422 



UNITED STATES. 



substance which, though a small specimen, attracted 

 his attention, on account of its having some resem- 

 blance to the Siberian chromate of iron, on which ' 

 he was then making some experiments. On turning 

 to Sir Hans Sloane -s catalogue, he found the speci- 

 men described only as *' very heavy black stone, 

 with golden sti^eaks.'' These streaks were only 

 yellow mica. It had been sent from Massachusetts, 

 by Mr. Winthrop, to Sir Hans, with a parcel of 

 iron ores. It has been ascertained, that the speci- 

 men of this metal, upon which Mr. Hatchett's ex^ 

 periments were made, was taken from a spring of 

 water in the town of New London, in the state of 

 Connecticut, 



The fountain is neai^ the house where governor 

 Winthrop used to live, and is about three miles dis- 

 tant from the margin of salt water, at the head of 

 the harbour.^ This is the spot heretofore called 

 Nautneague, which is in Connecticut, and not in 

 Massachusetts. By the politeness of Francis Ben. 

 Winthrop, Esq. of New York, the manuscript pa- 

 pers of his ancestor, relative to- this place, and to 

 the minerals he carried to Sir Hans Sloane, have 

 been sent to the Historical Society of Massachusetts. 

 By their care we hope every interesting particular 

 concerning this substance, and the place where it 

 was originally found, will be made known to the 

 public. It will then be easy for gentlemen to visit 

 the spot, and to collect other specimens of this sin- 

 gular ore. 



Mr. Hatchett's experiments appear to him to shew, 

 that this kind of ore consists of iron combined with 

 m unknown substance., and that the latter constitutes 



