C 54 ]- 
three hours, and upon taking it out, I found the event 
anfwerable to my moft fanguine expectations : for in 
the bottom of the crucible I found, as near as I can 
remember, rather more than half of the fand I put 
into the crucible reduced to a very fine malleable 
metal. 
In this very agreeable experiment I met with a very 
furprizing phenomenon, which, as I am not at prefent 
able to determine whether it was only cafual, or 
• what would always happen in the like experiments, 
you will excufe my divulging at prefent, efpeciali.y 
as you, Sir, by furnifhing me with a frefh parcel of the 
fand, have enabled me to make fome farther trials ^ 
which I fiiall embrace the firft opportunity of doing; 
and fhould I be fo happy as to confirm what I then 
obferved, or to make any farther difcoveries deferving 
your notice, I fhall not fail communicating them to 
* y° u * r 
Being fully convinced, by the experiment, that the 
fand was a very rich iron ore, I acquainted fome of 
my friends with it, who being largely engaged in 
trade to thofe parts of our American colonies, where 
I was informed this fand was to be eafily procured, 
and in very large quantities, I was in great hopes an 
account of this nature would have inclined fome of 
the gentlemen in that part of the world, tohavepro- 
fecuted fo ufeful a difcovery in a larger way ; and I 
own I have often wondered, that an affair of fuch 
confequence fhould have lain dormant for fo many 
years. 
However I was a few months fince pleafingly fur- 
prifed, to find in the hands of my very ingenious 
friend Mr. Peter Collinfon, not only a pamphlet, but 
.. . likewise 
