716 Transactmis. — Chemistry. 



supply of free oxygen a part of the gold is directly oxidized, 

 while another part, and that the larger part, is cyanodized, 

 while, if free oxygen is scarce, the less gold is oxidized and 

 the more is cyanodized, until in those extreme cases where 

 free oxygen is entirely absent, while at the same time the 

 gold is in contact with minerals conductive of electricity, or 

 is but only partly submerged in the cyanide, all the gold is 

 then won by being directly cyanodized. 



In conclusion, I again express my regret that at the time 

 I prepared my notes on the cyanide process for the Mines 

 Department I was unacquainted with Mr. Maclaurin's com- 

 munication to the Chemical Society on this subject. I had 

 no chance to ignore it, as I am supposed to have done ; and 

 if I had had that chance Mr. Maclaurin may be sure that 

 it would have been the furthest from my thought to take it. 

 Not to say anything about the dictates of common honesty, 

 which may or may not rule my dealings with the world, my 

 own native caution and hereditary prudence would have told 

 me that a paper prepared so skilfully, so laboriously, and with 

 such a wealth of illustration and of argument as this was, is not 

 one to be " ignored " by anybody except to his own disadvan- 

 tage and dishonour. On the other hand, I would assure Mr. 

 Maclaurin that I am very much pleased to learn that one of 

 our university colleges has turned out of its roomy and well- 

 fitted halls a native-born New-Zealander who has entered 

 the wide and fascinating field of original research among the 

 physical sciences, and made his debut among our brother 

 scientists of the Old World in the strikingly successful and 

 honourable manner that he has. And I shall be glad to see his 

 example followed by other New-Zealanders, and also to have 

 the valuable assistance continued of a friendly but full criti- 

 cism of any other communications to the scientific world that 

 I may have the opportunity of laying before it. 



