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the-ingot : where the proportion was frnall, the

recovered gold was frequently, Mit not cortRantly,
found to be pure.
From thete experiments it appears, that mercury
has a greater affinity with gold than platina, and that
plaina is capable of being totally feparated by elutri-
ation ; but that the pincers is too vague and undeter-
mined to be applicable in the way of affm, as we
have no mark of the precife time for difcontinuing
it, and as we can never be certain, without making
another affay, whether the whole of the platina .
feparated or not. As a preparatory examination,
where the quantities of platina and gold to be fepa-
rated are large, it is neverthelef, of good life, as
greatell part of the platina may by this means be
wathed over with little trouble, and the gold brought
into a Info complfs, fo as to he commodioufly fob-
mined to a perfed purification by the means here-
after pointed out. This procefs has a timilar effert
on platina and gold to that of Ramping and wafhing
on metallic ores which could not be reduced into
pure metal in the furnace to advantage, without the
previous reparation of great pan of the earthy and
:finny matter by water.

a. By Prwititation with Alkatiet.

Gold is precipitated totally by fixed alkaline felts,
but platina only in part. Whcn folutions of the two
metals arc mixed together, fo much of the platina
remains fufpended, after faturation with the alkali,
ns to he readily diffinguifhable by the yellow colour,
which it communicates to the liquor. It has been
ohjerted,

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