As to the manner in which the work of Professor Cleaveland is executed, the remarks which we already made, have in a good degree anticipated this head.
We cannot, however, dismiss the subject without adding that, in our opinion, this work does honour to our country, and will greatly promote the knowledge of mineralogy and geology, besides aiding in the great work of disseminating a taste for science generally. Our views of the plan we have already detailed. The manner of execution is masterly. Discrimination, perspicuity, judicious selection of characters and facts, and a style chaste, manly, and comprehensive, are among the characteristics of Professor Cleaveland's performance. It has brought within the reach of the American student the excellencies of Kirwan, Jameson, Haüy, Brochant, Brongniart, and Werner; and we are not ashamed to have this work compared with their productions. In our opinion Professor Cleaveland's work ought to be introduced into all our schools of mineralogy, and to be the travelling companion of every American mineralogist.
We trust that all cultivators of mineralogy and geology in this country, will willingly aid Professor Cleaveland in enlarging his list of American localities for a second edition; and we hope that he will repay them, at a future day, by giving us a distinct treatise on geology, with as particular a delineation as possible of the geological relations of the great North American formations. Mr. Maclure has, with great ability, sketched the outline; but much labour is still needed in filling up the detail.
Art. III. New Locality of Fluor Spar, or Fluat of Lime and of Galena, or Sulphuret of Lead.
Art. III. New Locality of Fluor Spar, or Fluat of Lime and of Galena, or Sulphuret of Lead.
Mr. Joseph Baldwin, formerly of Connecticut, now residing near Shawnee Town, in the Illinois Territory, has given us some interesting specimens of fluor spar. They are found not far from Shawnee Town, on the banks of the Ohio; and a few miles below where the Wabash joins the Ohio. The fluor forms the gangue of a lead vein, and we have pieces in which the lead and fluor are intimately blended. The lead ore is the common galena, or sulphuret, with a broad, foliated, or laminated fracture, and a high degree of metallic splendour. We reduced it to the metallic state, and it yielded a large product of very soft lead. On dissolving it in nitric acid, and applying the muriatic acid till precipitation ceased, the precipitate formed was all redissolved by boiling water; nor, when submitted to cupellation did the lead leave any thing upon the cupel. We, therefore, conclude that it contained no appreciable quantity of silver. It is said to be very abundant at Shawnee Town.
The fluor spar is very beautiful. Its colours, chiefly, very deep purple and violet; but still highly translucent; one specimen was entirely limpid. Both kinds, when thrown in coarse powder, on a red-hot shovel, in a dark place, phosphoresced, and the violet specimens in a very striking manner. Of the violet kind, we have a specimen nearly as large as a man's fist, which is perfectly pure and sound, and appears to have been a single crystal; the natural faces and angles were unfortunately obliterated by grinding on a common grindstone. We have others which are decidedly crystals of perfect regularity; cubes, and passages between the cube and octahedron. In some of the specimens, the disposition of colours, and the transmission of light is such as to show very clearly that the octahedron lies in the centre, as the nucleus or primitive form.