MINERAL from GREENLAND. 375 



fulphate of potafh, mot into cryftals of alum. It was therefore 

 alumina, and amounted to 4.14 grains. 



3. The yellow matter which refufed to diffolve in the pot- 

 afh-ley, was mixed with nitric acid. An effervefcence took 

 place, but the liquid remained muddy, till it was expofed to 

 heat, when a clear reddifh-brown folution was effected. This 

 folution was evaporated to drynefs, and kept for a few minutes 

 in the temperature of about 400 , to peroxidize the iron, and 

 render it infoluble. A fufficient quantity of water was then 

 poured on it, and digefted on it for half-an-hour, on the fand- 

 bath. The whole was then thrown upon a filtre. The dark 

 red matter which remained on the filtre, was drenched in oil, 

 and heated to rednefs, in a covered crucible. It was then 

 black, and attracted by the magnet ; but had not exactly the 

 appearance of oxide of iron. It weighed 42.4 grains. 



4. The liquid which pafled through the filtre, had not the 

 fweet tafte which I expected, but a flightly bitter one, fimilar 

 to a weak folution of nitrate of lime. Hence it was clear, that 

 no yttria was prefent, as there ought to have been, had 

 the mineral contained that earth. This liquid being mixed 

 with carbonate of ammonia, a white powder precipitated, 

 which, after being dried in a red heat, weighed 17 grains. It 

 diffolved in acids with effervefcence ; the folution was precipi- 

 tated white by oxalate of ammonia, but not by pure ammonia. 

 When diflblved in fulgmuric acid, and evaporated to drynefs, a 

 light white matter remained, taftelefs, and hardly foluble in 

 water. Thefe properties indicate carbonate of lime. Now, 17 

 grains of carbonate of lime are equivalent to about 9.23 grains 

 of lime.. 



r* 



. From 



