How to See the British Museum in Four VisitsJerrold, Blanchard
History
How to See the British Museum in Four Visits
Jerrold, Blanchard
British Museum
The southern range of tables is numbered from 14 to 23; and the
northern range from 38 to 47. The first three tables of the southern
range (14-16) are covered with the varieties of Oxides of Iron,
including magnetic iron ore; natural magnets; the salam-stell of the
East Indies; iron glance from Elba, Vesuvius, and Stromboli, some of
which are very beautiful; brown iron stones, including the variety
used as hair powder by natives of South Africa; and the pea ores that
fell in a shower, on the 10th of August, 1841, in Hungary. In the next
case (17) are the Oxides of Copper; bismuth; red oxide of zinc; cobalt
ochres; oxide of uranium; and pitch ore. In the nineteenth case are
the Oxides of Lead; and in the twentieth are the first of the oxides
of electro-negative substances. This case contains the valuable
alumina known as noble corundite, and to jewellers in its formations
of ruby, sapphire, and the oriental emerald, topaz, and amethyst.
Herein also is the kind of corundum known as emery, and esteemed for
its polishing properties. In this case also are the Aluminates of
Magnesia, including the sapphirine; the chrysoberyls from Brazil, and
those inclosed in quartz and felspar with garnets. The next four cases
(20-23) are loaded with the varieties of the Acid of Silicium or
silica, which constitutes the greater part of hard stones and minerals
with which the earth is encrusted. It is nearly pure in the rock
crystal, of which there are many specimens in the first case (20),
including those crystals called Bristol and Gibraltar diamonds,
cairngorms, the smoky topaz; rock crystals inclosing foreign
substances, and in a wrought state: of these Dr. Dee's snow-stone is
one. The next two cases (21, 22) are devoted to the varieties of
common quartz, including the flexible sandstones of Brazil (of which
there are some larger specimens upon a separate table) and to those of
the east; milk quartz; the Salzburg blue quartz, &c.; some varieties
of the cat's eye; hornstones, including wood changed into hornstone:
and herein begin the flints, including some specimens changing into
calcedony, smalt blue calcedony from Transylvania; the Icelandic
stalactical calcedony; and the fine Cornish calcedony. Upon the last
southern table (23) are ranged further varieties of calcedony. These
include the blood stone; the curious Mocha stones; and agates,
including the agate nodule from central Asia. Having sufficiently
examined these beautiful varieties of calcedony, the visitor should
pass at once to the northern range of tables.
Upon the first of these tables (38) are some new scientific varieties
of mineral substances, in which the unscientific visitor will not take
any interest; herein also are Oxides of Antimony, including white
antimony from Bohemia; red antimony, or kermes, not to be mistaken for
the ancient dye used by the old Greek and Roman dyers, which was
obtained from the female _coccus illicis_; and tungstates of lime,
lead, and of iron and manganese.
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