A. A. Hayes on Native Iron from Liberia. 157 
_ the microscope showed no carbon, by this, the most certain and 
- delicate mode of testing known to me. 
The slab of iron had lost 26-60 grains, The partly ferrugi- 
‘hous solution, decomposed by hydrosulphuric acid, evaporated 
and calcined, afforded traces of lime and soda; which in every 
tase have been found to result from the solution of this iron. 
These bases had been united to the flock of silicic acid and they 
had increased the deposition of the copper, above the amount 
equivalent to the iron. 
_ _ -Redneed to per cent proportions, 100 parts of this slab con- 
- Sisted of 
Pure iron, = - - Sib ai ae f50 Be 98-87 
Quartz, iron ore and silicate, —- 1-13 
Another slip from the centre of the mass more nearly an aver- 
age, afforded in 100 parts, 
: ure irou, - e: + 3 - 98-40 
Quartz crystals, magnetic iron ore and : 1°60 
silicate of soda and lime, 
1 . 
These little slabs which had formed the positive electrodes, 
had not disengaged a bubble of gas, which always occurs wher 
the metals of alkaline bases are alloyed. They also exhibited in 
their substance, the cavities which had contained the mineral 
bodies found. 
_ I was desirous of making some comparative experiments, on a 
Specimen of iron having the characters of native iron, as distin- 
guished from meteoric iron. My friend, Prof. B. Silliman, Jr., 
Kindly supplied me with two slips from the specimen, well known 
as having been found at Canaan, Conn. He expressed to meat 
the time a doubt, respecting the certainty of this mass being na-— 
ive iron, Roe fee. 
_ On subjecting a slip to analysis by electrolysis, it broke u 
‘ron, iron and carbon and pure graphite. Reduced to 
Proportions, — : 
Pure iron, aE Os ee ee oe. 
_ Carbon, z z = “ Jee ao 
Tron from carbon, -  -_ 
Sanne, ee ee 
