‘ 
17020 on mufsive and characteristic letters. 183 
puzzled mineralogists. Much attracted by this unexpected 
phenomenon, he long endeavoured to imitate it, without 
effect ; however, at length my friend informs me, he has 
found out the circumstances on which that configuration de- 
pends ; and can now produce it at pleasure. I {hall pro- 
bably be informed in the course of next winter of the ra- 
tionate of the procefs, and fhall communicate it through the 
medium of the Bee. My ingenious friend offers to me as a 
query, whether admixture of zinc, which has so singular 
an effect on silver, may not be instrumental in producing 
the beautiful crystalizations of other metals in a naiive 
state, which Siberia so often exhibits; particularly our beau- 
tiful crystalized arborization of native copper, which re- 
sembles burnifhed gold more than a base metal? Thus 
ends my budget on the present occasion ; and I beg those 
who may wifl. to see a greater variety of topics from this 
country, to recollect, that the subjects treated in general, 
are the most proper and prudent in the situation of 
Imperial Corps of Arcticus. 
Nobles and Cadets. 
ON CHARACTERISTIC MiSSIVE LETTERS, te. 
Sir, To the Editor of the Bee. 
1, my Hints to the Learned, and Gleanings of Biography, 
which have frequently found a place in your respectable 
miscellany, 1 have had occasion to fhow the importance 
of attending to the characteristic correspondence of emi- 
nent persons; and have indicated many of the reposi- 
tories in Europe, where such interesting documents are 
easily accefsible. 
Many isolated papers of this kind are lost in the cabi- 
nets of private families, that might be produced without 
apy impropriety, and throw a blaze of light upon the 
