Anahjsls of the magnet'iad Pyrites. 133 



« Tliis consc(iuence of M. Pcron," sav the commission- 

 ers of the Institute, " appears to us the' more probable, as 

 It now proves the origin of those mountains of ice which 

 in the polar regions liave hitherto impeded the progress of 

 tlie European navigators : it makes us readily comprehend 

 how masses of ice, detached from the deptlis of the sea to 

 float at the surface, can constitute in these regions projcct- 

 mg mountains of ice which simple congelation could never 

 effect under that form." 



This ingenious theory, therefore, of an interior central 

 fire mamtaimng a uniform temperature of about 10 decrees 

 throughout the whole mass, whether solid or liquid, of our 

 globe, experiences at present the fate reserved, soon or late, 

 for almost all human theories. The calculations of Leib- 

 nitz, who first conceived it; the eloquence of Buflbn, who 

 decided his triumph, ought however, it would seem, to 

 have secured to it a longer and more peaceable existence. 



We shall terminate this extract with the opinion o-ivea 

 on this subject by the commissioners of the Institute chart/cd 

 to give in a report upon it. '' The memoir of M. Peron," 

 say they, " seems to us to deserve great attention from phi- 

 losophers : it is written with method, precision, and clear- 

 ness. The experiments, of which the author gives an ac- 

 count, seem to have been made with that care and attention 

 which arc capable of ensuring the exactness of the results 

 which they have furnished. We are therefore of opinion 

 that thismem:)ir deserves the approbaticm and even the 

 praises of the class, and that it ought to be printed amonf 

 those des Saua/i.'i Elrctngers. We will venture to add, tha't 

 this is not the only claim of M. Peron to the gratitude of 

 all those who are fond of the sciences ; his labours durin.o- 

 his voyage will considerably tend to enlarge the boundariel 

 of the natural sciences." 



XXIII. An AiKihjsis of the mngnat'iral Pi/rites; with Re- 

 mark'; on SDtne of (he other Sn/phnrc'ts of Iron. By 

 Charles IIatchhtt, Es(j. F,li.S.* 



§ 1. 



kJp the varloiis metallic sulphurcts which constitute one 

 ot the grand divisions of ores, none appear to be so univer-. 

 sally dispersed throughout the globe as the sulphurct of 



• From the Ttansatiom of tbr Royal Society of London far 1804- 



1 3 irou. 



