HUTTONIAN THEORY. 



59 



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tainly not at all, if that menftruum is nothing 

 elfe than water. The metals, therefore, when 

 mineralized by fulphur, give no countenance to 

 the hypotheiis of aqueous folution ; and ftill lefs 

 do they give any when they are found native, as 

 it is called, that is, malleable, pure and uncom- 

 bined with any other fubftance. The great maf- 

 fes of native iron found in Siberia and South 

 America are well known ; and nothing certain- 

 ly can lefs referable the produ6ts of a chemical 

 precipitation. Gold, however, the moft perfed of 

 the metals, is found native moll frequently ; the 

 others more rarely, in proportion nearly to the fa- 

 cility of their combination with fulphur. Of all 

 fuch fpecimens it may be fafely affirmed, that if 

 they have ever been fluid, or even foft, they mull 

 have been fo by the a6lion of heat ; for, to fup- 

 pofe that a metal has been precipitated, pure and 

 uncorabined from any menllruum, is to trefpafs 

 againll all analogy, and to maintain a phylical 

 impoffibility. But it is certain, that many of 

 the native metals have once been in a Hate of 

 foftnefs, becaufe they bear on them impreffions 

 v/hich they could not have received but when 

 they" were foft. Thus, gold is often imprelTed 

 by quartz and other Hones, which Hill adhere 

 to it, or are involved in it. Specimens of quartz, 

 containing gold and filver {hooting through 



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