Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BA-SALT'INE, n.

1. Basaltic hornblend; a variety of common hornblend, so called from its being often found in basalt. It is also found in lavas and volcanic scoriæ. It is generally in distinct crystals, and its color is a pure black, or slightly tinged with green. It is more foliated than the other varieties, and has been mistaken for mica. – Kirwan. Cleaveland.
2. A column of basalt. – Kirwan.