112 Sir Robert Kane on the Chemical Constitution of the 



the Scheldt, which has been most likely* formed by digging 

 out peat for fuel, as the soil near it is peat, and as in neigh- 

 bouring ponds peat is now scraped up from the bottom, and 

 prepared for fuel by drying in the sun. This water is renewed 

 by the overflowing of the Scheldt, and is apparently not at all 

 peaty. 



This water was pretty clear, but contained some suspended 

 matter. When 100,000 grains were evaporated to dryness 

 there was obtained 51*70 grains of residue, consisting of, in 

 100 parts, — 



Protoxide of iron . . . . '514 



Lime 6*940 



Magnesia '856 



Soda 28-620 



Potash 8-740 



Sulphuric acid ..... 8*054 



Muriatic acid 25-765 



Phosphoric acid .... no trace 

 Carbonic acid, with organic! gO-Sll 

 matter and loss . . J 



100-000 



No. 2. Water from one of the best Bloe retting pits, near 

 Hamme Log, in Belgium. This water is also supplied from 

 the Scheldt annually, before the retting season commences, 

 and left to stand in the pit for six or eight weeks. The top 

 becomes covered with green weeds which are cleared oif im- 

 mediately the flax is put in. This causes the water to be 

 muddy, as there is a considerable thickness of mud at the 

 bottom which is disturbed, the workmen standing in the pit 

 when cleaning the top of the water. The flax is then laid in ; 

 and after laying two or three layers, they shovel up some of 

 the mud in the bottom to put on the flax to sink it ; and when 

 the pit is full, the flax is covered by about an inch thickness 

 of mud. This sample was taken from a pit which had just 

 been disturbed and mudded by cleansing the top of weeds, 

 preparatory to putting the flax in. 



This water was found very muddy, but the suspended mat- 

 ter was principally organic. 



100,000 grains left by evaporation 139-69 grains of solid 

 matter} of ochrey appearance, and consisting, per cent., of — 



