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



also, the mineral decomposed by the acid was a silicate of mag- 

 nesia and oxide of iron of the composition of olivine, 



3(FeO.MgO)SiO^. 



Of the silicate not decomposed by the nitromuriatic acid, 

 which only amounted to 5 •46 per cent., an analysis was indeed 

 made; but the quantity available for the ]nirpose was too small 

 to give a reliable result. It is very probable, moreover, that the 

 silicate itself had been partly decomposed by the action of the 

 acid. It can only, therefore, be stated that this silicate contains 

 as bases, alumina, magnesia, lime,'protoxide of manganese, pi'ot- 

 oxide of iron, potash, and soda. Its silicic acid amounted to 

 about 44 per cent. 



From what precedes, it may be taken as probable that the 

 Cape meteorite consists of the following compounds : — 



Magnesian iron olivine .... 84'32 



Insoluble silicate 5*46 



Sulphide of iron and nickel . . . 6*94 



Chromate of iron I'll 



Carbon 1-67 



Bituminous matter "25 



Phosphorus, cobalt, copper . . . traces 



9975 



[To this communication Haidinger subjoins the following par- 

 ticular account of the fall of meteoric stones above mentioned.] 



The Cape itself, with its localities and characteristics, has been 

 in a manner brought nearer home to us by means of the Novara 

 expedition. To the north of the district of Worcester, visited by 

 Scherzer, Hochstetter, and Sellcuy, the Warm Bokkeveld, and 

 next to that the Cold Bokkeveld, immediately adjoins. In the 

 last, fifteen miles from Tulbagh and seventy from Capetown, on 

 the 13th of October, 1838, at 9 a.m., the meteoric fall occurred, of 

 which an eye-witness, Mr. George Thompson of Capetown, on the 

 28th of November sent a circumstantial account to Mr. Charles- 

 worth, the editor of the Magazine of Natural History (vol. iii. 

 p. 145). (See Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag. vol. xiv. p. 391.) Pre- 

 vious to that date, on the 25th of November, Thomas Maclear, 

 the highly talented astronomer of the Cape observatory, wrote to 

 Admiral (then Captain) W. H. Smyth, R.N. (memorable in con- 

 nexion with the Novara expedition, for the letters of introduction 

 he gave our travellers to the former gentleman, who received them 

 with so much attention), in the following words : — " I have for- 

 warded to Sir J. Herschel a splendid specimen of a meteor that 

 exploded about 100 miles from Capetown. The whole mass could 

 not be less than four cubic feet. A pretty sort of solidification if 



