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for various other minor purposes. The lime trade is prosecutedto a great extent, not only for home consumption, but also forexportation, chiefly to the West Indies.
3. Marble _This mineral is found in many parts of Scotland ,
There are also several quarries in Assint, in Tiree , and on LordMacdonald’s estate in the Hebrides ; also at Cambuslang, &c.where marble of various qualities, and beautifully variegated co-lours, are obtained; but they are not much in demand, Thesurface of some of the Hebridian, do not admit of so high apolish as others, from their composition not being quite uniform,Since the war began, Italian, and other foreign marbles, havenot been much used ; the greater part of the marble works be-ing supplied from Kilkenny in Ireland . A good deal is cut andpolished, for chimney-pieces, hearths, monumental purposes, &c.and exported to America and the West Indies .
Besides the foreign trade in the above articles, large shipmentsto London are made of the following: viz.
4. Stones. — Aberdeen Granite, for bridges, piers, pavement,kirb-stones, &c. This granite has never been known to showany symptoms of decay.
Paving Whin, from North Queensferry, Salisbury Craigs nearEdinburgh , &c.
Freestone, of almost any dimensions_The quarries most cele-
brated, are those of Mylnefield near Dundee , Craigleitb, andHailes, in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh . Freestone of asuperior quality is also found at Scrabster, near Thurso , in Caith-ness; and at Colialo in Fife ,
Paving Freestone. —The quarries of Carmyllie, near Arbroath ,are famous for paving freestone, and are the most esteemedin Scotland . The stones are easily quarried; of various thick-nesses ; large dimensions; and so smooth,- that they require littledressing, yet are hard and durable. These advantages, how-ever, are lessened by the tedious land carriage to the port ofshipping (Arbroath ), distant seven miles, and without a rail-way. Besides being used for paving halls, lobbies, corridores,&c. they are applied for casing brick fronts ; and even in Scot-land are used as veneers, when the inner walls are rough stone-work.
Oven soles are got from St Catharine’s , in Argyleshire, and se-veral quarries in Ayrshire ; but those from the latter are at pre-sent most esteemed. When well cut, and built in, they form sdurable and cleanly sole for the baker’s oven, and neither cracknor blister by the heat of his fire.
Slates are obtained in large quantities from Ballachulish, inInverness-shire, and from the island of Easdale, in Argyleshire;a lew also from Camstradden, in Dunbartonshire, Bute , &c.The sale of Scottish slates in England is not considerable, ow-ing to the excellent quality of the Welch slates, which are in g e !neral use.