TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 49! 



On the Chemical Constitution of the Humher Deposits. 

 By J. D. SoLLiTT, Hull. 

 By far the largest constituent part of the Humber mud is an exceedingly fine sand, 

 the particles of which are so minute as almost to float in water, and being of 

 such a quality as to render the whole perfectly unstable and liable to be moved about 

 by the slightest motion of the water ; many of the particles of this sand, when examined 

 by a powerful microscope, appear to have their corners worn down by the attrition of 

 one particle against another so as to be reduced to nearly a globular form, and great 

 numbers of those particles are so small as not to be more in diameter than a fourth part 

 of that of a globule of human blood, or about jj^dth part of an inch : hence the sand 

 which forms about 75 per cent, of the Humber deposit is, so far as relates to its particles, 

 almost in the condition of a fluid easily displaced and driven about by every tide, both 

 when it rises and when it falls. The author stated that in a gallon of water taken from, 

 the Humber when the water was agitated by the tide either running up or down, there 

 were from 315 to 320 grs. of this above-named fine deposit, and that it was so exceed- 

 ingly fine, as not all to have settled at the end of ten hours from the taking of the 

 water from the river. 



The first sample of the deposit, of which is given the analysis, was taken about 

 eight miles above Hull, namely, at 



Brough, 



and consisted of sand moderately fine 77 



Alumina 6 



Carbonate of lime 6 



Carbonate of magnesia , 1 



Soluble salts 2 



Oxide of iron 2 



Organic matter 6 



Too* 



The second, taken at four miles above Hull, viz. at 



Hessle, 



and consisted of very fine sand 75 



Alumina 7 



Carbonate of lime 6 



Carbonate of magnesia 2 



Soluble salts 3 



Oxide of iron 2 



Organic matter 5 



100 

 The third at 



Hull, 



and consisted of very fine sand 71 



Alumina 7 



Carbonate of lime 6 



Carbonate of magnesia 2 



Soluble salts 5 



Oxide of iron 2 



Organic matter 7 



100 

 The fourth sample was taken on the opposite side of the river, at 

 New Holland, 



and consisted of fine sand fi9 



Alumina , 13 



Carbonate of lime 5 



Carbonate of magnesia 1 



Soluble salts 4 



Oxideofiron , 2 



Organic matter „ 6 



"100 

 1853. 4, 



