INTERESTING DISCOVERY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 942, 8 October 1910, Page 14

INTERESTING DISCOVERY.

■ : Most -New Zealanders know something of'.the wonders of Rotqrua and.Taupo,; but,-very-'few .have'-visited: the-.ej'ually intorestiri'g:.'spbt : :in-,'the. Bay' of I'lenty lnibwii; as, iWhite ■ Island.".;-.-iThis: island; is .the summit 'of. air. active volcano, the crater'being-.filled; with: water forming' a' lake of about' 15.-.'acres' in_ extent.; The lake is- surrounded precipitous -.walls 1 rising''to .the height of .from 400 to 900 ft. ■ -.The'water of the lake .has a temperaturq of .about : . 110 , degrees Fahrenheit,', and is,'remarkable for 'its acidity.-' Several ;analyses, .which.showed.' its -unusual .characterj have)been made in, tlie;past ; : 'but',.a;much J more .exbans-. tive, examination-was recently., undertaken by, the Dominion Analyst,. Dr., Maclaurm:.' His results are as follow :--- Ammonium chloride,' 0.0273 .^per.-cent.;' 'potassium chloride, 0.1654 per cent/; podium chloride,',, 0.03791 perl ; cent.| 'potassium ,0.0051 ,:per cent.; pobassitun iodide,..trace;; -'sodium.;,,sul•pbate,"vo.6l9l. per" ; cent.' ;■ magnesium sulphate/] 0.3948 -.per.':■ cent.';' 'calcium sulphate, 0.5090 per : cent.; aluminium i sulphate; 2.1090 per cent.; ferric; sulphate;-.' 0.2600' per'-cent.-j .-'ferrous.; sul- : phate', • : 0.1976 per -v. cent.';. manganous sulphate,;. 0.0038 per cent.-;- copper sul-; ■phate,- trace'; j-mblybdic -,;acid,: v trace; silica;-' 6.0080 per;'ceiit.;'.titanium dioxide, 0.0030 per cent.; boron triqxide, fl'.OaiO'Spef - cent'.; -: arsenious' 'qxide,;0.00056,per cent.; carbon dioxide, 0.0130 per cent.; hydrochloric, acid, 4.8338 per cent.; ; -pentathionic ■■■ acid, : ;-.. 0.0240 y:per: cent: '-•'• Total, 9:24236; per cent.:. --" It'will be seen;that the water:is a very remarkable one;-There is an enormous amount of free, hydrochloric acid —nearly one-sixth. of '■' the quantity pre- ' sent .in' 'ordinary! commercial muriatic acid.. Another.' .point'.-.of: interest, ;is the; presence; of boron in proportions larger, than are found' in. some,of the Tuscan lakes from which ■ boric; acid is -. commercially 'prepared-."' - ■ . The 'compound. of greatest .scientific, interest, however; is the last" oner-pentathionib acid. .This ■acid ; is readily, formed, by passing .sulphureted hydrogen' into:; a 'solution of sulphurous ;acid,. and : l is fairly (well known to ithe chemist,, but so far as can' be''learned,".it- had not previously been detected in natural, waters. Its discovery, in this ■ water is therefore • of, considerable scientific interest; ,'■