Meyer on Nephrite from Alaska. 3YY 



Brazil. Axes from both these countries have been men- 

 tioned by Prof. Arzruni (Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie, 1883, 

 p. 482), who has since informed me that the Brazilian axe 

 represents a type of nephrite so far unknown, from which 

 that of the Yenezuela axe again differs." 



The latter part of Prof. Meyer's paper relates to a white 

 or grey mineral which has been referred to as 'jade,' but 

 which proves to be pectolite. His remarks on this subject 

 may be summarized as follows : — 



The rough mineral from Alaska reported on by Mr. 

 Baird, and previously alluded to, proved to be neither 

 nephrite nor jadeite, but pectolite. Specimens altogether 

 unworked, were not found, but so many that were only 

 partly worked that there can be no doubt of their local 

 origin. Small pieces of a rolled boulder, which had been 

 used as a hammer for breaking bones, and which was ob- 

 tained at Point Barrow, behave chemically in just the 

 same way as pectolite from Bergenhill, New Jersey. Both 

 were decomposed by acids, after heating to redness and 

 gelatinised. The composition approaches the formula (Ca, 



m 2 , h 2 ) si o 3 . 



Capt. Jacobson also collected many implements of the 

 same mineral in the region between Kotzebue Sound and 

 Cape Barrow, and also in the tundra, between the rivers 

 Kosksquim and Yukon. Most are cylindrical hammers, 

 some as long as 20 cm. with a diameter of 8 cm. 



Colour sometimes turning to neutral gray in spots that 

 are also much less translucent. Hardness near that of 

 quartz (7), greater than usual in pectolite (4-5). Also 

 abnormal in not being dissolved in acids with separation 

 of silica of jelly-like consistence; but in these two pecu- 

 liarities, agreeing with pectolite from Knockdolian, Scot- 

 land. Optical qualities and cleavage normal. 



The mineral is said, by the natives from Kotzebue Sound 

 to Cape Barrow, to be obtained in the mountain chain 

 which extends along that coast; one particular locality 

 being the side of a mountain about twenty-five miles from 

 Nulato, on the Yukon, another on one of the streams 

 flowing into Kotzebue Sound, where a vein, or perhaps 

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