Correspondence — Mr. J. li. Gregory. 531 



perienced naturalists in eleven large areas and sea-bottoms. The 

 study of tlieso mens' labours must be tlie interpretation and re- 

 velation of nearly closed basins, long shores, and open sea dredg- 

 ings, with their treasures and results. — R.E. 



(7b be continued.) 



coI^I^Es:po^^x):ET^^CE, 



I.— NEW METEORITE FIIOM SOUTH AFRICA, Etc., Etc. 



Sir, — During a recent visit to South Africa I was staying a few days 

 at Colesberg, some 600 miles up the country, when I accidently heard 

 from a trader, who had just returned from some distance beyond the 

 Great Orange Eiver, that Captain Nicolas Waterboer, the Griqua 

 chief, had a meteoric stone. Now, it is frequently the case when 

 you hear of an aerolite in this manner, that some considerable doubt 

 arises as to whether it really is a true meteorite or an imagined one ; 

 however, as I was now on my way up the country in that direction, 

 I took note of the report and resolved to satisfy myself as to its 

 being a genuine one. 



After three weeks or more, on my arrival in Griqua town, I 

 found out that the report of this stone was quite correct, and I ob- 

 tained the following particulars from the Eev. James Good, the Mis- 

 sionary at Griqua Town. It was brought to him on or about the 1st 

 of April this year by a Griqua who saw it fall near his hut on 

 March 20, 1868, who said it smelt strong of sulphur, and was wann 

 when he picked it up. It fell at Daniels Kuil, in Griqua territory, 

 about two days journey N.N.E. of Griqua Town, and was brought 

 into the town by the native who saw it fall and who offered it to 

 Mr. Good, who, not being much interested in it, told the man to 

 take it home again with him ; the man, however, gave it to Cap- 

 tain Waterboer from whom I obtained it. 



This meteorite is of small size, weighing only 2 lbs. 5 oz. and was 

 the only one seen to fall. It contains a very large amount of free 

 iron disseminated evenly through it, together with Troilite, Schreiber- 

 site, etc. This stone contains more iron than any other I have seen, 

 but in a very fine state of division. It is of a dark greyish colour 

 with a fine granular texture, speckled with small brown patches, 

 owing to the alteration of the iron present ; most of the iron seen on 

 the broken surface of the interior of the stone is in extremely minute 

 points, which glitter like the broken surface of a piece of sandstone. 

 Frequently in meteoric stones there appears to be small roundish 

 grains, sometimes so abundant as to give the stone an Oolitic cha- 

 racter ; this is not apparent in this specimen. 



The crust on the outer surface is of a dull blackish colour, and im- 

 mediately below, for a thickness of perhaps one-eighth of an inch, the 

 stone is browner in colour than the rest of the interior, owing to 

 partial alteration. When this aerolite came into my hands it was 

 broken into two parts, and the fractured surfaces were very much 

 altered, the iron being much oxidised, thus rendering the stone much 

 browner than at a fresh fracture. 



