SECTION XVII.
O f Minerals.
BARON Hermelin, who has publiihed maps of Sweden, Finland,
and Lapland, which we have noticed before, is a t pre-
fent engaged in a work on the Lapland minerals ; and we may ex-
peft fomething very fatisfadory from the labours of a perfon fo
well verfed in that fcience, and fo accurate and attentive in his
refearches. Lapland abounds in minerals of all kinds: but it is
not eafy for a traveller, who is but fuperficially acquainted with
the fubjed, and who is hurried by the Ihortnefs of his time, to
communicate as much information as the reader of his work may
perhaps be led to look for. I colleded in that remote country
fome {tones, or minerals ; but ioon found them too cumberiome,
ns we were frequently obliged to travel on foot, and have our baggage
carried by men.
When I returned to Stockholm, I laid the fpecimens I had
kept before Mr. Hyelm, who has the care of the colledion o f minerals
at that place, and is infpedor of the m in t; and he ihowed
me a great number of minerals brought from the fame country
by different travellers, and chiefly thofe whom Baron Hermelin
fe had
had employed to draw his maps: for he always chofe fuch men
as were acquainted with mineralogy, that they might likewife be
ufeful to him in that fcience, which , is the principal objed of his
attention.
Mr. Hyelm not only had the goodnels to favour me with many
fpecimens, of which he had duplicates, but even condefcended to
write out for me a lyftematic lift of all the Lapland minerals*
contained in the colledion alluded to, which are arranged according
to the different parts of the country from w'hence they
were obtained. This lift I will here fubjoin, being perfuaded it
will intereft the lovers of this branch of natural hiftory.
« This lift, as will be feen, is not confined to Lapland, but takes in fome provinces
in the neighbourhood, belonging to Sweden and Finland. This deviation
from the ftrict limits of Lapland will probably be pardoned, as it brings additional
information, and at the fame time refers to countries which have equally
been the fubject of the foregoing work.
The names of the minerals in the original lift were given in Swedifh, and
fometimes explained by the French. Thefe we have attempted to render into
the language familiar to Engliih mineralogifts: in doing which we have chiefly
followed the works of Kirwan and Cronftedt, and adopted the technical terms
ufed by thefe writers. To avoid the poflibility of a miftake, the Swedifh words
are added in a parenthefis to moft fpecies that are mentioned, and fomelimes
alfo the French, German, and Latin appellations. Where any doubt remained,
the fign of a query (?) has been p u t: fo that it is hoped the lift will appear pretty
accurate.
V o l . II. M m L IST