TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. ^91 



of metallic nickel ; and as I am not aware that nickel is a commonly occurring 

 impurity in lead, or, indeed, tliat if has been found in commercial lead before, I take 

 this opportunity of recording the residts of the analysis which was made by me of 

 the sample referred to. 



The composition of the sample analyzed was as follows : — 



Lead :.;.;;;.;.;.: ...;.... 82-75 



Antimony 10-86 



Nickel .' 5-20 



Iron -86 



Loss, including traces of ai-senic .... -33 



100-00 



It will be obsei-yed that the above is a highly impure specimen of lead ; for, besides 

 the nickel which gives to it its present interest, the sample contains nearly 11 per 

 cent, of antimon3^ The physical properties of the lead were such as to show, even 

 previous to the analysis, that the sample was verj' impure. When attempting to 

 divide a portion with an iron chisel, the piece broke with a highly ci-ystalline frac- 

 ture, and was not cut or beateu out by hammering like ordinary lead. The brittle- 

 ness of the alloy is, no doubt, much more due to the antimony than to the nickel, 

 but the latter probably assists in communicating this property to the metal. The 

 specific gravity of this lead is 9-95, while that of pure lead is 11-4. Again, as nickel 

 has a specific gravity of 8-8, and antimony of 6-8, the low density of the alloy is 

 easily accounted for. 



The source of the ore from which the metal was obtained I could not discover, 

 further than that the lead is of German manufacture, which so far explains the pre- 

 sence of such a large proportion of nickel. The lead can scarcely be used for the 

 ordinary applications of that metal ; but the large percentage of antimony would 

 probably recommend it in the mannfactm-e of type-metal. 



Ohemical E.ramiwtt'wn of a Hot Sprinij in Wheal CJiffonl, Cornwall. 

 By Professor W. A. Miller, M.B., Treas. U.S. 

 In the course of conversation with Sir C. Lyell a few months ago, he men- 

 tioned to me the occurrence of a remarkably powerful hot spring, at a gi-eat depth, 

 in one of the Cornish mines, no detailed examination of which liad hithei-to been 

 made. The interest of such an examination was obvious, and it was arranged that 

 a supply of the water should be forwarded to me for analysis. 

 _ "\yheal Cliflbrd is a copper mine near Itedruth in Cornwall. The lode, con- 

 sistingof a porous pjTites, runs east and west, and the spring comes out in a fissure 

 at the junction of the el van or granitic poi-phyry with the killas or clay-slate ; the 

 mass of the lode, however, exists in the clay-slate itself. Mr. H. Davey, by whose 

 kindness the water was obtained, estimated the flow of the spriug roughly at 

 about 150 gallons per minute. It occurs in the 2;30-fathom level, at a depth of 

 about 220 fathoms, of 1320 feet below the sea. The water comes out at a tempera- 

 ture of 125° F., the temperature of the air in that part of the mine being 110- at 

 the time that the water was collected. The water is nearly clear, but becomes 

 turbid on standing, and deposits a scanty ochreous sediment. It has a strong 

 saline taste, and when boiled does not give any fm". The gaseous components 

 were the following at 60° F., and 30 inches bar. : — 



I Cubic inclies. 



Total gas in cubic inches in 1 imperial gallon .... 8-91 

 Consisting of — 



Carbonic acid 1-89 r 



Oxygen 1-72 



Nitrogen 5-30 



Ratio of oxygen to nitrogen 1:3 



Specific gra\ity 1-007 



The saline constiti;ents were foimd, by evaporation, to amount to 646-1 grains per 

 imperial gallon, consisting of— 



3« 



