A pamphlet dated 1621, by "a certain Monsieur d'Eyrinys, states that he had discovered the existence (of asphaltum) in large quantities in the vicinity of Neufchatel", and that he proposed to use it in a variety of ways – "principally in the construction of air-proof granaries, and in protecting, by means of the arches, the water-courses in the city of Paris from the intrusion of dirt and filth", which at that time made the water unusable.
ɐ pˈæmflɪt dˈeɪɾᵻd wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti wˈʌn, bˈaɪ "ɐ sˈɜːʔn̩ məsjˈɜː dˈaɪɹɪniz, stˈeɪts ðæt hiː hæd dɪskˈʌvɚd ðɪ ɛɡzˈɪstəns ʌv ˈæsfæltəm ɪn lˈɑːɹdʒ kwˈɔntᵻɾiz ɪnðə vɪsˈɪnᵻɾi ʌv nˈuːftʃeɪɾəl", ænd ðæt hiː pɹəpˈoʊzd tə jˈuːz ɪɾ ɪn ɐ vɚɹˈaɪəɾi ʌv wˈeɪz "pɹˈɪnsɪpəli ɪnðə kənstɹˈʌkʃən ʌv ˈɛɹpɹˈuːf ɡɹˈænɚɹiz, ænd ɪn pɹətˈɛktɪŋ, baɪ mˈiːnz ʌvðɪ ˈɑːɹtʃᵻz, ðə wˈɔːɾɚkˈoːɹsᵻz ɪnðə sˈɪɾi ʌv pˈæɹɪs fɹʌmðɪ ɪntɹˈuːʒən ʌv dˈɜːt ænd fˈɪlθ", wˌɪtʃ æt ðæt tˈaɪm mˌeɪd ðə wˈɔːɾɚɹ ʌnjˈuːzəbəl.