154 On the Discovery of Native Iron^ 



tate. The principal tacksmen,"" he continues, " live here like 

 gentlemen ; they are, for the most part, men of liberal educa- 

 tion, and polite breeding.*" As I have just observed, things are 

 different now ; and of the resident tacksmen, there assuredly is 

 not one possessed of a liberal education, whatever he may fancy 

 himself to be as lo polite breeding. 



(To be continued.) 



On the Discovery of Native Irmi in Canaan, Connecticut, 

 North America. 



We are informed by Mr William Burrali, in a letter, dated 

 16tli August 1826, that his father was surveying a piece of land 

 on the mountains, about three years since, and by accident noti- 

 ced a black vein in a t[uartz rock ; he pounded upon it some time 

 with a stone, and with considerable difficulty got out two small 

 pieces, the largest of which is in our possession. He has never 

 been at the place since ; and probably no other person has ever 

 discovered it, or knows where it is. It is surrounded by woods 

 one or two miles on every side, and is on the top of a mountain 

 700 or 800 feet above the common average of the land in the 

 town. Mr Burrali says, there is evidence in that quarter of 

 masses of iron, or its ores, of considerable extent, as his compass 

 was materially affected ; but the particular vein from which he 

 obtained the pieces appeared to be of no great extent ; and the 

 width of it is the same as that of the piece in our possession, 

 which measures two inches wide, and two thick. It weighs 

 eight ounces. 



The following notice of the same facts has been received from 

 Mr C. A. Lee. 



" Native Iron on Canaan Mountain, a mile and a half from 

 the South Meeting-house. — This is particularly interesting, as it 

 is the first instance in which native iron, not metcoric_, has been 

 found in America. It was discovered by Major Burrali of Ca- 

 naan, while employed in surveying, several years ago. It formed 

 a thin stratum or j)late, in a mass of mica-slate, which seemed 

 to have been broken from an adjoining ledge. It presents the 



