_Vetoed_, withheld assent to. Who was Jupiter? The principal deity of the Pagan world. What is used to cement bricks firmly together? Mortar; a composition of lime, sand, gravel, &c., mixed up with water; the ancients had a kind of mortar so very hard and binding, that, even to this day, it is next to impossible to separate the parts of some of their buildings. What is Granite? A rock which has been formed by the union of three different minerals in a state of fusion; these, on cooling, have crystallized and become distinct from each other in the mass. It is remarkable for the beauty of its colors, its hardness and durability. There are granites of many different colors, as red or rose-colored, grey, green, variegated, &c. _Fusion_, a melted state. _Mass_, a body, a lump. What form does it bear? Granite does not, generally, form one extensive mass, but remains in separate and large fragments, rudely compacted together; besides the three minerals of which it is composed, particles of other stones, or metallic earths, are often accidentally mixed with it. It is called granite from its granulous structure. _Compacted_, joined together. _Granulous_, consisting of small grains. Where is Granite found? Granite occurs in all the larger mountain ranges, and in isolated masses in every country; not being a stratified rock, and being excessively hard, it is difficult to get it out in manageable masses. In Arabia Petraea, the whole country abounds in masses of different granites. _Isolated_, alone, separated, detached. _Stratified_, consisting of strata or beds. What mode is usually employed in this country in obtaining it? Blasting, or blowing up with gunpowder; the force of which detaches pieces from the rock, which are hewn roughly into forms on the spot by a small pickaxe. Granite is also quarried by cutting a deep line some yards long, and placing strong iron wedges at equal distances along this line; these wedges are struck in succession with heavy hammers, till the mass splits down. Another method of detaching masses of rock, is by driving wooden wedges into a deep artificial or natural crack, or fissure; the wedges are then wet, and, in consequence of swelling, burst the rock asunder. _Quarried_, from _to quarry_, a term used for the getting of stone from a quarry, or place where stones are dug from the earth, or detached from a large mass of rock. _Detach_, to separate. For what is this Rock used? On account of its great hardness, it is used for large public structures, as bridges, churches, &c. The ancient temples and other buildings in Egypt, Asia, and Italy, were built of different colored granites, especially the beautiful Oriental red granite. What is Slate? The common name for a bluish fossil stone, very soft when dug out of the quarry, and easily cut or split into thin plates,--a property which renders it invaluable for a variety of purposes.