310 FROM BUKOREST, 
CHAP, to a bead of pure gold) not a particle of native 
>■ ^ .' gold can be discerned, even by the aid of the 
most powerful microscope. The goldj in these 
ores, is therefore completely mineralized, either 
by the tellurium acting as an acid, or by sulphur; 
and in either case it must be considered as 
unique in its kind. From the resemblance of 
its laminary form and splendent grey colour to 
antimony, it was at first considered as an ore of 
that metal ; and for a long time, under the 
names oi aurum prohlematicum and aurum para- 
doxum, it puzzled all the chemists oi Europe. 
Sometimes an effect of crystallization has given 
to this laminary substance a rude resemblance 
of Hebrew characters ; and to such appearances 
the name of aurum graphicum was given. When 
Klaproth detected, in the analysis of this ore, 
the presence of a new metal, and bestowed 
upon it the name of tellurium, its real nature 
became more fully developed ; but the manner 
in which the gold is combined with tellurium has 
not yet been wholly determined. The sulphuret 
of antimony is sometimes found either as a ra- 
diated crystallization, in the midst of the ore, or 
in the form called plumose, owing to the minute- 
D,ess and length of its crystals. We saw also 
very fine specimens of the red sulphuret of 
arsenic, both in masses and crystallized, which 
