286 J. W. Mallet—Meteoric Iron from Texas. 
itself, on the opposite side of that stream from the part of the 
Indian Territory at present set apart for the Kiowas, Coman- 
Spirit,” at a point where several converging trails indicated 
periodical visits to the spot. In 1858 or 59 Maj. Neighbors, 
then commanding at Fort Belknap, sent a wagon after the mass, 
and had it brought into the fort. It was thence sent in a gov- 
ernment wagon to San Antonio, and subsequently moved to 
Austin, and there deposited in the old Capitol building, where it 
remained until the destruction of the building by fire some three 
as an irregular, elongated pear-like shape, some- 
what flattened, a good deal larger at one end than the other, with 
tolerably smooth general surface, but with well marked con- 
cavities or shallow pittings—in every way presenting the appear- 
ance of a typical metallic meteorite. There is no well-defined 
crust, but merely a thin, closely adhering film of oxide on 
the surface. There is no appearance of any effect from the Cap!- 
tol fire through which it passed; very probably the weight of 
the mass may have carried it rapidly, on the giving way ° 
the floor, down to some position in the ‘basement in which it 
was sheltered from the heat by masonry rubbish accumulated 
over it. The dimensions of the specimen in its original state 
were— 
Maximum length -...595 millimeters. 
Maximum breadth -..305 “ 
Maximum thickness __ 223 “ 
The weight was a little under 160 kilograms, as determined 
on a rather rough platform balance. 
A piece was cut off one end in order to display the character 
of the interior. Most of the iron was compact, and tolerably 
soft, tough and malleable. Here and there occurred nodules 
The average specific gravity of the whole mass was probably 
pretty fairly represented by that of a slice weighing 204 grams, 
which was found =7°841 at 24° C. 
