lOO A METEORITIl from ZULfJLAND. 



actual size linear. it s-hows several cracks (the largest being- 

 very apparent in No. 2), tlie- edges of which are mostly qu|i!te 

 sharp and the metal inside quite bright, ])oth of which circum- 

 stances indicate that the metal was cold when the cracking 

 occurred, i.e., most probably at the moment of impact with the 

 boulder which it struck on falling. 



In at least one place, however, the edges of a crack show 

 signs of fusion, being in fact rounded, and oxide penetrates into 

 the crack; possibly this side was foremost (brust-scitc), and 

 therefore hot immediately before impact, the other sides being 

 cold, or jiossibly this was a previously formed crack. 



It is inconceivable that a body of such irregular form would 

 be always oriented in the same direction during its passage 

 thrtuigh the air, and indeed the lines of How indicate that 

 dififerent sides have been foremost at different times. 



Not only oxide, luit metal, has been caused to flow and form 

 well marked "lips '" in several places, generally at the rear 

 edges of grooves or " thumb marks " as seen in photo 3. A 

 cross section thiCiUgh one of these lii>s is also shown very well 

 in the photo of the etched slice No. 6 (Plate 5), and may also be 

 shown diagrammatically as below. 



.rrff'''''^' 



Apparently it struck a somewhat glancing blow and shows 

 deformation due to impact, i.e.. indentations and strire at several 

 places. At the chief point of impact the metal became (or was 

 already) sufficiently heated to reoxidise, and shows a blue 

 oxide film where a s^pall piece has cracked off. Yet as a whole 

 it was not sufficiently hot to scorch the dried grass on to which 

 it rebounded after the impact. 



While not excessively hard, the metal of which it is com- 

 posed is extreme!}' tough, so that it was found to be impossible 

 to olDtain samples for chemical analysis by drilling. Shavings 

 were therefore removed from a corner by a shaping machine 

 for this purpose ; this had the advantage of leaving a flat sur- 

 face from which a slice could be cut without removing an exces- 

 sive quantity of the meteorite. 



Preliminary experiments showed that although it was com- 

 posed almost entirely of metal, some of its constituents were 

 very differently soluble in various solvents, particularly in dilute 

 acid. 



All the sawdust obtained in cutting the section was boiled 

 in dilute sulphuric acid till all action appeared to cease. After 

 the treatment 1.6 % of a dark grey residue, with apparent 

 metallic particles, was left. 



On heating this in air to redness it glowed, increased in 

 weight, and became brown in colour. It was then boiled w'^h 

 strong hvdrochloric acid, and still left a sHght insoluble resiuuj 



