MINERALOGY. 20f 



a. Its colour is white and mining, a little 

 darker than that of filver. 



b. It is fluid in the cold, and divifible by the 

 leait force ; but, as it only fticks to a few 

 bodies, to which it has an attraction, it is 

 faid that it does not wet. 



c. It is volatile in the fire. 



d. Its weight is next to that of the gold, viz; 

 to water, as 13,593 : • 1000. 



e. It attracts the other femi- metals and me- 

 tals, and unites with them all, except co- 

 balt and nickel, with which it cannot by 

 any means yet known be made to mix. 

 This union is called an amalgamation. 

 This amalgamation, or mixtion of metallic 

 bodies, according to the readinefs with 

 which they unite or mix, is in the follow- 

 ing program" on, viz. gold, filver, lead* 

 tin, zink, biimuth, copper, iron, and 

 the regulus of antimony : But the three 

 latter however do not very readily amalga- 

 mate. The iron requires a folution of the 

 vitriol of iron, as a medium to promote the 

 union. 



/, It diflblves in the fpirit of nitre, out of 

 which it is precipitated by a volatile alcali, 

 and the common fait, in form of a white 

 powder •, but if a fixed alcali is ufed, into a 

 yellow powder ur calx. 



g. It diiToives in the oil of vitriol by a ftrong 

 boiling. 



h. It is not affected by the acid of common 

 fait, unlets it be previoufly diflblved by 

 other acids ; in which cafe only they unite 

 with one another, and may be.fublimed to-^ 

 gether, the which fuMimation is a itrong. 

 poifon. 



u It 



