112 Mr. Chenevix on the Action of 
M. Richter supposed that the formation of palladium was 
attended with no difficulty ; and in general they have laid so 
much stress upon this charge, that I should be inclined to 
think my Paper had not been read by these chemists. In 
referring to it again, I find there is hardly a page in which I 
do not mention some failure, and no experiment, of the very 
few which occasionally succeeded, is related without my 
stating at the same time that it was repeatedly unsuccessful. 
As far as regards palladium, it is rather a narration of fruitless 
attempts than a description of an infallible process, and more 
likely to create aversion to the pursuit than to inspire a confi- 
dence of success. The course of experiments which I had 
made, as well before as after reading my Paper to the Society, 
took me up more than two months, and employed me from 
twelve to sixteen hours almost every day. I had frequently 
seven or eight operations in the forge to perform daily, and I 
do not exaggerate the number of attempts I made during this 
time, as well in the dry as in the humid way, in stating them 
to have been one thousand. Amongst these I had four suc- 
cessful operations. I persevered, because even in my failures 
I saw sufficient to convince me that I should quit the road to 
truth if I desisted. After all my labour and fatigue I cannot 
say that I had come nearer to my object, of obtaining more 
certainty in my processes. Their success was still a hazard on 
the dice, against which there were many chances; but till 
others had thrown as often as I had done, they had no solid 
right to deny the existence of such a combination. On this 
foundation none, I believe, have established such a right. 
Mess. Rose and Gehlen do not say how often their experi- 
ments were repeated ; but it is probable that if they had been 
