MINERALOGY. 
169 
SECT. CLXVIL 
2. Silver, Argentum^ Luna% which 
a. Of a white ihining colour. 
h . Its' fpecific gravity to water is 11,091 to 
1000. 
c. It is very tough or dudile, fo that a grain 
of it may be llretched out to three yards 
in length, and two inches in breadth. 
melted out of the above-mentioned ores, altbo’ they have 
been previoufly digefted in aqua regia ; and that gold like- 
wife mixes and dilTolves into a regulus; there is the greateft 
reafon to believe that a third fubftance, which here is a me- 
tal, mud neceflarily have by its admixture enabled the fulphur 
to unite with a certain quantity of gold. Scheffer has given 
upon this fubjed fome very curious and ufeful obfervations, 
in his Hidory of the Refining of Metals, inferted in the Tranf- 
aftions of the Academy of Sciences at Stockholm. It is very 
remarkable that the Mine-Mafter Henckel, in his excellent 
Treatife de J^propriatio'ne, fliould be fo obftinate in denying 
that marcafite could contain a diffolved gold. 
It is, however, by no means hereby intended to confirm the 
credulous in their opinion, that the marcafites in general con- 
tain more gold than yvhat true metallurgiils have afierted ; be- 
caufe fraud might then perhaps become too common. It ii 
only meant to indicate, that, as no gold is to be expelled 
from marcafites, where no native gold is found in the neigh- 
bourhood, in the fi^me manner no marcafites ought to be de-. 
fpifed, which are found in tracks where gold ores are dug; 
but at the fame time care muft be taken not to be deluded by 
the mention of volatile gold, as it is a notion really contra- 
didory and fufpicious, and then there can be no fear of be- 
ing milled, 
I am not perfedly clear, if the gold is really difiblved an4 
indurated, or, if I may fo exprefs myfelf, vitrified in the 
Shirls (Schirlkorrern), provided bv this mineral body ijj 
meant a garnet fubilance (Se.d. Ixviii.) But I have feen a 
piece of what is called Shir!, whole texture was exadlly like 
the Schemnitz blende ; and in this cafe it might perhaps hold 
the lame contents (Sedc. clxxv.) For the other gold ores, I 
have not had an opportunity of feeing any from thofe place? 
^here gold is fearched tQr and really found. 
