Dr. West's Accomil of Gay Head. 149 



in his letter^ that "we found hard heavy pieces of matter, 

 sparlding with small granuhitcd particles of a white colour 

 imhedded therein." Judging that this suhstanco from its sj)C- 

 eifick gravity^ must contain in it something metallick, I 

 determined to suhmit it to a chemical analysis. AYitli this 

 yiew, having reduced some of it to powder^ I went to a 



r 



goldsmith, and desired liim to assist me ia examining tLis 

 substance. The matter being put into a crucible with some 

 saltpetre, in a moderate heat, we perceived a siilplmrious 

 smell. We raised at length a pretty strong red heat. ^A 

 strong smell of sulphur continvied, until it was succeeded by 

 a pretty strong arsenical smell. When we had driven off 

 all the sulphurious and arsenical fumes, wc found nothing 

 left but a little black cinder. Upon this I concluded, that 

 the sulphur and arsenick had volatilized all the metallick 

 parts. I then took the matter being reduced to powder, 

 and having w^ashed away the earthy and strong part, I sub- 

 mitted the residuum for some hours to a gentle torrefaction. 

 Judging that I had sufficiently volatilized the sulphur and 

 arsenick, I took the matter and put it into a crucible with 

 some salt petre and tartar; and after having kept it a con- 

 siderable time in a strong red heat, the matter was taken 

 out, and we found a metallick button in the bottom of the 

 crucible. The lower part of the button w%as somewhat 



whitish in appearance; and the upper part, of a reddish 

 hue. It soon tarnished in the air, and became all over a 



colour. It was hard and very brittle, not having the 

 least deo-ree of malleability in it. The quantity was 



y 



ab 



a fifth of the matter, which we put into the crucible. I 



judsce 



