Analyli^of Manachanltt from Botany Bay, jar 



bottom. This button was phofphuret of titanium ; it was of a pale white, not devoid of 

 luftre. It was eafily broken, and its fraifture was grainy and white. It did not melt before 

 the blow pipe, and feemed not very fufible. Muriatic and fulphuric acids did not attack 

 it, nor did nitric acid very eafily when coo); nitro-muriatic acid had much more efFe£t 

 upon it, and the liquor gave traces of titanium, and of phofphoric acid. 



Phofphoric and aifenic acids were obferved by Mr. Klaproth, when he difcovered this 

 metal, to precipitate oxide of titanium from the other acids, by dire£l affinity. However,, 

 an excefs of muriatic acid can diflblve phofphate and arfeniate of titanium ; but fulphuric,, 

 or any other acid I have tried, has not that property. 



In order to obtain oxide of titanium totally free from every other metal, with which it 

 is accompanied in nature, fuch as iron or manganefc, either of the above acids may be 

 ufed, and that precipitate treated with fixed alkalis, or their carbonates. 



Mr. Vauqu&lin has given a very ingenious explanation of the reafon, for which nitric 

 and muriatic acids when heated, cannot retain the oxide of titanium in folution. With 

 the former, it is becaufe the oxide takes a new portion of oxigen from the nitric acid, and 

 becomes too much pxidated to remain in folution. With the latter the revetfe is the cafe,, 

 and oxigenated muriatic acid is difengaged. However, in evaporating a large portion of 

 the folution of this fand, which had been effeded by the means of pot-afh, and muriatie 

 acid, as above dated, I obtained at the end a fait well cryftalHzed, which, upon ftri£l exa- 

 mination, exhibited all the properties of oxigenated muriate of pot-alh. Hence it is evi- 

 dent that the oxigen had paffed, probably in its nafcent ftate, into the muriate of pot-afh. 

 already formed ; for the firft portion of muriatic acid, and long before a total folution of 

 the fand could have taken place,^ muft,. by the laws of affinity, have gone to faturate the 

 pot-afli employed. I have attempted to produce a fimilar, combination by the means of 

 manganefe, but without fuccefs. The circumftanccs are not indeed rigidly fimilar ; for in) 

 one cafe we efFe£l a folution,. and in the other, a precipitation of the metal that gives out 

 the oxigen, and that may produce fome modification. 



If the mineralogical riches of the country, from which this fand was brought, are at all 

 to be prejudged, fr,om. the valuable productions with which we have become acquainted in 

 the vegetable and animal kingdoms, we may look forward to many interefting difcoveries v^ 

 an^ already, a metal is found to be a native of thofe climates, which has not long beeoi 

 known, and has been but rarely met in Europe. 



IW 



