‘Major Delafield and Dr. Bigsby, &c. == 279. 
as sehen ~ the Sulphate of Strontian of Lake Erie and Dev 
trott, River. 
* Extract ae a letter to the Editor from Major Delafield. 
a a November 12th, 1821. 
Dear_Sir, 
‘Ihave the widest to “pee you't two specimens — Hi 
Sulphate: of Strontian, from Strontian Island, Lake Erie. 
The one, a large crystal* of the bluish white variety, in parts 
transparent and iridescent, and having its termination per- 
fect. ‘The other the foliated and fibrous variety. . I also. 
send you its gangue, or apiece of the lime stone, snveieh 
the Strontian is found. 
“Is not this lime stone like the lime stone used in the ma- 
sonry. of the canal of this State as a water-proof cement? .1 
take for granted you have seen the stone thus used.. The 
lime stone of the west. end of Lake Erie, and the Detroit 
River, is generally like the specimen forwarded... I have 
made no experiments, but their external characters are so very. 
similar, that the suggestion readily occurs. When the Lake 
Erie lime stone is not impregnated with Strontian, its specif- 
iC gravity seems to agiee: with the water-proof cement. lime 
stone in question. 
The Sulphate of: Sinan is from a small Island near ne 
well-known: Put-in-Bay <Island, Lake Erie, and from-a lo- 
cality first noticed by myself and party in 1820. -Circum- 
stances: then required, that no delay should. happen. to my 
voyage through the Lake, and we left this interesting dis- 
covery, without opportunity to explore to my satisfaction, its 
extent or character. Some one of the party had, however, 
noticed every variety ; and were spectively procured exceed~ 
ingly fine specimens. This visit has enabled the gentle- 
men who accompanied me, to give a just description of the 
locality as far’as\ it was then known, and the accounts. that 
have met my eye are substantially correct. > ..~» 
During the past summer I revisited the place, and had 
leisure to explore it. The vein is in a perpendicular cliff of 
lime stone, about fifty feet high, and mid way between its 
base and summit. The vein as now exposed, commences 
with a thickness of four feet, extends about fifty feet, nedrly 
* Five inches in diameter in its extreme dimensions and two thick.—Ep 
