532 APPENDIX. 



such masses of tlie region, it had no adhering portion of rock or 

 vein stone, from which a judgment might be formed of its origi- 

 nal position. 



I had, the prior year, set up my mineralogical cabinet in my 

 office, and stated to the Indians, who roved over large tracts, my 

 solicitude to collect specimens of the mineral productions of the 

 country of every description, and, indeed, of its zoology, always 

 acknowledging their comity, in bringing me specimens in any 

 department of natural history, by some small present ; and I 

 found this to be a means of extending my inquiries. 



Subsequently, I received a boulder specimen from the shores of 

 Lake Huron, containing veins of native silver. Part of the 

 metal had been detached. I submitted these specimens to the 

 Lyceum of Natural History at New York, in 1825, The follow- 

 ing remarks are taken from their annals. 



Mineralogical and Chemical Characters. — By examining this mine- 

 ral, it will be perceived to possess the color, lustre, malleability, 

 and other obvious characters of native silver. It is so soft as to be 

 easily cut by the knife ; and in a state of. purity which permits it 

 to spread under the hammer. These characters serve to distin- 

 guish it from antiraonial silver, which is not malleable ; from native 

 antimony which tarnishes on exposure, &c. The metal occurs in 

 thin, massive veins in the rock. These veins sometimes intersect, 

 but never cross each other. It is also disseminated in small par- 

 ticles through the stone, or spread in flattened masses over its 

 surface. Some of these masses were detached by the discoverer, 

 but have been preserved, and are presented to the Lyceum with 

 the more solid and undisturbed portions. 



By submitting a small portion of the metal to the action of 

 nitric acid, I obtained an imperfect solution. On repeating the 

 experiment, and adding a little sulphuric acid, the action was more 

 brisk, and a clear and apparently perfect solution effected. By 

 standing, however, a pulpy, white precipitate appeared at the bot- 

 tom of the glass. This was collected and submitted to the action 

 of the blowpipe, on a basis of charcoal. The result gave a num- 

 ber of minute, metallic globules, possessing greater lustre, mallea- 

 bility, and ductility, than the original mass. I repeated the latter 

 experiment, adding to the nitro-sulphuric solution muriate of soda. 

 A more perfect precipitation of the white powder was effected : 

 but the results with the blowpipe remained the same. 



