1823.] Scientific Intelligence, 231 



III. Crystallized Steatite. 



According to the analysis of Prof. Dewey, this mineral contains 



Silica 50-60 



Magnesia 28'83 



Oxide of iron 2*59 



Oxide of manganese I'lO 



Alumine 015 



Water 15-00 



Loss 1-73 



10000 



*' In heating the mineral, there was sometimes more and sometimes 

 less than 15 per cent, of water liberated ; but the water is taken at 15 

 per cent.'* The above proportions, it appears, are between those ob- 

 tained by Klaproth in his analyses of steatite from two localities ; 

 *' there can be no doubt, therefore," Prof. Dewey remarks, ** that these 

 crystals are real steatite.'* 



** The^rm of some of these crystals, is that of a six-sided prism 

 terminated by six-sided pyramids, often variously truncated. Some 

 of them appear to be four-sided prisms terminated by a four-sided 

 pyramid. They are unquestionably the crystals intended by Jameson, 

 as they are found in a similar situation to those mentioned by him, 

 though they seem not to be pseudomorphous. The locality is described, 

 vol. V. p. 219, of this Journal. They are sometimes covered with a very 

 fine grained and close brownish steatite, in which, as in the asbestus, the 

 crystals leave their form. The specific gravity of the crystals is less 

 than that given to steatite. In the various specimens I have tried, it 

 has been found ver}'- nearly 2, sometimes a little more or a little less. 

 Their specific gravity may be taken at 2, water being unity."— (Silli- 

 man's Journal, vi. 334.) 



IV. Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption in Java, 



On the 27th of December, a shock of an earthquake was felt at Java, 

 and it was repeated 18 times in 30 hours. At the same time, a subter- 

 ranean noise was heard in the mountain of Merapic, which began to 

 eject stones. On the 29th, at one o'clock in the morning, an eruption 

 took place, during which half of the mountain was surrounded with tor*- 

 rents of lava and columns of fire, while a heavy shower of sand and 

 small stones covered the environs. The village was destroyed, and 15 

 persons perished. At the mountain of Bruno, a very strong subterra- 

 nean noise was heard, and it began to eject small black ashes which . 

 were perceptible at a considerable distance. — (Journal de Physique, 

 torn. 96, p. 80.) 



V. Glassy Actynolite. 



The characters and constituents of glassy actynolite from Concord 

 Township, Delaware County, Pensylvania, as determined by Mr. H, 

 Seybert, are as follows : 



Colour, in the mass, emerald-^reen ; powder greenish-white. Lustre 

 vitreous. Translucent. Fracture in one direction fibrous; in the 

 opposite irregular. Very frangible. Scratches glass, Structure 



