668 BEPOKT— 1888. 



rock, -with many scattered white glassy spots up to two millimetres in diameter. 

 There are also many patches of bufl', more spongy-looking rock passing into the 

 surrounding grey mass. Scattered through the stony part are large masses of 

 metallic iron, which in one section is centimetres long by H in the broadest 

 part. From eight to ten grammes of the metal were employed for a search after 

 nickel and cobalt, but only gave faint traces of the former metal. A polished 

 surface etched afforded no signs of Widermanstaten figures. 



There being much doubt in my mind as to whether we had to deal with an 

 artificial product or iron of volcanic or meteoric origin, I thought it safest to place 

 it in the hands of some competent authority, and therefore sent one of the best 

 fragments to Mens. Stanislas Meunier, who kindly promised to investigate the 

 matter. From pressure of more important matters this investigation was delayed 

 nntil last month, when my eminent friend published a short account in ' Le 

 Naturaliste,' April 15, 1888. His chemical researches agree with mine, as also 

 do his microscopical, from which he describes the matrix as ' well-defined crystals 

 enclosed in a vermiculated paste w-hich encloses here and there a few opaque 

 globules ' ; some of the crystals he considers to be oligoclase. There were also 

 very regidar rectangular and rather large hyalin crystals. 



He very justly observes that if this mass is not an artificial product it is of 

 considerable scientific interest. For over two years we had not corresponded, and 

 the appearance of Mons. Meunier's paper rather took me by surprise, for had I 

 known of my friend's intention of publishing his observations, I should have 

 supplied him with further and more recent facts that have come to my knowledge, 

 which to my mind render it very probable that we have to deal with an artificial 

 product. 



Against the supposition of this mass being of artificial origin we have its 

 appearance and structure, which is not at all like what one usually sees amongst 

 slags ; secondly, there are no furnaces in the neighbourhood ; thirdly, the piece is 

 unique of its kind in the locality ; and lastly, its mode and reason of transport were 

 not obvious when I found it. 



During the last two years I have met with, in the same neighbourhood, sand- 

 stone the surface of which is vitrified apparently by artificial heat, besides a mass 

 of ordinary slag enclosing some fragments of half-baked limestone. In the next 

 place I have been able to discover its mode of transport, which is worthy of 

 description, as explaining the occurrence of many other rocks not belonging to 

 Vesuvius, but common in the neighbourhood, such as Piperno, yellow tuff. 

 Travertine, Nocerine tuff, Castellamare limestone, &c., the latter being exceedingly 

 common, and all are more frequently met with in or near quarries of Yesuviaa 

 lava. The iron specimen also was not very far from some of the largest quarries 

 on the mountain. In this neighbourhood all the carts for the transport of paving 

 stones of Vesuvian lava have a frame consisting of two long poles balanced on two 

 high wheels and prolonged into the shafts. 



The carter, after having delivered his load, gets on his cart to ride back to the 

 quarry, and to counterbalance his own weigbt on the front of the cart he plnces 

 one or more stones at the tail about equal to his own weight. He naturally takes 

 what is most handy, hence the great abundance of limestone blocks which are left 

 in heaps along the sides of all the roads for repairing them when required. On 

 the carter's arrival at or near the quarry these ballast stones are thrown away. 

 The presence of these furnace products on the slopes of Vesuvius I account for by 

 their having been brought from the ports of Torre del Greco or Torre Annun- 

 ziata, where probably they had been thrown out from the ballast of some ship. At 

 any rate, it seems justifiable to consider this iron of artificial origin until we have 

 some more substantial grounds for considering such masses of natural origin. 



In conclusion I wish to thank Mons. Stanislas Meunier for the trouble he has 

 taken in the matter, and to express my regret for not having furnished him with 

 further evidence, which I certainly should have done if I had known the matter 

 had not dropped. 



