Prof. Wohler on the Composition of the Cape Meteorite. 215 



we get 1*3 per cent, nickel, 3*14 sulphur, and 2*50 iron, for 6*94 

 of the compound, the small diffei-ence between the amount of 

 sulphur thus calculated and that actually found being explicable 

 on the ground of the presence of a small quantity of a sulphate 

 of some kind. Hot water, indeed, actually extracts some sul- 

 phate of magnesia ; and the solution obtained by means of mu- 

 riatic acid gave indications of the presence of sulphuric acid. 



Mr. Harris made three analyses of the stone — the first with 

 carbonate of soda and potash, the second with hydrofluoric, and 

 third with nitromuriatic acid — from which it appeared that the 

 stone contained 5*46 of silicate insoluble in the latter acid. 

 These analyses gave the following bodies as component parts 

 of the stone. (The composition of the Kaba stone is subjoined, 

 in order to show the great similarity between the two.) 



Cape stone. Kaba stone. 



Carbon .1-67 0-58 



Bituminous matter . . . 0-25 not determined 



Iron 2-50 2-88 



Nickel 1-30 1-37 



Sulphur 3-38 1-42 



SiUcic acid 30-80 34-24 



Protoxide of iron .... 29-94 27-41 



Magnesia 22-20 22-19 



Lime 1-70 0-66 



Alumina 2-05 5-38 



Oxide of chrome .... 0-76 0-61 



Potash and soda .... 1-23 0-30 



Protoxide of manganese . . 0-97 0-05 



Copper . ._ 0-03 001 



Cobalt 

 Phosphorus 



The amount of metallic iron present could not be directly 

 ascertained, but was calculated on the foregoing hypothesis. 

 The total quantity of oxide of iron which analysis detected 

 answered to 33-15 per cent, protoxide, from which 3-21 per cent, 

 was deducted, and in its place metallic iron calculated to the 

 extent of 2-5 per cent. 



By means of the nitromuriatic acid, chiefly iron and mag- 

 nesia were dissolved out of the stone, with only a small quantity 

 of lime, alumina, and protoxide of manganese. After subtrac- 

 tion of the iron, which was considered as belonging to the sul- 

 phide of nickel and iron, it appeared that the oxygen of the 

 silicic acid (amounting to 28-22 per cent.) which hud been com- 

 bined with the protoxide of iron and magnesia, was nearly equal 

 to the oxygen of these bases; and that therefore, in tliis case 



traces traces 



