"These scoria contained gold and silver, iron under different states, and that in different proportions unknown to us, but which, perhaps, are those that gave origin to the platina. The globules of quicksilver which I observed, and those of gold which I distinctly saw, with the assistance of a good lens, in the platina I had in my hands, have given birth to the ideas which I have written on the origin of this mineral; but I only give them as hazardous conjectures. To acquire some certainty we must know precisely where the platina mines are situated, and examine if they have been anciently explored, whether it be extracted from a new soil, or if the mines be only rubbish, and to what depth they are found; and, lastly, if they have any appearance of being placed by the hands of man there or not, which alone can verify or destroy the conjectures I have advanced."[D] [D] Baron Siekengen, minister of the elector Palatine, told M. de Milly, that he had then in his possession two memoirs which had been given to him by M. Kellner, chemist and metallurgist in the service of the Prince of Birckenfeld, at Manheim, and which offered to the court of Spain to return nearly as much gold as they would send him platina. These observations of Comte de Milly confirm mine in almost every point. Nature is the same, and presents herself always the same to those who know how to observe her: thus we must not be surprized that, without any communication, we observed the same things, and deduced the same consequence therefrom; that platina is not a new metal, different from every other, but a mixture of iron and gold. To reconcile his observations still more with mine, and to enlighten, at the same time, the doubts which remain on the origin and formation of platina, I have thought it necessary to add the following remarks: