VI.— CHEMISTEY. 



Art. LXI. — On a New Mineral (Awaruite) from Barn Bay. 



By W. Skey. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 21st October, 1885.] 



On the 28th of September two samples, marked Nos. 1 and 2, were 

 transmitted to the laboratory through the Secretary for Mines, 

 as having been obtained by some alluvial miners working near 

 Jackson's Bay, and given by them to the Warden. No. 1 of 

 these parcels, supposed by the contributors to be impure platina, 

 was found not to contain any platina, and to consist entirely 

 of a- pure alloy of nickel, iron, and cobalt, in the form of small 

 nuggetty and water- worn grains or scales, perfectly malleable, 

 of a hardness of about 5' and sp. gr. 8*1. Some of these grains 

 have a little lustre, but most of them are dull, owing to a coating 

 of reddish or greenish red oxides. These grains do not reduce 

 copper from its cupreous sulphate, acidulated with muriatic acid. 

 The following is its composition 



Nickel 

 Cobalt 

 Iron 

 Sulphur 

 ♦Silica 



Total 



67-63 

 •70 



3102 

 •22 

 •43 



100-00 



Its formula is 2 N -f- Fe. It is remarkable for the high pro 

 portion of nickel therein. The richest natural alloy of nicke 

 of which I can find any notice is Oktibehite, from the United 

 States of America ; it is Ni -f- Fe, according to which formula 

 there is 51-22 per cent, of nickel present. This alloy (Okti- 

 behite) is of terrestrial origin. Meteoric iron does not often go 

 more than 10 per cent., with a maximum of 20 per cent. ; it 

 generally contains carbon. 



The New Zealand alloy is undoubtedly of terrestrial origin, 

 and should be found in some basic rock in the vicinity of Barn 

 Bay. The even size of the grains, and their number, together 

 with their richness in nickel and apparent uniformity of com- 

 position, support the " terrestrial " theory. The inability of 



* This has all been Bet free from combination with one or other of 

 these metals. 



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