fluor Spar, ire. in Ohio. 53 



and a few miles below where the Wabash joins the Ohio. 

 The fluor forms the gangue of a lead vein, and we have pieces 

 in which the lead and fluor are intimately blended. The lead 

 ore is the common galena, or sulphuret, with abroad, foliated, 

 or laminated fracture, and a high degree of metallic splendour. 

 We reduced it to the metallic state, and it yielded a large pro- 

 duct of very soft lead. On dissolving it in nitric acid, and ap- 

 plying the muriatic acid till precipitation ceased, the precipi- 

 tate formed was all redissohed by boiling water ; nor, when 

 submitted to cupellation did the lead leave any thing upon the 

 cupel. We, therefore, conclude that it contained no appre- 

 ciable quantity of silver. It is said to be very abundant at 

 Shawnee Town. 



The fluor spar is very beautiful. Its colours, chiefly, 

 very deep purple and violet ; but still highly translucent ; one 

 specimen was entirely limpid. Both kinds, when thrown in 

 coarse powder, on a red-hot shovel, in a dark place, phospho- 

 resced, and the violet specimens in a very striking manner. 

 Of the violet kind, we have a specimen nearly as large as a 

 man's fist, which is perfectly pure and sound, and appears to 

 have been a single crystal ; the natural faces and angles were 

 unfortunately obliterated by grinding on a common grindstone. 

 We have others which are decidedly crystals of perfect regu- 

 larity ; cubes, and passages between the cube and octahedron. 

 In some of the specimens, the disposition of colours, and the 

 transmission of light is such as to show very clearly that the 

 octahedron lies in the centre, as the nucleus or primitive 

 form. 



The size and beauty of the specimens, and the abundance 

 of this mineral near Shawnee Town, (provided there is no 

 mistake in the case) clearly entitle this to be considered as the 

 most interesting American locality of this beautiful mineral. 

 Measures have been taken to investigate the subject more 

 fully, and to obtain a supply of specimens. 



Quartz crystals appear to abound at the same place, beside* 

 various other minerals. 



