348 COHAHUILA (MEXICO) METEORITES. 



causing a ringing sound like silver. He dismounted, and was 

 confirmed in his opinion of silver, and took away a piece ten 

 or twelve pounds in weight, which he carried to Santa Eosa to 

 sell. I have received from various sources information relative 

 to this meteor, and all confirm me in the opinion that the au- 

 tumn of 1837 is about the time of its fall. My party were in 

 considerable danger while in the mountains, as we were en- 

 camped two miles from the regular trail when some three 

 hundred Indians went through with a large number of their 

 stolen horses." 



Whether or not the time above specified is that of the fall 

 of one or more of these irons is a matter of little moment; the 

 probabilities are, however, strongly in favor of it; nevertheless, 

 it forms one of the most interesting groupings of meteoric irons 

 known in any part of the world, especially as the masses are 

 solid and compact, and not fragile and half stony, as the 

 Atacama iron, that may have been broken artificially after its 

 fall, and the fragments scattered by Indians and explorers in 

 search of silver. Each one of these masses merits a separate 

 examination, which I hope to be able to give, sooner or later, 

 to satisfy my mind on one or two points connected with their 

 common physical structure and chemical composition. But I 

 will not delay this paper until then. 



Six of these masses have been brought to this country, 

 weighing respectively 290, 430, 438, 550, 580, and 654 pounds. 

 They are irregular compact masses, without any evidence of 

 stony minerals. They belong to the softer irons, not very diffi- 

 cult to cut with the saw; as yet there has been but about one 

 ounce detached from one of the masses, which has enabled me 

 to make out the following description Specific gravity 7.692. 

 It contains 



Iron 92.95 



Nickel 6.62 



Cobalt 48 



Phosphorus .02 



Copper, very minute quantity. 



This composition differs somewhat from the meteoric iron 

 called Santa Eosa ; but recently I have reason to believe that 

 the quantity of nickel given in the Santa Eosa is too small, 

 some portion of it having remained with the iron. Future 

 examinations may prove that the Santa Eosa belongs to the 

 group of irons under notice. 



