FLINT. 199 On the Continent of Europe it is not unfrequent: thus it occurs imbedded in chalk in the islands of ltugen and Zeeland; in floetz limestone in Swabia, Bavaria, Saxony, Prussia, Eranconia, Austria, Galicia, Prance, Spain, and Swisserland. Asia —In the Uralian mountains it occurs in beds in floetz limestone; also in veins that traverse both primi tive and floetz rocks. It has been tound on the shores of the lake Baikal; and on the banks of. the river Tura, also in Siberia; and in different parts of China. America.—It occurs in North America, either imbed ded in rocks, or in rolled pieces. Uses. The principal use of this mineral is for gun-fllnts, for which purpose it is excellently fitted, on account of its hardness, the abundance of sparks it affords with steel, and the sharp fragments it ghes in breaking *.^ The most celebrated manufactures of gun-flints are those in England, Muesnes near Berry in France, in Gallicia, and of Avio in the Tyrol. The operation of making them is so simple and easy, that a good workman will make 1500 flints in a day. The whole art consists in striking the stone re peatedly with a kind of mallet, and breaking off at each stroke a fragment, sharp at one end, and thicker at the other. These fragments are afterwards shaped at plea sure, by laying the line at which it is wished they should lireak, upon a sharp iron instrument, and then giving it repeatedly smart blows with a mallet. During the whole operation, the workman holds the stone in his left hand, * Flint was first used a« for muskets in the year 1679.