MINERALS FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. W? 



one, I believe, discovered — iu the form of a small string in white semi- - 

 opaque quartz. The quartz does not appear to contain the slightest 

 speck of galena, nor any other substance, except a small quantity of 

 specular iron ore ; and the unaltered appearance of the latter is such 

 as to preclude the supposition of the lead having been derived from 

 galena, or other lead compound, by artificial heat. Before coming to 

 my hands, the specimen had been examined by Mr. T. "W. Herrick,- 

 whose extensive surveys and explorations in this region are so well- 

 known, and by him it was looked upon as metallic lead.* My expe-"- 

 riments fully confirm this determination. The lead, when cut, pre-- 

 sents the ordinary colour, softness, and ductility of the pure metal. 

 The sp. gr. cannot be properly taken, on account of the very small 

 quantity at command, the larger portion of the lead having been used 

 up before the specimen came into ray possession. Tested by the blow- 

 pipe, however, the substance melts readily, and volatilizes ; imparting 

 a blue tint to the flame-border, and forming a yellow ring of oxide on. 

 the charcoal. The fused globule is perfectly malleable. On the cu- 

 pel, it becomes entirely oxidized and absorbed, without leaving a trace 

 of silver. The cupel-stain, when cold, is of a clear yellow colour, 

 shewing the absence of copper, nickel, &c. The nitric acid solution- 

 yields with reagents the ordinary reactions of lead-oxide. The sub- 

 stance is distinguished from galena by its ductility, and by yielding 

 no sulphur-reaction with carb-soda before the blowpipe. From Bis- 

 muth, also, it is distinguished by its perfect malleability, as well as by 

 the blue colour which it imparts to the outer border of the blowpipe 

 flame. As a further test, it may be stated that a small cutting placed 

 in a solution of bismuth in nitric acid, produces a black arborescent 

 precipitate of that metal. 



This discovery is interesting, not only from the extreme rarity 

 of Native Lead, but from the fact, also, that in the few - 

 undoubted European localities in which the metal has been found, 

 the latter is generally accompanied by gold. The quartz in which the 

 Lake Superior specimen occurs, has, curiously enough, the somewhat 

 waxy aspect and other characters, more easily recognised than described, 

 of the gold-bearing quartz of California and other auriferous districts 5 



* 1 have been indebted to Mr. Henick, from lime to time, for many interesting 

 specimens of Can.idian minerals, obtained during his .irduous tsploralions ou the 

 north Bhores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior; and, I take this opportunity to 

 bear testimony to his good knoAvledge of minerals generally. 



