Salfi of Irbn,' 3^-2 



voting Frenchman named Dcfitux, to whom the Spanifli 

 government had entruflcd the car^-of thefe plantations. Our 

 travellers at length reached the entrance of the Cordilleras- 

 {ia Bocca del Mo9ite), climhed up the firft eminences, and 

 came to the plain of Bajota, one of the higheft of the globe. 

 This plain was formerly a lake, containing a furface of 3:^ 

 fquare leagues: in the middle of it is filuated the town of Santa- 

 Fe. M. von Humboldt was received here as if in triumph : 

 fixty perfons on horfcback came to meet him ; and the vene- 

 rable Mutis had prepared a houft^ for him near to his own. 

 The king of Spain devotes 10,000 piaftres per annum to this 

 botanical eftablifhment. For fifteen years paft, thirty draf;f-i 

 men have been employed in it under the tiireftion of Mutis, 

 They have executed 3000 drawings in folio, which are, 

 foiiflied with all the delicacy of mirtiature painting. M. voti 

 Humboldt could compare the botanical collection of Don, 

 J. Celeftino Mutis only to that of Sir Jofeph Banks. M. von 

 Humboldt meafured the altitude of the mountains wliich. 

 Carround Santa- Fe, feveral of which rife .to the herght of 

 3000 and 2400 toifes. From Santa-Fe he vvas to proceed 

 to Quito, and tlvence to Lima. He was to be at Acapulco 

 in the month of May la(l year, and, after travelling through 

 Mexico, he was to return to Europe by the Philippines and 

 the Cape of Good Hope. Such a journey, undertaken by fo 

 enlightened a man, promifes the happieft refults to fcience. 



SALTS OF IRON *. 



The fulphate, muriate, and acetite of iron, at their mini- 

 mum of oxidation, may be obtained in a very eafv manner 

 by means of the artificial fulphuret of iron. When artificial 

 fulphuret of iron is afted upon by muriatic acid, orfulphuric 

 acid in a fiate of dilution, or acetous acid, the fulphureted 

 hydrogen gas, difengaged duriiicv the procefs of folution, 

 prc'vents any hyper-oxygenated fait from being formed by the 

 action of the atniofphere ; ^xnA a cleaV fluitl, in all cafes, of^ 

 fl)ade of green, is obtained, which, when ticcd by heat from 

 any fulphureted hydrogen dilfolved in it, gives a perfeftly 

 white precipitate with the alk:dine pruffiates, and is not foiuid 

 to alter the colour of folution of galls. 



'Jo form the lead oxygenated nitrate of iron, by means of 

 the artificial fulphuret, an acid of a i'pecific gravity not grt-ater 

 than rj2 mult be ufed; and llie folution nuiil be made with- 

 out the aflidance of heat. Aher having been freed from lul- 

 phuratcd hydrogen, by being boiled for a minute or luo, and 



;;_ ■• Fro. 11 "Jb'u.iiali oj l.he H."y.i/ Injlituiwfi v) Cicul Biiium. 



A a 3 then 



