296 Mineralogical Journey. 



The Lepidolite of this place seemed to us also very mteresting, 

 from the abundance in which it occurs, the variety of the tints it offers, 

 and the beauty of its imbedded minerals. Little difficulty, I imagine, 

 would be experienced in obtaining pieces one foot in diameter. Its 

 colors go through every possible variety of peach-blossom red from 

 the deepest tint to that which is the palest. Its composition is gran- 

 ular, consisting of imperfect, hexagonal concretions of various sizes, 

 from that of a pepper-corn to a pin's head, which are intimately and 

 confusedly aggregated, often with an intermixture, in the deepest 

 colored specimens, of transparent quartz, — the Lepidolite complete- 

 ly penetrating the quartz. Masses of the last description are broken 

 with the greatest difficulty ; being surpassed in toughness, by no min- 

 eral with which I am acquainted, excepting perhaps nephrite and 

 petalite. This variety I am persuaded would prove exceedingly 

 beautiful if cut and polished ; and must resemble the finest avantu- 

 rines a pluie d^argent. 



Like the Lepidolite of Rozena in Moravia, it contains crystals of 

 Rubellite, which though less abundant, are perhaps more remarkable 

 for their size and delicacy of color. The paler varieties of Lepido- 

 lite, which are more free from quartz, but which contain occa- 

 sional admixtures of Cleavelandite feldspar, afford the most delicate 

 crystals of this mineral. They are tolerably perfect, six or nine si- 

 ded prisms of about one inch in length, and possesed of a very deli- 

 cate rose color. The deeper colored Lepidolite, on the other hand, 

 in those parts where the quartz and feldspar predominate, affords, oc- 

 asionally, large crystalline masses of the same colored Rubellite, one or 

 two inches in diameter, and sometimes in lengthened prisms, inclosing 

 Indicolite of an intense blue color and a somewhat conchoidal fracture. 

 The sea-green colored Tourmaline accompanies, more rarely, the 

 above mentioned varieties ; but none of them occur in pieces sufficient- 

 ly exempt from flaws, or- endued with the requisite transparency to 

 entitle them to the character of gems, like the specimens described 

 in the sequel. 



The Crystallized white Talc, is found in quartzose cavities among 

 the Lepidolite, and coating the larger crystals of green Tourmaline, 

 that occur imbedded in the Mica. To the naked eye, the crystals 

 appear to consist of globular masses ; but under the microscope, they 

 present the aspect of the frustra of two cones, applied base to base, 

 the curved superficies of which are channeled lengthwise. It is so min- 

 ute a mineral as scarcely to attract attention. 



