286 Scientific Intelligence. 



This discovery is of great importance to the arts and to the Turkish 

 government, which proposes exploring the mine. 



In quitting the locality of chrome, and going northeast, I traversed 

 in several places the serpentine containing veins of carbonate of mag- 

 nesia, quite pure ; and this occurs until we arrive at the plains of Es- 

 kihi-sher. It is from different parts of this plain that comes the meer- 

 schaum most esteemed in the arts. Its geological position is very dif- 

 ferent from what I had expected. The plain in which it is found is a 

 deposit of drift; a valley filled up with the debris of the neighboring 

 mountains, consolidated by lime in which I found no fossils. 



The meerschaum is found in this drift in masses more # or less 

 rounded, the other pebbles are fragments of magnesian and horn- 

 blende rocks. 



I have examined with care the neighboring mountains which sur- 

 round the plain, and have found that the rocks are of the same nature 

 as the pebbles in the plain, except those of the meerschaum ; but on 

 the other hand, I found carbonate of magnesia in the mountains which 

 is not to be found in the plains. And this makes me suppose that the 

 meerschaum owes its origin to the carbonate of magnesia of the moun- 

 tains, decomposed after its separation by water containing silica. 



If this supposition be true, we should naturally find meerschaum 

 which not being completely altered, contains the carbonate of magnesia. 

 A chemical examination of several specimens has served to establish 



this fact. I have the honor to send you a specimen taken at the depth 

 of ten feet — and if you desire to make the experiment yourself, put a 

 small piece of the specimen, well cleaned, in hydrochloric acid, you 

 will have immediately an effervescence which will continue for some 

 time ; the piece will not change its form, it only absorbes the acid ; the 

 solution will be found to contain chlorid of magnesium nearly pure. 

 Another proof that the meerschaum probably owes its origin to the car- 

 bonate of magnesia is, that I have found attached to the meerschaum, 

 serpentine similar to that found in contact with the carbonate of mag- 

 nesia of the mountains. 



The meerschaum of Eskihi-sher differs completely from several 

 other specimens that I have seen coming from the localities and which 

 exist in the fissures of rocks — it is certain that the quality of the first 

 is most esteemed. 



4. Axinite in Maine.— Dr. T. N. True says in a letter to one of the 

 Editors, " I have a good and well defined specimen of axinite in crys- 

 tallized quartz from the town of Wales, Me. ; but although the quartz is 

 in place I could find but a single specimen of this rare mineral. 



5. Copper of the Lake Superior Region, (from a recent letter by C. 

 T. Jackson.) — The naiive copper mines of this region are truly wonder- 

 ful, both for the quantities that are exposed in the mines and the mag- 

 nitude of the masses of native metal. Truly they are copper veins. 

 I have seen the most noble lumps in place, and one has lately been 

 blown off in stoping in the Cliff mine, Eagle river, that will weigh 

 fifty tons ! It is now cutting up into pieces of two or three tons weight, 

 so that it may be sent to market. The supply furnished by that mine 

 is as regular as it is in most mines furnishing ore. This spring the 

 miners had four hundred tons on hand, and they have sent down to 



