34 HOW — ON MINERALOGY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



Soda, 7.21 



Lime, 14.20 



Water, 34.49 



Boracic Acid, [44.10] 



lOO.OO 

 Soon after I had sent an account of the discovery of th^ 

 mineral here to a Nova Scotian newspaper, I received a 

 letter from Mr. George Outrim, Stoke-upou-Trent, Stafford- 

 shire Potteries, in which he made inquiries to which I 

 replied, and a correspondence ensued, the nature of which 

 will appear from a few abridged extracts from Mr. Out- 

 rim's letters, " June 16th, 1857. — I take the liberty to ask. 

 what this mineral is, as I see it contains boracic acid to the- 

 amount of 40 per cent. As this district, the seat of the pottery 

 trade, is by far the largest consumer of this article either as an 

 acid or as borax, and as its present price makes it an. exceed- 

 ingly heavy article in, our trade, any prospect of an additional 

 source will be looked tc with anxious interest. I presume it i& 

 a borate of lime, if so, it would not be so valuable for our puv- 

 pose, but if the acid could be separated, or it could be convert- 

 ed into borax on the spot, it wauld be doubtless very valuable ; 

 if the supply should prove abuudant it would be a great pity 

 that so rare a substance should rest unused." *' Sept. 21st, 

 1857. — Your mineral contains nearly the same amount of acid 

 as a specimen of the same in my possession from South America, 

 There has latterly been a large importation of borates into thi& 

 district, and more of the manufacturers- have been induced to 

 use it in this state, so that, although in the state of borax it is 

 more generally used, it can be now pretty readily sold in the 

 state of borate of lime. Of course it is not so valuable in this 

 latter condition, and the current price in this market has lately 

 been such that it should be delivered in Liverpool free of 

 charges at about £20. May I ask you to send me about an 

 ounce to make such a trial of it as will enable me to judge if it 

 be suitable for pottery." The late discoveries of borax in Cali- 

 fornia must have materially altered the value of borates if the com- 

 pany working them can " place borax in London cheaper tlian it 



