175 solution of acetate of lead. When either one or the other of these mixtures is present, a small quantity of neutral chromate of potash is added in the determination of the carbonic acid.' 3. Caustic Potash and Caustic Soda. One part of the pearlash or soda under examination is mixed with about three parts chloride of barium, and treated with hot water, well stirred, and some of the filtered liquid tested with dahlia or curcuma paper. brown, caustic potash is present. It need hardly be mentioned that the If the former becomes green, or the latter chloride of barium should be perfectly neutral, and that it should be in excess; of this it is easy to be convinced, by adding to the filtered solution some more chloride of barium, which should give rise to no further precipitate. This mode of testing deserves the preference to all others, on account of its simplicity and certainty. If sulphuret of potassium or of sodium, which would likewise cause an alkaline reaction, is present, it is unnecessary to test for the caustic alkalies, for we may be certain that they are then present. In case caustic alkali should be present, the sample weighed off for the determination of the carbonic acid is rubbed up with three or four parts of quartz-sand, and from one-fourth to a third of the amount of sample of pulverized carbonate of ammonia mixed with it; the powder is brought into a porcelain dish, and so much water dropped on the mass as it can absorb; it is allowed to stand for a time, and then heated until the whole of the water and carbonate of ammonia are expelled. If the potash or soda contain, besides caustic alkali, an alkaline sulphuret, then solution of ammonia should be employed to moisten the mass, in order to convert the sesquicarbonate of ammonia into neutral salt, otherwise sulphuret of ammonium would be disengaged, and a portion of the alkaline sulphuret be converted into carbonate. A, the dish washed with some water, and proceeded with as described beWhen cooled, the mass is brought into the vessel low. The sand serves to prevent the caking together of the mass, and also any loss in the drying. For determining the amount of water of the pearlash or soda, a small crucible of iron or porcelain is placed with its lid on the one plate of a common but accurate hand-scale, which is then loaded with a 10-gramme piece, and the balance brought, by means of shot and tinfoil, into equili brium. Samples are now selected from various parts, and pulverized, the 10-gramme piece removed from the balance, and in its stead powder conveyed into the crucible until equilibrium is perfectly established. In this way we have exactly 10 grammes of potash or soda in the crucible. This is now heated over a good spirit-lamp until the whole of the water is expelled, and after cooling, is brought on the scale, when the number of decigrammes which must be added to restore equilibrium will indicate the per centage amount of water. 6.29 grammes of the anhydrous pearlash thus obtained are weighed off, but of the anhydrous soda ash 4.84, and conveyed into the bottle A of the apparatus, which is then filled above one-third with water.* The apparatus is now arranged, dried and weighed, and some sulphuric acid caused to pass by slight suction at d from the vessel B into A. After complete * Some neutral chromate of potash is added to the water in the case of soda, or a solution of bichromate of potash saturated to excess with ammonia. The first drops of the concentrated sulphuric acid produce a violent evolution of gas, which has, however, not the least influence on the result. decomposition, the wax stopper at b is removed, and air drawn through the apparatus, in which operation a tube filled with moist hydrate of lime may be employed, if the taste of the carbonic acid is found to be disagreeable; it is then cooled, which may be hastened by immersion in cold water, dried, placed on the scale, and weights substituted for the carbonic acid which has escaped. The number of centigrammes which have to be added to the apparatus to restore equilibrium, divided by 2, gives directly the per centage amount of anhydrous carbonate of potash or soda. Suppose, for instance, with 6.29 grammes pearlash, the apparatus had lost 1.60 grammes in weight of carbonic acid, then it would contain 1980 per cent of carbonate of potash. The determination of the amount of caustic soda or potash which may be contained along with the carbonated alkalies in pearlash or soda ash, is not only important in a commercial point of view, and to the manufactu rer, but is of considerable scientific interest. Our alkalimetric method af. fords the simplest means of ascertaining this. According to whether it is pearlash or soda, 6.29 or 4.84 grammes of the anhydrous residue are weighed off twice; the one portion is employed to determine the carbonic acid direct; the other, after previous treatment with carbonate of ammonia. From the difference in the weights obtained, the amount of caustic potash will be found by multiplying it by 34.101; for soda, it must be multiplied by 29.38, in order to find the per centage of caustic soda. The authors then detail a numerous series of experiments, made with a view to determine the accuracy of their method both with commercial sodas and pearlashes, as well as with some prepared kinds in which the amount was accurately known. The three following examples will suffice: 1. a. 4.84 grms. of a mixture of equal parts of anhydrous carbonate of soda and anhydrous sulphate of soda afforded 1.002 grm. carbonic acid. b. 3.185 of the same mixture saturated 57.5° of Gay-Lussac's testing acid. c. 3.185 saturated in a second experiment 58.4°. 2. a. 4.84 grms. of a mixture of 2 parts of carbonate of soda and 1 part sulphate of soda gave 1.33 grm. carbonic acid. 3. a. 4.84 pure crystallized soda 66 66 gave 0.745 grm. carbonic acid. 66 66 b. 66 66 66 66 45° 66 100 parts of the analyzed mixtures contain, therefore, of anhydrous carbonate of soda Art. VII.—A HAMBURGH MERCHANT IN HIS COUNTING-HOUSE. It was not six o'clock, yet I was already pacing my room with hasty and anxious strides, and my fellow lodgers must certainly have regretted my vicinity, in that I was the indiscreet disturber of their morning repose. Was ever poor author, through unforeseen circumstances, betrayed into a more vexatious dilemma than was I at that moment, in the free Hanse Town of Hamburgh? My exchequer was exhausted, and my departure yet to be effected, with not a red cent left in my pocket. Mr. Marr, my friendly host, is good and kind-hearted, and not the man to cut an unpaid account immediately from one's skin; but the Prussian Schellpost takes no passengers on credit, and on the next day, without fail, I must forth to Berlin. For the twentieth time had I rummaged through my letter-case, in the hope that some shrinking treasure-certificate, some modest letter of credit, might have crept into a corner, but in vain! Stop! what paper is that? It is a letter which a well-wishing patron has given me, and which I have negligently omitted to present. The address is quite simple-" Herr Mohrfeld, Deich-street." I breathed aloud, "Perhaps this is the man from whom help is to reach me." I remembered that my patron had described him as the head of a very eminent mercantile house, whose acquaintance would greatly advantage me. Speedily did I come to a decision-dressed myself, and with the stroke of eight left the hotel for Deich-street, where I expected my rescuing angel to appear to me. Stop! here, at the hop-market, I must pause a moment. overcoat, with badly combed brown hair, and whose ruddy face has a blunt Yonder is a short, thick-set man, in a blue and taciturn expression. He has bought a good fish, sent a porter away with it, and pursues his walk. He has his hands crossed behind himhis eyes cast upon the ground-and with a low humming, turns into the Deich-street. Without his taking any notice of me, we strode together, and at last both stood still before the same house. There he recovered from his thoughtful manner, and looking steadily at me, asked in a suppressed tone, "Do you wish to speak with any one here?" Vexed that so ordinary-looking a man should address me with so little ceremony, I answered with some haughtiness, "I have business with the house of Mohrfeld." He smiled, and then said earnestly, "I am Mohrfeld !" man, who buys his own fish, and appears in a threadbare coat, am I to exWhat! and from this pect help? Is this mean-looking personage the only dependence, in respect of his purse, of his novel-writing guest? But he was the only anchor of hope to which I could cling. With lightning haste I removed my hat, and said, with a most respectful air, "Pardon me! I had till now not the honor-I have"-here I drew the letter from my pocket-" a commission to deliver this letter." Herr Mohrfeld interrupted me, "Not now; by and by I will speak with you in the counting-room; you must, however, wait awhile. Come" he stepped into the house, and I followed. In the great hall, all was activity. There were two great scales, on which workmen were weighing coffee, as a clerk stood by with his memorandum book. Mr. Mohrfeld looked on silently for a few moments, and was passing on, when a laborer threw down a bag of coffee in a manner to burst it, and scatter the berries upon the floor. exclaimed the merchant; and stooping to collect the scattered coffee, con"What gross carelessness!" tartly tinued, "Gather it all up, and put it again in the sack. Then have it VOL. XV.-NO. II. 12 properly mended, and you, Mr. Moller, see that the bag is weighed afterwards, and if there is a loss, charge the amount to this improvident man. It shall be deducted from his week's pay." "That is hard," said the man. "Only a little coffee". "Only a little coffee!" answered the merchant, quickly. "He who despises trifles, is not worthy of great things; out of eight and forty shillings is composed a thaler; and to one good vintage many warm days are necessary. So! not worth the trouble? Negligence is a great failing, and ruinous to ordinary business. Mr. Moller, when this man again, even in the smallest particular, displays his carelessness, discharge him on the spot. I make you answerable." "Great God!" thought I, "for a handful of coffee, will he deprive a man of his bread? How hard! how cruel! how will it go with me?" A young man, dressed with great elegance, came now out of the office, bowed to the merchant, and was about to pass out of the door, but at a look from his employer, stood still. "What an appearance you make," said Mohrfeld, disdainfully. "Is there to be a ball in my counting-house? and where were you yesterday evening? If I am not in error, you were curvetting on a palfrey out at the Damn Door, and had no time to observe your employer, who passed you on foot." "I beg a thousand pardons," answered the young man, turning bloodred in his face. "I" "So good!" interrupted Mohrfeld. "I have nothing to do with that which my people do out of business hours, if they perform their duties punctually. But with you it is different. You have a poor mother who suffers for necessaries; three uneducated brothers, two of whom I met yesterday barefoot, and that at a time of life when they should be in school. It would be more honor to you to attend to that, and to take care of your brothers, instead of dressing in the latest fashion, and capering upon a saddle-horse. Go to your business, sir." The young man became purple in the face, withdrew himself backwards like a crab, and vanished through the door. The merchant strode through the store, and entered the counting-room, where I followed him. What a sight! a long and rather gloomy hall presented itself, with numerous desks, behind each of which stood a person busily writing or reckoning, and of whom I counted thirty. In an adjoining room sat many more. Not far from the door sat a rather elderly man at a counter, and near him stood several iron chests, and the association drew from me a deep sigh. "Well, Mr. Casten," said the merchant, as he approached his cashier, "what news?" "But little," answered he, quietly."There is a demand for bills. We have, however, nothing to spare. In Livonia we have nothing, and on Genoa and Venice we have not more than our three ships loading for those ports require. Two value on New York, and one on Havana, that will be wanted, and I have notified them. Can you use any Copenhagen or Swedish paper at the current rates?" "No! there must be as little funds as possible locked up in paper. I shall need a large cash balance. Remember that." He passed on, and stood before a desk. "Were the goods sent yesterday on board the Artemisia, Mr. Kohler?" he asked. "Are the policies for the Pleil taken out, and has Captain Hey. sen got his papers?" "It is all attended to," said the clerk. "Here is the bill of lading; here the policy, and the receipt of the captain.” "Good; your punctuality pleases me. 179 Take care of that sand, however. It has a slovenly appearance to Go on, method is the soul of busisee it so scattered as on your desk." ness. Mr Mohrfeld had now arrived at his desk, which was secluded from the main hall by a rail. He pointed me to a chair, and began to examine some letters that had waited his coming. A deep silence now pervaded the room, which was broken only by the monotonous scratching of many quills. No loud word was spoken, and seldom a suppressed whisper was heard. No notice was taken of me; not a word was addressed to me, nor was a curious glance directed towards me. The merchant read through his letters, and called several young men to him, giving directions, but receiving no answers. You, Mr. Becker, must take care that no more errors creep into your "At one o'clock, all must be ready for signature. French letters. You are too quick, too hasty. Take example of Mr. Hart-his English letters are a master correspondence. Above all, I observe lately in your letters a worthless innovation. You use a pompous, verbose style, and employ three lines where three words are sufficient. Abandon that. mercantile letters; but it comes from the senseless novels and romances A flowery style is always a folly, and especially so in that you are eternally reading, and which will yet incapacitate you for every useful employment. I have warned you take care for the future.' "At This was a brilliant prospect! What reception could a novel-writer expect from a man possessed of such views? At this moment Mohrfeld turned to me, and said rather short, "Well, sir, about our business !" your service," I stammered, and reached him my letter; but he had not opened it ere we were again interrupted. "See there! good morning, Captain Heysen," said the merchant, with animation. bably, to take leave; a lucky voyage to you, and bring yourself and crew "You come, proback in good health. Pay good attention to ship and cargo, and make me no 'general average.' Your wife, say you? why, in any circumstances let her apply to me at once. yourself skilfully of it, you may be back by Christmas. Well, adieu, CapIf you have a good opportunity, and avail tain, you have"-here he glanced at the almanac-"no time to lose. It is now high water, you may lose the tide, and I am not pleassd to have the ship anchored at Blankenese. Lucky voyage.' ished, and another man took his place. "Good morning, Mr. Flugge, what have you to say?" asked the merchant; "I am well pleased with that last The captain vanpurchase of wood. You earned your commission with honor. When you have such another lot on the same terms, let me know. My ships must be employed. There are already three lying idle. stock arrives, let me know. As soon as the new was directed to me-" that I keep you so long waiting, but the current "I beg your pardon, sir,”—this business takes precedence." "Good morning, Pilot! Already back. Is myHope' gone to sea safely?" swered a robust Elbe pilot. "All as you wish, Mr. Mohrfeld,” ana breeze. Here is a letter from the captain. "The ship is a fast sailer, and not afraid of another vessel. Perhaps I can take my pilotage with me? But I must to-day on board course, Pilot; and for the quick pilotage, ten thalers more. cashier, he will make it all right." "That's of addressed to a meagre-looking little man, with a bald head and snuffy "What do you want!" This was Go to my nose, who, in a threadbare black coat, and stooping posture, stood before the wealthy merchant. Adieu." |