OCT. — DEC. 1856.] 
The Natron Lake of Loonar. 
19 
No. S. Quartz. 
No. 9. Greenish brown glas?, very fusible. 
No. 1. This salt appears to be formed in crystalline masses, 
and is but slightly contaminated by chloride of sodium, or by any 
other insoluble impurities ; these, exclusive of the water present, 
will amount to about 4 per cent. 
No. 2. Fine cubical crystals, forming jmasses, in which the pe- 
culiar structure may easily be tracecf ; this salt contains something 
more than 92 per cent, of j3ommon salt, or chloride of sodium. 
* 
No. 3. Has less crystalline structure than No. 1 ; is efflorescent 
and white in appearance. Chemical constitution shows a larger 
amount of water, while the so3a and carbonic acid are nearly in 
the proportions required to form neutral carbonate. 
No. 4 is formed by the aggregation of numerous small crys- 
tals, is whiter than No. 1, but has almost the same chemical con- 
stitution as No. 3. 
No. 5 appears in larger dirty looking masses, is not homogene- 
ous in its composition ; in parts, it possesses a beautiful structure, 
seen in crystals radiating from a centre : contains 16 per cent, of 
water, 25 per cent, of common salt, and 30 per cent, of insoluble 
impurities. 
No. 6. A greyish looking earth, containing 58 per cent, of in- 
soluble impurities, 15 per cent, of water, 2^ of common salt, leav- 
ing 26 per cent, of carbonate of soda. 
No. 7. A salt varying from all the other specimens, being com- 
posed of earthy (not wlkaline) carbonates chiefly, some insoluble 
impurities, a little common salt. 
No. 8 not examined, it evidently consists of crystallized silicic 
acid, known as quartz. 
No. 9. A readily fusible glass, most probably chiefly a silicate 
of soda, not examined chemically, scratches window glass. 
I have made no remarks respecting commercial value, as this 
must necessarily depend on various circumstances, concerning 
