[ 15^ ] 



to me to arife from the decompofition of the nitrous air or me- 

 phitized nitrous acid, of which a portion is always retained by the 

 alkaH, and confequently I paid no attention to it, but always 

 ceafed adding coal when the inflammation totally ceafed. 



Maltha. 



Its colour is dark brown or black. 



Its luftre o. Tranfparency o. 



Its fradure, uneven^ tough. Specific gravity 2,070. 



It feels fomewhat greafy, yieMs to compreflion, has a heavy 

 fmell, acquires a polifh when fcraped, does not adhere to the 

 tongue or ftain the fingers ; its flame high and bright, leaving no 

 coal, but only a little aflies. 



Having but a fmall quantity of this fubftance, I on this occa- 

 sion ufed only 240 grains of nitre. When it was heated to red- 

 nefs I threw on it one grain of vegetable pitch ; it immediately 

 inflamed, but floated quietly on the furface of the nitre, and de- 

 crepitated like common fait, from the moifture it contained. The 

 flame was partly white, from the adtion of the air fpontaneoufly 

 emitted by the nitre, and partly yellowijh, from the adion of the 

 ambient atmofpheric air, but fteady and unattended with thofe 

 turbulent gufhes that attend the decompofition of nitre by carbo- 

 naceous fubftances. 



I THEN 



