326 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



When well managed, it has all the beautiful ap- 

 pearance of gold in powder. 



To make it, amalgamate twelve parts of the 

 purest tin with three parts of mercury. The amal- 

 gam must then be triturated in a stone mortar with 

 seven parts of flowers of sulphur, and three parts of 

 sal ammoniac. The mixture is then put into a 

 matrass, and the whole is exposed to a gentle sand 

 heat, until no more white fumes arise. When, 

 upon this, the heat is somewhat raised, cinnabar 

 sublimes, together with some oxygenated muriate 

 of tin ; while, at the same time, the remaining tin 

 unites with the remaining sulphur, and forms the 

 aurum musivum, exhibiting a golden yellow and 

 flakey or scaley matter, of a metallic lustre. 



The main point in this process is the proper re- 

 gulation of the fire : when this is too strong, the 

 operation does not succeed j and instead of aurum 

 musivum, common sulphuret of tin is obtained. 



To make an Artificial Volcano, 



For this curious experiment, which in some re- 

 spects resembles the effect of volcanoes, we are 

 indebted to Lemery. 



Mix equal parts of pounded sulphur and iron- 

 filings, and having formed the whole into a paste 

 with water, bury a quantity of it, forty or fifty 

 pounds, for example, at about the depth of a foot 

 below the surface of the earth. In ten or twelve 

 hours afterwards, if the weather be warm, the 

 earth will swell up and burst, and flames will issue 

 out, which will enlarge the aperture, scattering 

 around a yellow and blackish dust. 



It is not impossible, that what is here seen in 

 miniature, takes place on a grand scale in volca- 



