O.N A NEW VARIETY OF ASPHALT 353 



ARTICLE XXV 



On a New Variety of Asphalt: (Melan-aspiialt.) By Charles M. W'tthtri/l, Ph. D. Read 



July 16, 1852. 



History. — In the spring of 1S.~>1, I was called upon to make a chemical examination of 

 this substance in connexion with the late Richard C. Taylor, who wis -< nt to the locality 

 to define its geological position. An unfinished paper, intended for the Transactions of the 

 Society, upon which Mr. Taylor was engaged at the time of his death, is published in the 

 Proceedings for January lGth, 1852. I would refer to this paper and also to a pamphlet, 

 entitled "Abraham Gcsncr vs. Halifax Gas Light Co. Deposition of Richard ('. Taylor, 

 respecting the asphaltnm mine at Hillsborough, in the county of Albert, and province of 

 Xew Brunswick," for a full description of the geological situation of the mineral. And, 

 besides the above-mentioned papers, to a pamphlet, entitled "Report on the Albert Coal 

 Mines, &c, by Dr. Jackson," and to an answer to this Report by a "Fellow of the Geo- 

 logical Society of London." Owing to a law suit in which great interests were at -take, 

 the mineral in question has been examined as to its chemical behaviour by a large number 

 of experts, who are singularly divided as to their conclusions. M\ examination was made 

 at various times, upon specimens obtained from Mr. E. Le Gal, and from the Philadi Iphia 

 (ias Works, where it is used as a substitute for rosin for increasing the illuminating power 

 of the uas. 



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Description and Analysis. — In appearance it isof brilliant jel black colour, of high resinous 

 lustre; fracture perfectly conchoidal and brilliant. Hardness between our ami two ol 

 Mobs' scale. Density 1-097. When very finely powdered and placed in a large bottle, 

 it appears brown when looking at tin part adhering to the glass; when coarsely pulveri 

 is black. It' line particles be chipped from a Bolid mass of the mineral, and examined 

 under the microscope, they will be found transparent, of brow n colour on the thin i dg< -. and 

 where the radiating lines observed in resinous bodies which have a Bimilar fracture, 

 happen to radiate toward- the aforenamed edges, tine Bpicuke will be observed at the ex- 

 tremities of some of the radii, perfectly transparent and of In-own colour. These results 

 with the microscope had been previously obtained by Dr. Leidy, who made a comparative 

 microscopic examination with the mineral m question, with the asphalts, and with coal. 



