Fleury.] 142 [March 20, 



in the variety, beauty and adaptation of her rocks and stones ; they 

 are fully entitleil to their rank as symbols of stability, firmness and 

 age ; they stand there, the counterparts of the glorious, broad, deep 

 ocean. 



The true history of the rocks is still wrapt up in considerable mys- 

 tery ; their conception, birth, growth and maturity are not so easily 

 traced, and though not a few master-minds have given us the results 

 of their investigations and thoughts, the subject is yet incomplete. 



In our present progressive age of positive science we are no longer 

 content with the ancient tale, that rocks and mountains appeared on 

 the face of the earth ; we want to know more about their " whence 

 and wherefore." 



Without entering into the details of cosmogony, geology, or min- 

 eralogy, or discussing theories, we will attempt to trace the history of 

 one kind of rocks, the white, beautiful quartz-rock ; it is the more 

 interesting, because in it we find embedded most of the precious 

 metals. 



As an illustration Ave will take up a piece of white quartz, con- 

 taining in its midst, closely fitted, a number of sparkling crystals of 

 gold-like metallic appearance. 



In order to know what we have in hand, we will give the piece to 

 an expert chemist for analysis. 



The chemist proceeds to examine first its physical, and then its 

 chemical properties. He will carefully observe its color, crystal- 

 line structure, test its hardness, and ascertain its specific gravity. He 

 will then pulverize the stone to an impalpable powder and treat it 

 with acids. These, he finds, dissolve the metallic yellow crystals, 

 leaving an insoluble white powder. The tests of the decanted acid 

 liquid show the presence of sulphur and iron. He concludes that he 

 has to do with crystals of sulphuretof iron, the so-called pyrites, or fire 

 stones.* 



The remaining white sand is then dried and weighed. In order to 

 test this white powder, the chemist will probably mix it with an 

 alkali, soda or potassa, and melt the mixture to a colorless glass ; this 

 he will reduce to powder and gradually dissolve it in boiling water. 

 On adding hydrochloric acid, he will separate the alkali and leave the 

 silica as a gelatinous bulky precipitate suspended in the solution 

 of the respective salt. The liquid is decanted and the silica 

 gradually dried and heated to a white heat, after which it is 

 again weighed. It is now pure silica, insoluble in any but hydro- 

 fluoric acid. We have thus learned something of the peculiar pro- 



*The ancients denominated these hard crystals fire-stones or pyrites, because 

 they were frequently used instead of flint, as it had been found that when struck 

 with a steel they gave fire like flint. 



