of a Mass of Native Iron in Brasil. 421 



wrought iron generally is ; and in a damp atmosphere a hqiiid 

 oozes out from the crevices. . 



I repaired to the spot where the mass was discovered, namely 

 on a rising- ground on the left bank of the river Bendego, and 

 caused the soil and gravel to be removed until we came to the 

 bed described in the government documents. We found it at 

 less than three feet depth. I had expected to find in it a con- 

 siderable protuberance, such as might have fitted the cavity un- 

 derneath the mass of iron, for I was convinced that the block 

 itself must have been firmly attached to the bed, otherwise it 

 would not have required such a considerable power to turn it on 

 its side. 



However, I did not ; and thinking that we were not exactly 

 on the s))ot, I caused two trenches to be opened down to the bed, 

 and crossing each other, the one being between two and three 

 yards long, and the other between one and two. Every part of 

 the bed that was micovered was perfectly flat and horizontal, 

 except where we dug first ; there it was broken, and, according 

 to the statement of La Mota Botelho, that was done when the 

 block was removed. 



I found no termination to the bed in the directions of the 

 trenches, and at the spot where the mass had lain, it was about 

 one foot thick, or hardly so much ; but at one end of the longer 

 trench, not above three inches. I did not break through it any 

 where else. Nearly the same loose gravel appears underneath 

 the bed as over it. I brought away specimens of the bed, whicii 

 I considered extremely curious, supposing them to contain 

 nickel. On mv return to England I told you, therefore, that I 

 hoped I had found iron ore containing nickel; for I thought that 

 tile bed, on which had rested the mass, was one of those of 

 which there are so mauv all over the province. But as 1 gave 

 you some specimens, I will not describe it. 



The surface of the soil, or rather coarse gravel, at the spot, is 

 about ten or fifteen feet abo%'e the main granite rock of the 

 country. 



I can only give you an approximation of the latitude and lon- 

 gitude of the place. The sun was much too high at noon to 

 take its altitude with a sextant and mercurial horizon ; and the 

 artificial liori/.on, wliicli I had been compelled to construct my- 

 self, occasioned such a lo'<s of light, as to make it impossible to 

 observe the southern stars for determining the latitude. Dif- 

 ferent altitudes of the sun at a distance from the meridian, did 

 not give me satisfactorv results. I had with me an excellent 

 watch, and having computed the latitude to be about 10' 20' S. 

 J concluded the longitude to be 33' 15" W. of Baliia, after 

 making every allowance, and comparing this result with those 

 D d 3 obtained 



