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VI. An Analysis of the earthy Substance from New South Wales t 
called Sydneia or Terra Australis. By Charles Hatchett, Esq, 
F, R , S 
• * 
Read February 8, 1798. 
* • 
T he late ingenious Josiah Wedgwood, Esq. F. R. S. published, 
in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1790, an account 
of some analytical experiments on a mineral substance from 
Sydney Cove, in New South Wales.* 
This substance, Mr. Wedgwood describes to be composed of 
a fine white sand, a soft white earth, some colourless micaceous 
particles, and also some which were black, resembling black 
mica, or black lead. 
Nitric acid did not appear to act on any part of this earthy 
substance; and even a portion on which sulphuric acid had 
been boiled to dryness, afforded afterwards, when edulcorated 
with water, only a few fiocculi, which Mr. Wedgwood con- 
ceived to be aluminous earth. 
The muriatic acid, during digestion, seemed to act as little 
as the two preceding acids ; but, upon water being poured in, 
to wash out the remaining portion, the liquor instantly became 
white as milk, with a fine white curdy substance intermixed ; 
the concentrated acid having, in the opinion of the author, 
* Philosophical Transactions, Vol. LXXX. Part II. page 306. 
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