76 URANIUM, ANTIMONY, CHROMIUM, &c. 



laston had discovered, no definite compound or 

 crystallizable salt seemed to be formed. Neither 

 could I succeed in saturating an alkali with it, 

 by boiling it in an alkaline ley, although I con- 

 tinued the process for several weeks. 



The alkaline ley employed was a weak solu- 

 tion of caustic soda. The solution was at length 

 decanted offj and, being concentrated on the 

 sand bath, was set aside for 24 hours. Next 

 morning a number of crystals were deposited ; 

 they were white, had a most beautiful silky 

 lustre, and the form of scales similar to boracic 

 acid. Mr. Hatchett had formed similar crys- 

 tals, with potash and columbic acid ; but neither 

 Dr. Wollaston nor Professor Berzelius obtained 

 any crystallizable salt in their experiments. 



I found, likewise, that I could obtain similar 

 crystals, by concentrating the solution formed 

 by digesting water on a mixture of 1 part co- 

 lumbic acid and 6 parts anhydrous carbonate of 

 soda, fused in a platinum crucible. 



Coiumbate 3. Columbate of soda, as these crystals may 

 be called, had an alkaline taste, and rendered 

 cudbear paper purple ; but the salt contained no 

 excess of soda : for neither the taste nor the 

 power of acting on cudbear paper was altered by 

 digesting the salt in alcohol. When water was 

 poured on these crystals, they assumed at first 

 the appearance of beautiful silky flocks, but gra- 

 dually dissolved. It will be worth while to 



