before mentioned, and was going to ſay ſomething more about, was not uſed by them; and adds, that in both theſe Places there were many Kinds of Earth, but not that the Kind named from either, was found in the other.
